When deploying VCF 5.2.0 with Cloud Builder the precheck fails at the "ESXi host vSAN HCL compatibility validation" task even though vSAN ESA verified disks are being used

Products

• VMware SDDC Manager

Issue/Introduction

A bringup of VCF 5.2.0 with Cloud Builder was completed successfully previously on the ESX host hardware.

The ESX host hardware was then cleaned up (but not reimaged).

When deploying VCF 5.2.0 with Cloud Builder on the ESX host hardware again, the precheck fails at the "ESXi host vSAN HCL compatibility validation" task even though vSAN ESA verified disks are being used.

This entry is seen in /var/log/vmware/vcf/bringup/vcf-bringup-debug.log -

YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.SSS+0000 [bringup,xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,xxxx] ERROR [c.v.e.s.c.c.v.vsphere.VcManagerBase,pool-2-thread-15] Task: (MOR:haTask--vim.host.VsanSystem.update-xxxxxxxxx) (Name:update) Entity: (MOR:ha-host) (Name:ha-host) is failed
com.vmware.vim.binding.vmodl.fault.SystemError: A general system error occurred: vSAN can not be enabled when storagepool disks exist

 

Environment

VCF 5.2.0

Cause

The ESX host hardware was not cleaned up sufficiently - i.e. a reimage of the ESX host hardware was not done.

Resolution

To resolve the issue either - 

• Reimage the ESX host hardware.

Or

• For each ESX host - on the ESX cli -
  • List the existing old ESA Storage Pool on Host:
    • esxcli vsan storagepool list
  • See that storagepools are listed.
  • Delete them using the command below:
    • esxcli vsan storagepool remove -d <device_id>

 

After implementing either of the resolutions above and retrying the bringup, the precheck is no longer expected to fail and the bringup is expected to complete successfully.

 

Reimaging the ESX host hardware is the preferable resolution option.