Error: "License key has expired. License Expired, "Check system date or install a new license"" on ESXi host(s) for all tasks/operations
search cancel

Error: "License key has expired. License Expired, "Check system date or install a new license"" on ESXi host(s) for all tasks/operations

book

Article ID: 389204

calendar_today

Updated On:

Products

VMware vCenter Server 8.0 VMware vSphere ESXi 8.0

Issue/Introduction

  • Licenses applied to the ESXi hosts are valid.

  • This error is observed in the vCenter UI as well as the ESXi host UI.

  • Attempting to power on or migrate a virtual machine fails with the error: "License key has expired. License Expired, "Check system date or install a new license"



  • Disconnecting/reconnecting the host from the vCenter does not help.
  • In vCenter's /var/log/vmware/vpxd/vpxd.log file, similar entries are observed:

YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.###Z error vpxd[#####] [Originator@1234 sub=vpxLro opID=###] [VpxLRO] Unexpected Exception: N3Vim5Fault14LicenseExpired9ExceptionE(Fault cause: vim.fault.LicenseExpired
--> )
--> [context]###[/context]
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.851Z info vpxd[#####] [Originator@1234 sub=vpxLro opID=###] [VpxLRO] -- FINISH lro--###
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.851Z error vpxd[#####] [Originator@1234 sub=Default opID=###] [VpxLRO] -- ERROR lro--###--  --  -- VmprovWorkflow: :vim.fault.LicenseExpired
--> Result:
--> (vim.fault.LicenseExpired) {
-->    faultCause = (vmodl.MethodFault) null,
-->    faultMessage = (vmodl.LocalizableMessage) [
-->       (vmodl.LocalizableMessage) {
-->          key = "com.vmware.vim.license.error.LicenseExpired",
-->          arg = (vmodl.KeyAnyValue) [
-->             (vmodl.KeyAnyValue) {
-->                key = "info",
-->                value = "expired"
-->             }
-->          ],
-->          message = "License Expired, Check system date or install a new license."
-->       }
-->    ],
-->    licenseKey = "#####-#####-#####-#####-#####"
-->    msg = "License key has expired."
--> }
--> Args:
-->
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.###Z warning vpxd[#####] [Originator@1234 sub=drsExec opID=###] Caught MethodFault Fault cause: vim.fault.LicenseExpired
--> . Failing powerOn

  • In ESXi host's /var/run/log/hostd.log file, similar entries are observed:

YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.674Z In(166) Hostd[#######]: [Originator@1234 sub=Vimsvc.TaskManager opID=### sid=### user=vpxuser] Task Completed : haTask--vim.dvs.HostDistributedVirtualSwitchManager.retrieveDVPortgroupConfigSpec-########## Status success
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.673Z In(166) Hostd[#######]: [Originator@1234 sub=AdapterServer opID=CdrsLoadBalancer-### sid=### user=vpxuser:<no user>] AdapterServer caught exception; <<<UUID>, <TCP '127.0.0.1 : 8307'>, <TCP '127.0.0.1 : 36101'>>, ha-vmotionmgr, vim.host.VMotionManager.initiateDestination, <vim.version.v8_0_2_0, internal, 8.0.2.0>, [N11HostdCommon18VmomiAdapterServer19ActivationResponderE:0x##############]>, N3Vim5Fault14LicenseExpired9ExceptionE(Fault cause: vim.fault.LicenseExpired
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ Db(##) Hostd[#######]: [Originator@1234 sub=Solo.Vmomi opID=CdrsLoadBalancer-### sid=###user=vpxuser:<no user>] Arg migrationId:
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ Db(##) Hostd[#######]: --> #################
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ Db(##) Hostd[#######]: --> "/vmfs/volumes/<Datastorename>/VM_name/VM_name.vmx"
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ In(##) Hostd[#######]: [Originator@1234 sub=Solo.Vmomi opID=CdrsLoadBalancer-### sid=### user=vpxuser:<no user>] Throw vim.fault.LicenseExpired
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ In(##) Hostd[#######]: [Originator@1234 sub=Solo.Vmomi opID=CdrsLoadBalancer-###  sid=### user=vpxuser:<no user>] Result:
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ In(##) Hostd[#######]: --> (vim.fault.LicenseExpired) {
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ In(##) Hostd[#######]: -->    faultMessage = (vmodl.LocalizableMessage) [
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ In(##) Hostd[#######]: -->       (vmodl.LocalizableMessage) {
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ In(##) Hostd[#######]: -->          key = "com.vmware.vim.license.error.LicenseExpired",
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ In(##) Hostd[#######]: -->          arg = (vmodl.KeyAnyValue) [
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ In(##) Hostd[#######]: -->             (vmodl.KeyAnyValue) {
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ In(##) Hostd[#######]: -->                key = "info",
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ In(##) Hostd[#######]: -->                value = "expired"
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ In(##) Hostd[#######]: -->             }
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ In(##) Hostd[#######]: -->          ],
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ In(##) Hostd[#######]: -->       }
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ In(##) Hostd[#######]: -->    ],
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ In(##) Hostd[#######]: -->    licenseKey = "#####-#####-#####-#####-#####",
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ In(##) Hostd[#######]: -->    msg = ""
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ In(##) Hostd[#######]: --> }
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ Er(##) Hostd[#######]: [Originator@1234 sub=Vmsvc.vm:/vmfs/volumes/######-#####-####-########/VM_name/VM_name.vmx opID=CdrsLoadBalancer-### sid=### user=vpxuser:<no user>] CheckLicenses: ha-license-manager failed power check

Environment

  • VMware vSphere ESXi 8.0.x
  • VMware vCenter Server 8.0.x

Cause

The hostd service of the ESXi host does not have the correct information regarding the License assigned to the ESXi host.

Resolution

This issue has been fixed in ESXi 8.0 U3h (build 25067014) and higher. Refer: VMware ESXi 8.0 Update 3h Release Notes

Workaround:

  1. SSH into the ESXi host.

  2. Run the following commands to refresh the license expiration date and to force hostd to recheck the license:

    touch /etc/vmware/license.cfg

    vim-cmd vimsvc/license --show

  3. Attempt to power on the virtual machine.

  4. If the error persists, run the below command to restart the hostd service and then retry the power-on operation:

    /etc/init.d/hostd restart

Additional Information

Restarting Management Agents in ESXi

Powered by Wolken Software