Virtual Machine failed to power on - Missing Device "pciPassthru"

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi
• VMware vCenter Server 7.0
• VMware vCenter Server 8.0

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• Powering on the VM fails from vCenter server UI, host client and also via host CLI.
• Following error message in the vCenter server UI," Insufficient resources. One or more devices (pciPassthru0, pciPassthru1, pciPassthru2) required by VM VM_Name are not available on host host.xxx.com."
• Error messages in the ESXi host logs,

hostd.log:
------------
2024-09-05T14:51:29.981Z verbose hostd[2107901] [Originator@6876 sub=Vmsvc.vm:/vmfs/volumes/Datastore_Name/VM_name/VM_name.vmx opID=vim-cmd-ee-d554 user=root] PowerOn request queued
2024-09-05T14:51:32.048Z verbose hostd[2107901] [Originator@6876 sub=Vigor.Vmsvc.vm:/vmfs/volumes/Datastore_Name/VM_name/VM_name.vmx opID=vim-cmd-ee-d554] Power On message: Module 'DevicePowerOn' power on failed.
--> Failed to start the virtual machine.

• vmware.log of the VM:

vmware.log:
----------
2024-09-05T14:51:31.984Z In(05) vmx - AH Failed to find suitable device for pciPassthru0
2024-09-05T14:51:31.984Z In(05) vmx - AH pciPassthru: failed to get instance ID for 0000:46:00.5
2024-09-05T14:51:31.984Z In(05) vmx - AH Faild to get instance ID for pciPassthru0 device 0000:46:00.5
2024-09-05T14:51:31.984Z In(05) vmx - Module 'DevicePowerOn' power on failed

2024-09-05T14:51:32.042Z In(05)+ vmx - Power on failure messages: Module 'DevicePowerOn' power on failed.
2024-09-05T14:51:32.042Z In(05)+ vmx - Failed to start the virtual machine.

 

• In the Virtual Machine Edit settings PCI device was missing, 

Select the VM --> Right click Edit settings --> Virtual Hardware --> Expand the PCI device

 

Environment

vCenter server 7.x

vCenter server 8.x

Cause

This issue occurs when the host is having trouble finding or assigning a PCI device to a virtual machine through PCI passthrough.

Resolution

Steps to be followed:

     1. Check the status of the PCI device in the host,

• • Click on the host, Go to “Configure” -> “Hardware” -> “PCI Devices”

     2. Ensure to have the "Passthrough" status as "Enabled".

     3. If the Passthrough status of PCI device is in disabled state, Click on “Toggle Passthrough” and it changes to enabled state

 

 

     4. Once the passthrough status is enabled in host, PCI device to a virtual machine through PCI passthrough will be automatically enabled in the Virtual Machine as follows,

    5. Power on the Virtual Machine