vMotion or DRS 'Migration was Canceled because the amount of changing memory' when logs report driver-related errors

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Users may experience vMotion or DRS operations failing with the error message:
  "The migration was canceled because the amount of changing memory for the virtual machine was greater than the available network bandwidth."

Key log entries indicate driver-firmware problems include messages similar to:

vmkernel.log:
WARNING: bnxtnet: bnxtnet_check_link:3185: [vmnic4 : 0x452140054000] Unable to receive DCB data from firmware
WARNING: bnxtnet: bnxtnet_dcb_get_setting:1653: [vmnic5 : 0x452140f40000] invalid dcbx_cap 0

Especially in conjunction with firmware trace dump messages, such as:

2024-08-30T20:55:43.337Z In(182) vmkernel: cpu40:58235078)bnxtnet: dev_dump_fw_trace:153: [vmnic5 : 0x452140f40000] Dumping FW Trace:

These entries suggest communication issues between the driver and firmware, which could lead to network performance problems and vMotion failures. This issue can occur even when there appears to be sufficient network bandwidth available.

Environment

• VMware vSphere vCenter
• vSphere ESXi

Cause

In certain configurations, this error message can occur due to network driver or firmware issues rather than actual memory changes or bandwidth limitations. These issues may prevent proper network communication between hosts during vMotion.

Resolution

For general troubleshooting of vMotion failures with this error message, see vMotion fails with the error: The migration was cancelled because the amount of changing memory for the VM was greater than the available network bandwidth

If you've tried the steps in KB 332734 and continue to experience issues, check for signs of network driver or firmware problems:

1. Examine vmkernel.log files from the source and destination hosts, looking for:
   1. Network driver warnings or errors
   2. Communication failures between drivers and firmware
   3. Firmware trace dump messages
      
      
2. If driver or firmware issues are suspected:
   1. Check for available driver and firmware updates for your network adapters
   2. Consult the VMware Compatibility Guide to ensure compatibility
   3. Update drivers and firmware to the latest supported versions
      
      
3. If the issue persists after driver and firmware updates:
   1. Generate a support bundle from both hosts
   2. Include vCenter Server logs if DRS is involved
   3. Contact VMware support for further assistance