Unable to assign VSAN License on SDDC Manager — "License mode ‘Audit’ is not a valid mode for cluster" .Task :Validate Issue Provisioned License Keys fails with error.

Products

• VMware SDDC Manager

Issue/Introduction

If the SDDC in the environment is running version 5.2.1 and the VCSA is on 8.x, but the vSAN stretched cluster is running on ESXi 7.x, then it is not possible to assign a vSAN license of either 7.x or 8.x to the vSAN stretched cluster.

Environment

 

• VCF: 5.2.1

• VCSA: 8.0.x

• ESXi: 7.0.x

 

 

Cause

In VCF 5.2.1, the BOM version of ESXi expected is 8.0 Update 3b.

• You cannot assign a 7.x vSAN license because VCF expects ESXi 8.x.

• You cannot assign an 8.x vSAN license because the ESXi hosts are still running on 7.x.

• Error in /var/log/vmware/vcf/domainmanager/domainmanager.log

Log Snippet : Caused by: com.vmware.vcf.licensemanager.common.exception.LicenseManagerException: License key XXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX, has version 8.0 which is incompatible for hosts [xxx-xxx-esx0X.xxx.com, xxx-xxx-esx0X.xxx.com, xxx-xxx-esx0X.xxx.com, xxx-xxx-esx0X.xxx.com, xxx-xxx-esx0X.xxx.com] and respective versions [7.0.3-24585291, 7.0.3-24585291, 7.0.3-24585291, 7.0.3-24585291, 7.0.3-24585291, 7.0.3-24585291, 7.0.3-24585291, 7.0.3-24585291, 7.0.3-24585291, 7.0.3-24585291, 7.0.3-24585291, 7.0.3-24585291, 7.0.3-24585291].

 

 

Resolution

Upgrade ESXi hosts to 8.0 Update 3b to be able to assign the license successfully.