Host NSX Uninstall fails with error “INVALID_ARGUMENT: Invalid group association ID type. (Error code: 100)” for a Security-Only NSX Deployment

Products

• VMware NSX

Issue/Introduction

• When selecting “Remove NSX” for a host cluster within the NSX Manager UI:  NSX Manager >> System >> Fabric >> Hosts >> Clusters >> [select cluster] >> REMOVE NSX
  The following error may be experienced:
  Error: General error has occurred. INVALID_ARGUMENT: Invalid group association ID type. (Error code: 100)



 

• Within the /var/log/proton/nsxapi.log file, you will find error messages similar to the below: 
  
  2025-09-05T05:19:53.392Z ERROR http-nio-127.0.0.1-7440-exec-124 NsxBaseRestController 4858 SYSTEM [nsx@6876 comp="nsx-manager" errorCode="MP100" level="ERROR" subcomp="manager"] INVALID_ARGUMENT: Invalid group association ID type.
com.vmware.nsx.rpc.StatusRuntimeException: INVALID_ARGUMENT: Invalid group association ID type.
   at com.vmware.nsx.rpc.call.ClientCalls$ListenableFuture.callStatus(ClientCalls.java:220) ~[?:?]
   at com.vmware.nsx.rpc.call.NsxRpcCall$TerminalCallState.invokeCallStatus(NsxRpcCall.java:690) ~[?:?]

2025-09-05T05:19:53.392Z  INFO http-nio-127.0.0.1-7440-exec-124 NsxBaseRestController 4858 SYSTEM [nsx@6876 audit="true" comp="nsx-manager" level="INFO" subcomp="manager"] UserName:'A#M_###br###ni###@######.com' ModuleName:'common-services' Operation:'POST@/api/v1/fabric/compute-collections/1##4###0-##bc-40##-9##7-c###5f7###19:domain-c#1###01' Operation status: 'failure' Error: General error has occurred.
  
  
• Within the /var/log/cloudnet/nsx-ccp.log file, you will likely see messages stating that the host transport nodes can not be found.  They will look similar to the following:
  
  2025-09-05T04:24:00.840Z  WARN nsx-rpc:CCP-AphProvider-b5e#####-69##-48##-ae##-e####2df6###:user-executor-2 GroupingMembershipServiceImpl 28519 - [nsx@6876 comp="nsx-controller" level="WARNING" subcomp="container"] Unable to find the domain object with id ###7f6##-###0-###d-9###-#####691#### idType TRANSPORT_NODE
2025-09-05T04:24:00.841Z  WARN nsx-rpc:CCP-AphProvider-b5e#####-69##-48##-ae##-e####2df6###:user-executor-2 GroupingMembershipServiceImpl 28519 - [nsx@6876 comp="nsx-controller" level="WARNING" subcomp="container"] Exception occurred
java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Can not find domain object with idType TRANSPORT_NODE
   at com.vmware.nsx.rooster.service.GroupingMembershipServiceImpl.fetchAllassociation(GroupingMembershipServiceImpl.java:2618) ~[libnsx_ccp_rooster.jar:?]
   at com.vmware.nsx.rooster.service.GroupingMembershipServiceImpl.fetchAllAssociations(GroupingMembershipServiceImpl.java:2258) ~[libnsx_ccp_rooster.jar:?]

Environment

• This issue is specific to a Security-Only NSX deployment
• This issue was seen with NSX 4.1.1 

Resolution

• Issue fixed in VMware NSX 4.2.0
• Workaround:

1. Enable maintenance mode for the hosts in VC.
2. Move each host out of the current cluster to a new cluster (that doesn't have NSX installed).
3. In NSX Manager, uninstall is triggered on the host.
4. Check if the old cluster still has the TNP applied and is tagged as "Security."
5. Proceed to "Remove NSX" from the old cluster.
6. Confirm the NSX VIBs are removed completely from the host by running the command: "esxcli software vib list | grep -E 'nsx|vsipfwlib'".

Please reference Step 6 from the VMware NSX Installation Guide - Uninstall NSX from a vSphere Cluster:
https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/vmware-cis/nsx/vmware-nsx/4-1/installation-guide/uninstall-nsx-from-a-host-transport-node/remove-nsx-from-a-cluster.html