Using the host profile feature fails with the error: Unable to check compliance since host does not have host profile license

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• You cannot use the host profile feature in vCenter Server if the ESXi is licensed with any Standard license.
• Your ESXi may be licensed with vSphere X Standard for Retail and Branch Offices or VMware vSphere Standard.
• When performing a pre-remediation compliance check, you may get the following error:

Compliance Failures: Unable to check compliance since host does not have host profile license

Environment

ESXi 7.0

ESXi 8.0

Cause

To use the Host Profiles feature, you need to have an Enterprise license.

Resolution

To check if the host is licensed for Host Profiles:

1. Navigate to the Configuration tab of the host
2. Click Licensed features.
3. Compare an Enterprise and Standard license.

Apply an Enterprise, Enterprise Plus, or vSphere X Enterprise for Retail and Branch Offices license on the affected ESXi to fix the host-profile issue. 

Note: X denotes the version of vSphere(example: vSphere 6/7/8)

Additional Information

VMware vSphere Product Line Comparison