Upgrading NSX on VLCM cluster fails with error "not_allowed_in_current_state"

Products

• VMware NSX

Issue/Introduction

Running NSX Upgrade on VLCM cluster fails with:

A failure occurred when starting a host compliance check operation on host 'esxi-host' : Error: com.vmware.vapi.std.errors.not_allowed_in_current_state Messages: com.vmware.esx.task.contention<Another task is in progress. Please retry later.>

Checking Tasks in VCenter doesn't populate any Tasks running for these hosts.

 

Environment

VMware NSX 4.2.1.x

VMware vSphere ESXi 8.0.3

Cause

This issue arises due to a host compliance discrepancy within vCenter, where the new NSX version image is not successfully applied to the VLCM cluster, causing the cluster to continue referencing the previous NSX version.

To investigate, navigate to:
vCenter > Cluster > Updates > Image

Here, you will observe compliance errors that are preventing the hosts from upgrading to the new NSX version. These compliance issues must be resolved to ensure a successful upgrade.

Resolution

 

VLCM Cluster Remediation & NSX Orchestrator Service Restart

Step 1: Remediate hosts in the VLCM Cluster

1. Open vCenter and navigate to the VLCM cluster requiring the upgrade.
2. Go to Updates > Image.
3. In the Out of Compliance list, select a host that needs remediation.
4. Click Actions > Remediate Host.
5. Confirm by clicking OK to proceed.
6. Wait for the host to enter and exit Maintenance Mode (MM) successfully.
7. Ensure all health checks and remediation processes are marked as complete in vCenter.
8. Repeat steps 3–7 for each remaining host, one at a time.

Step 2: Restart the Upgrade Service on the NSX Orchestrator Node

1. SSH into the NSX Manager designated as the orchestrator node.
2. Log in using the admin credentials.
3. Run the following command to identify which NSX Manager is running the upgrade service:

   get service install-upgrade
   

4. From the output, note the NSX Manager IP where the service is active.
5. Restart the install-upgrade service on the identified NSX Manager:

   restart service install-upgrade
   

6. Wait 2–3 minutes for services to re-establish.
7. Refresh the NSX UI webpage.
8. Navigate to System > Upgrade > Continue Upgrade.

Step 3: Complete the Upgrade Process

1. Open the Hosts tab in the NSX UI.
2. Verify that the Upgrade Status now shows as Paused.
3. Click Continue to complete the upgrade for the hosts in the VLCM cluster.