Unable to copy the dump file: Error: vmkernel dump version mismatch!

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Generating vmkernel dump from .dumpfile fails with Error: vmkernel dump version mismatch!

# esxcfg-dumppart -t /vmfs/volumes/xxxxx-datastore-xxxx/vmkdump/xxxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxxx.dumpfile
# esxcfg-dumppart --file --copy --devname active --zdumpname /vmfs/volumes/datastore1/vmkernel-zdump
Error running command. Unable to copy the dump file: Error: vmkernel dump version mismatch!
Expected version: 66, this dump file: 64

Environment

ESXi 8.x

Cause

The dump partition contains a dump from 7.0.3 (version 64) and the current system is on 8.0.2 (version 66).

This dumpfile will not be useable unless if it is needed on 7.0.3  trace.

Resolution

- Unconfigure this dumpfile using `esxcfg-dumppart -d`, and you see the contents of the dumpfile if you wish to using command `dd`

- Configure new dumpfile using the KB 

* Configuring ESXi coredump to file instead of partition
https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article/314320/configuring-esxi-coredump-to-file-instea.html

- 7.0.3 (version 64) dumpfile is unusable.

Additional Information

Generating a VMkernel zdump manually from a dump file in ESXi host
https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article/340004