Error: The license does not support some of the features that are currently in use by the licensed assets

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

While assigning the vSphere license key to ESXi host from vSphere client, the following error may be shown: 

"The license does not support some of the features that are currently in use by the licensed assets- vSphere FT"

"The license does not support some of the features that are currently in use by the licensed assets-vSphere DRS"

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 6.5.x
VMware vCenter Server 6.7.x
VMware vCenter Server 7.x
VMware vCenter Server 8.x

VMware vSphere ESXi 6.5.x
VMware vSphere ESXi 6.7.x
VMware vSphere ESXi 7.x
VMware vSphere ESXi 8.x

Cause

The license being applied does not support a specific feature of vSphere. For example, when trying to apply vSphere Essentials OR vSphere Essentials Plus license key.  

FT is supported in vSphere Standard, vSphere Enterprise and vSphere Enterprise Plus Editions only. 

However, FT logging should not be enabled on the vmkernel port if the feature is not supported in the assigned license key

 

• The DRS error can occur when switching License keys from a vSphere Essentials Plus license to a vSphere standard license key. This is due to vSphere Essentials Plus supporting DRS/vMotion, while the vSphere standard license does not.

Resolution

FT issue

Disable Fault Tolerance logging from vSphere client if it is enabled:

1. Click Host in the vSphere inventory
2. Configure 
3. Expand Networking 
4. Click VMkernel adapters 
5. Click the ellipsis (⋮) next to vmk0
6. Click Edit
7. Deselect the Fault Tolerance logging option
8. Click OK.

DRS Issue

1. Disconnect the ESXi host from vCenter
2. Remove the ESXi host from inventory
3. Directly connect to the host using the Host client
4. Log in with root credentials
5. Go to Configuration > Licensing feature > Edit
6. Apply the required license
7. Once licensed, add the ESXi host back to the vCenter server

Additional Information

VMware vSphere Product Line Comparison (document) VMware Cloud Foundation and VMware vSphere Foundation: Feature Comparison & Upgrade Paths

Edit a VMkernel Adapter Configuration: vSphere Networking