ESX host unable to be placed into Maintenance Mode due to live (hot) migration of VMs failing

Products

• VMware vCenter Server
• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

• Successfully able to migrate powered off VMs from/to affected ESX host. Only live migration of VMs failing.

• From ESX host embedded vSphere client SSH service fails to start.

• Attempt to generate log bundle and shows web page failure error.

• From host vSphere client re-scanned both storage device adapters and vmfs successfully. Attempted another vMotion and still same outcome.

• Tried to vMotion VMs from another host to the affected host. It shows "Currently connected network interface" 'Network adapter #' uses network 'DVSwitch[####] NSX port group [dvportgroup-####](nsxa down)', and is not accessible.

Cause

Broken connection between the APH and the proton service in one or more NSX Manager appliances.

Resolution

It is possible following the steps from NSX KB NSXA down error on ESXi hosts causing vMotion to fail to restart the service on the affected NSX Manager appliance could resolve the issue, without the need for rebooting the ESX host.

 

Due to being unable to access the ESX host via SSH do the following.

1. Gracefully shut down all VMs on affected host, migrate the VMs to different host(s), place host into Maintenance Mode, and reboot the host.

2. Power on the VMs while on other host(s).

3. Once affected host is fully booted after reboot, attempt live migration of a VM from the other host(s) to this one. If succeeds, migrate it back to another host to confirm live migrations working both ways.