ESXi Host Shows as "Not Responding" in vCenter

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi
• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

• The ESXi host appears as Not Responding in vCenter.
• The host is not pingable over the management network.
• The “Configure Management Network” option is greyed out on the DCUI console.
• Virtual machines continue to run normally on the host — indicating that only the management network is affected.
• From the host console, the management VMkernel (vmk) interface is observed to be in a disabled state.

Environment

Vmware vSphere ESXi
VMware vCenter Server

Cause

The management VMkernel interface (vmk) is in a disabled state and cannot be re-enabled from the ESXi CLI, because it resides on a Distributed Virtual Switch (vDS).  vDS networking components must be performed through vCenter Server, which is currently unreachable, leading to a deadlock scenario.

Resolution

Recreate the Management VMkernel interface on a Standard vSwitch (vSS) to restore connectivity. Follow the steps in the following Broadcom Knowledge Base article: Recreate Management Network on a Standard Switch

Additional Information

If the issue persists after performing the above steps, please open a support request with Broadcom Support and refer this KB article for further assistance.