Newly deployed hosts configured to use NSX are entering a Not Responding state at random intervals

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi
• VMware NSX

Issue/Introduction

Newly deployed ESXi Hosts configured for NSX are entering a Not Responding state at random intervals. The hosts stay in a Not Responding state for a few minutes before reconnecting and then re-entering a Not Responding state again.

The ESXi host's vmkernel log, located at /var/log/vmkernel.log have the following repeating:

2025-08-21T12:30:02.965Z cpu10:2097658)Fil3: 5033: Lock failed on file: dlbaccslogs.log on vol '<VMFSVolume' with FD: <FD c23 r198>
2025-08-21T12:30:02.965Z cpu10:2097658)DLX: 2651: vol '<VMFSVolume>', lock at 62701568: Lock type: 10C00001. owner(s) MAC: ##:##:##:##:##:##:##:##:
2025-08-21T12:30:02.965Z cpu10:2097658)[type 10c00001 offset 62701568 v 7139, hb offset 3416064
gen 213, mode 1, owner ########-########-####-############ mtime 268558
num 0 gblnum 0 gblgen 0 gblbrk 0] alloc owner 0
2025-08-21T12:30:02.965Z cpu10:2097658)Fil3: 5033: Lock failed on file: dlbaccslogs.log on vol '<VMFSVolume>' with FD: <FD c23 r198>
2025-08-21T12:30:02.970Z cpu10:2097658)DLX: 4579: vol '<VMFSVolume>', lock at 51806208: [Req mode 1] Checking liveness:
2025-08-21T12:30:02.970Z cpu10:2097658)[type 10c00001 offset 51806208 v 13821, hb offset 3416064
gen 213, mode 1, owner ########-########-####-############ mtime 1183498
num 0 gblnum 0 gblgen 0 gblbrk 0]
2025-08-21T12:30:06.975Z cpu10:2097658)DLX: 5244: vol '<VMFSVolume>', lock at 51806208: Lock type: 10C00001. [Req mode: 1] Not free, pollStat 3:
2025-08-21T12:30:06.975Z cpu10:2097658)[type 10c00001 offset 51806208 v 13821, hb offset 3416064
gen 213, mode 1, owner ########-########-####-############ mtime 1183498
num 0 gblnum 0 gblgen 0 gblbrk 0] alloc owner 0
2025-08-21T12:30:06.975Z cpu10:2097658)DLX: 2650: vol '<VMFSVolume>', lock at 51806208: Lock type: 10C00001. Exclusive Lock(s) held on a file on volume ########-########-####-############. numHolders:0 gblNumHolders:0, volume state 10, APD state 0:
2025-08-21T12:30:06.975Z cpu10:2097658)[type 10c00001 offset 51806208 v 13821, hb offset 3416064
gen 213, mode 1, owner ########-########-####-############ mtime 1183498
num 0 gblnum 0 gblgen 0 gblbrk 0] alloc owner 0
2025-08-21T12:30:06.975Z cpu10:2097658)DLX: 2651: vol '<VMFSVolume>', lock at 51806208: Lock type: 10C00001. owner(s) MAC: ##:##:##:##:##:##:##:##:
2025-08-21T12:30:06.975Z cpu10:2097658)[type 10c00001 offset 51806208 v 13821, hb offset 3416064
gen 213, mode 1, owner ########-########-####-############ mtime 1183498
num 0 gblnum 0 gblgen 0 gblbrk 0] alloc owner 0
2025-08-21T12:30:10.989Z cpu2:2097658)Fil3: 5033: Lock failed on file: nsxaVim.log on vol '<VMFSVolume>' with FD: <FD c23 r200>

 

Environment

• VMware vCenter Server 8.x
• ESXi 8.x
• NSX 5.x

Cause

The Not Responding state is caused by the hostd service becoming unresponsive due to a log file lock argument with regards to the following NSX logs:

• dlbaccslogs.log
• nsx-syslog.log
• nsxaVim.log

This is caused when the host /etc/vmsyslog.conf file's logdir= setting is pointed at a folder that is shared with another host, causing a file lock argument. 

Resolution

Update the syslog directory for the host to its own unique folder using the steps provided in Configuring syslog on ESXi.