"License error" alarm on vCenter server is not working as expected

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Only the "Expired Host License Alarm" is generally triggers when a host license is expired. 

Environment

VMware vCenter server 8.x

Cause

This is due to the current product design.

vCenter currently includes two separate alarms related to license expiry for ESXi:

• License Error Alarm:

This is a broader alarm intended to cover a variety of license-related issues for ESXi, including vMotion, server, and general license errors for ESXi.

• Expired Host License Alarm

This alarm is specifically designed to monitor the expiry of ESXi host licenses, whether regular or evaluation.

Resolution

Kindly use "Expired Host License" alarm to monitor host license expirations, as this is the intended mechanism.

 

With upcoming changes introduced in vSphere 9.0, the underlying alarm mechanisms have been enhanced and the logic for how license-related alarms are triggered has been restructured.