On a VCP enabled cluster, some host operations could cause a drift in ESX advanced options and VCP Check Compliance will report host as out of compliance.

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

On an VCP enabled cluster, certain DRS related workfklows update some advanced options on the host. This change in configuration will be reported as compliance drift by VCP platform.

The following ESX advanced options are reported as drift:

1. esx/advanced_options/mem/VM_overhead_growth_limit
2. esx/advanced_options/misc/heartbeat_panic_timeout

Environment

vSphere 9.0 with VCP enabled

Cause

In a VCP enabled cluster, the source of truth for ESX configurations is captured in desired configuration document. DRS workflows use Host APIs to configure certain host settings causing host configurations to drift from the desired configuration. This drift in host configuration is flagged by VCP Check Compliance API.

Resolution

To resolve the drift, these advanced options need to be added to the cluster desired configuration document.

Step 1: Create a new draft

• Select the VCP cluster from the inventory then "Configure tab → Configuration → Draft → Create Draft" option on the UI.

Step 2:  Edit the draft with properties in drift

• To update the VM_overhead_growth_limit setting, select "Draft tab → esx → advanced_options → mem → Configure Settings". In the edit tab, update the VM_overhead_growth_limit with the 'Host value' from Compliance drift.

• To update the heartbeat_panic_timeout setting, select "Draft tab → esx → advanced_options → misc → Configure Settings". In the edit tab, update the heartbeat_panic_timeout with the 'Host value' from Compliance drift.
  

Step 3: Draft Show Changes

• Select the VCP cluster from the inventory then "Configure tab → Configuration → Draft → Show Changes". This will show changes present in the draft.
  

Step 4: Draft Check Compliance

• Select the VCP cluster from the inventory then "Configure tab → Configuration → Draft → Check Compliance". This will start a check compliance task to verify the hosts are not in drift after editing. 

Step 5: Draft Apply Changes

• Select the VCP cluster from the inventory then "Configure tab → Configuration → Draft → Apply Changes". This will commit the draft as the new desired configuration for the cluster and start remediation task on the cluster. Since the hosts are already compliant, there will be no action taken on the host.

• Once Remediation completes, check compliance task will be auto triggered and will show all hosts as compliant.