When upgrading VMware ESXi 5.5.x to 6.0 host, you experience a purple diagnostic screen with the error: Failed to load kernel modules: dvfilter-switch-security, bfd, traceflow, vdl2, vdrb

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi
• VMware NSX

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:
In a VMware NSX for vSphere 6.x environment, when you upgrade an ESXi 5.x host to 6.0, you experience these symptoms:

• The ESXi 5.5 host fails with a purple diagnostic screen
• The purple diagnostic screen contains entries similar to:
  
  @BlueScreen: #PF Exception 14 in world wwww:WorldName IP 0xnnnnnnnn addr 0x0
  PTEs:0xnnnnnnnn;0xnnnnnnnn;0x0;
  0xnnnnnnnn:[0xnnnnnnnn]Portset_BlockPort@vmkernel#nover+0x1d
  0xnnnnnnnn:[0xnnnnnnnn]Port_BlockLocked@vmkernel#nover+0x52
  0xnnnnnnnn:[0xnnnnnnnn][email protected]#v2_3_0_0+
  0xnnnnnnnn:[0xnnnnnnnn]helpFunc@vmkernel#nover+0x4e6
  0xnnnnnnnn:[0xnnnnnnnn]CpuSched_StartWorld@vmkernel#nover+0xa2
  0xnnnnnnnn:[0xnnnnnnnn]base fs=0x0 gs=0x418044000000 Kgs=0x0
  0xnnnnnnnn:[0xnnnnnnnn]Failed to load kernel modules: dvfilter-switch-security, bfd, traceflow, vdl2, vdrb
  0xnnnnnnnn:[0xnnnnnnnn]Failed to load kernel modules: dvfilter-switch-security, bfd, traceflow, vdl2, vdrb

Environment

VMware NSX for vSphere 6.0.x
VMware vSphere ESXi 6.0
VMware NSX for vSphere 6.1.x
VMware vSphere ESXi 5.5
VMware NSX for vSphere 6.2.x

Cause

This issue occurs when using auto deploy with a 5.5 VXLAN vSphere Installation Bundle (VIB) installed on a VMware ESXi 6.0 host during an upgrade.

This issue may also occur when a virtual nic is moved to a new dvs which is enabled with "traffic filter" or other filter feature.

Resolution

This issue is resolved in:

• VMware ESXi 5.5.0 Patch 8 (ESXi550-201608001 - Build 4179633)

• VMware ESXi 6.0 Update 1a

If you are unable to upgrade, to work around the issue, reboot the ESXi host and continue with the upgrade.

 

Additional Information