"Error setting advanced options on the host" when applying ESXi host profile

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

On vCenter server, when applying ESXi host profile gives an error: "Error setting advanced options on the host."

When applying ESXi host profile, Host Management Agent logs (/var/run/logs/hostd.log) contain either of the following errors

• "Failed to set Syslog configuration: Cannot set the audit record storage directory while audit record storage is enabled (in use)"
  

  yyyy-mm-ddThh-mm-ssZ In(166) Hostd[2099717]: [Originator@6876 sub=Hostsvc.SyslogConfigProvider opID=<Op-ID> sid=52436b03 user=vpxuser] Task Created : haTask-ha-host-vim.option.OptionManager.updateValues-98035
  yyyy-mm-ddThh-mm-ssZ In(166) Hostd[2099717]: [Originator@6876 sub=Hostsvc.SyslogConfigProvider opID=<Op-ID> sid=52436b03 user=vpxuser] Set called with key'Syslog.global.auditRecord.storageDirectory', value '"[] /scratch/auditlog"'
  yyyy-mm-ddThh-mm-ssZ Er(163) Hostd[2099717]: [Originator@6876 sub=Hostsvc.SyslogConfigProvider opID=<Op-ID> sid=52436b03 user=vpxuser] Failed to set global syslog configuration : Cannot set the audit record storage directory while audit record storage is enabled (in use).
  yyyy-mm-ddThh-mm-ssZ In(166) Hostd[2099717]: [Originator@6876 sub=AdapterServer opID=<Op-ID> sid=52436b03 user=vpxuser] Task Completed : haTask-ha-host-vim.option.OptionManager.updateValues-98035 Status error
  yyyy-mm-ddThh-mm-ssZ In(166) Hostd[2099717]: [Originator@6876 sub=AdapterServer opID=<Op-ID> sid=52436b03 user=vpxuser] Throw vmodl.fault.SystemError
  yyyy-mm-ddThh-mm-ssZ In(166) Hostd[2099717]: [Originator@6876 sub=AdapterServer opID=<Op-ID> sid=52436b03 user=vpxuser] Result:
  yyyy-mm-ddThh-mm-ssZ In(166) Hostd[2099717]: [Originator@6876 sub=AdapterServer opID=<Op-ID> sid=52436b03 user=vpxuser] (vmodl.fault.SystemError) {
   reason = "Internal error",
   msg = "",
  }

• "Failed to set global syslog configuration : Audit record storage capacity cannot be reduced"

  yyyy-mm-ddThh-mm-ssZ In(166) Hostd[2099717]: [Originator@6876 sub=Hostsvc.SyslogConfigProvider opID=<Op-ID> sid=52436b03 user=vpxuser] Task Created : haTask-ha-host-vim.option.OptionManager.updateValues-98035
  yyyy-mm-ddThh-mm-ssZ In(166) Hostd[2099717]: [Originator@6876 sub=Hostsvc.SyslogConfigProvider opID=<Op-ID> sid=52436b03 user=vpxuser] Set called with key 'Syslog.global.auditRecord.storageCapacity', value '4'
  yyyy-mm-ddThh-mm-ssZ Er(163) Hostd[2099717]: [Originator@6876 sub=Hostsvc.SyslogConfigProvider opID=<Op-ID> sid=52436b03 user=vpxuser] Failed to set global syslog configuration : Audit record storage capacity cannot be reduced
  yyyy-mm-ddThh-mm-ssZ In(166) Hostd[2099717]: [Originator@6876 sub=AdapterServer opID=<Op-ID> sid=52436b03 user=vpxuser] Task Completed : haTask-ha-host-vim.option.OptionManager.updateValues-98035 Status error
  yyyy-mm-ddThh-mm-ssZ In(166) Hostd[2099717]: [Originator@6876 sub=AdapterServer opID=<Op-ID> sid=52436b03 user=vpxuser] Throw vmodl.fault.SystemError
  yyyy-mm-ddThh-mm-ssZ In(166) Hostd[2099717]: [Originator@6876 sub=AdapterServer opID=<Op-ID> sid=52436b03 user=vpxuser] Result:
  yyyy-mm-ddThh-mm-ssZ In(166) Hostd[2099717]: [Originator@6876 sub=AdapterServer opID=<Op-ID> sid=52436b03 user=vpxuser] (vmodl.fault.SystemError) {
   reason = "Internal error",
   msg = "",
  }

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 8.x

Resolution

• Login to the vCenter Server UI -> Policies and Profiles -> Host Profiles
• Select the failing host profile and click Edit Host Profile
• Expand the branch Advanced Options under the Advanced Configuration Settings branch
• Uncheck settings named
  • syslog.global.auditRecord.storageCapacity
  • Syslog.global.auditRecord.storageDirectory 

• If you didn't find there 2 settings, please add and uncheck.
  • If you have issues adding either/both of those settings then you can also use the Syslog.global.auditRecord.storageEnable setting and set it to the Default Setting (False)
• Save the profile

Once saved, run host profile remediation and confirm the host is compliant.