vCenter Displays Incorrect Host for vCenter server VM After Manual Migration Between ESXi Hosts

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

• The vCenter Server Appliance virtual machine was manually migrated from ESXi Host 1 to Host 2; however, the vSphere UI (accessed through vCenter) incorrectly shows that the VM still resides on ESXi Host 1.
• ESXi host client and CLI confirm that the vCenter server VM is running on ESXi host 2. The command "esxcli vm process list" shows the list of running VMs from the ESXi host CLI.
• Attempts to manage (migration/power operations) the VM from the vCenter UI fail with errors indicating the VM is not found on the displayed host.

Environment

VMware vCenter Server

Cause

vCenter Server's inventory data became out of sync with the actual ESXi host configuration after the VM was manually migrated.

Resolution

1. Disconnect and reconnect the source ESXi Host 1.
2. The vCenter Server VM then appears as orphaned in the inventory.
3. Remove the orphaned VM from the inventory.
4. Disconnect and reconnect the destination ESXI host 2 to allow vCenter to rediscover and register the VM correctly.

Note: Follow the instructions in the document below to disconnect and reconnect the ESXi host from the vCenter server.

Disconnecting and Reconnecting an ESXi Host