ESXi crashed due to PCPU panic issue resulting in PSOD.

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

PSOD screenshot:
 


VMkernel.log

2025-04-29T09:10:18.281Z cpu6:2378151)0x4538d649bd40:[0x42001e8d907f]CpuSchedWait@vmkernel#nover+0x38b stack: 0x8000000000000007, 0x4520c0e177c0, 0x1003800000000, 0x4538db41f100, 0x0
2025-04-29T09:10:18.281Z cpu6:2378151)0x4538d649beb0:[0x42001e8d966c]CpuSchedVcpuHaltWork@vmkernel#nover+0x195 stack: 0x1, 0x4538d649f000, 0x6, 0x4538d359f100, 0x1
2025-04-29T09:10:18.281Z cpu6:2378151)0x4538d649bf00:[0x42001e8ad69e]VMMVMKCall_Call@vmkernel#nover+0x103 stack: 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0
2025-04-29T09:10:18.281Z cpu6:2378151)0x4538d649bfd0:[0x42001e8aa0d0]VMKVMM_ArchEnterVMKernel@vmkernel#nover+0x21 stack: 0x0, 0xfffffffffc407d40, 0xfffffffffc407d68, 0xfffffffffc067f5a, 0x0

 

Environment

ESXi 8.x

Cause

The screenshot of multiple PSODs has been observed due to different PCPU entering into a panic/halt state each time. 

 

Resolution

Recommend engaging the hardware vendor to run a diagnostic and stress test on the system to check PCPU function. 

The hardware vendor to assist with swapping the processor/PCPU between the problematic host and another healthy host. Which would help in problematic PCPU isolation and fix the PSOD issue.