"cannot enter maintenance mode as VM cannot migrate. Generic error : The virtual machine is pinned to a host" error during NSX host upgrade initiated from VCF

Products

• VMware NSX
• VMware SDDC Manager

Issue/Introduction

• NSX upgrade failed from the SDDC manager with the following error:
  
  <ESX hostname>in workload domain <Domain name> of cluster <Cluster name> cannot enter maintenance mode as VM cannot migrate. Generic error : The virtual machine is pinned to a host.
  
  

Environment

VMware SDDC Manager
VMware NSX 

Cause

The NSX Host TN upgrade requires maintenance mode. Some non-default DRS configuration may prevent VMs from being migrated off the host, and therefore, it will fail to enter maintenance mode.

Resolution

• On the vSphere Client, select the Cluster and check if DRS rules exist under Configure > VM/Host rules.
  If present temporarily disable the rules to allow VMs to be migrated off the ESXi host during NSX host TN upgrade.
  
  
• On the vSphere Client, select the Cluster and check if DRS has been disabled on any VMs under Configure > VM Overrides
  Check for any VMs which do not have Fully Automated DRS e.g. Disabled, Manual etc.
  Select the VM and Edit, changinging the vSphere DRS Automation Level to Fully Automated

Additional Information

Configure VM host Affinity Rule

https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/vmware-cis/vsphere/vsphere/8-0/vsphere-resource-management-8-0/using-drs-clusters-to-manage-resources/create-a-vm-host-affinity-rule.html