Error while adding the host back to the cluster: "The host has a datastore that conflicts with an existing datastore in the data center."

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

When attempting to add an ESXi host back to the cluster, the user receives the following error message:

"<hostname> host has a datastore that conflicts with an existing datastore in the datacenter."

When users search for the ESXi host name across the entire vCenter inventory, they receive no results. However, when the user searches for the ESXi host local datastore name in the vCenter that they are trying to add to the existing cluster, they find the entry for the local datastore on some VMs. The local datastore for the same ESXi host may or may not be in an inaccessible state.

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 7.0.x

Cause

Any maintenance activity that requires the ESXi host to be removed from the cluster may leave some VMs with information about the ISOs attached to the "CD/DVD Media" on the local datastore of the ESXi host, which the user is attempting to add.

Because the local datastore information in vCenter for the ESXi host that the user is trying to add is present, there is a conflict when users attempt to re-add the ESXi host to the cluster and the process fails with the error message noted in the above section.

 

Resolution

To resolve this issue:

1. Find all the VMs that can see the local datastore of the ESXi host that is failing to add to the cluster. The same VMs should contain information about the ISOs attached to their respective CDs or DVDs, which are present in the local datastore of the ESXi host that the user is attempting to add. User can accomplish this by either searching for the local datastore name across the entire vCenter inventory or by accessing the datastore page and then selecting the VM's tab from the same datastore view.

2. Edit all the VM settings found in the above step, change the "CD/DVD Media" to the host device, and save the changes made in settings.

   
   
   
3. Once the above steps are completed, the local datastore will not be visible in the storage view, and the ESXi host add process should complete without any issues.