Automatic start for Virtual Machines configuration fails to implement through vCenter - Configuration task states successful when it is not

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

• When attempting to enable automatic start for one or more virtual machines on an ESXi host using vSphere Client, the configuration task finishes successfully, but  when you review the auto start setting, the virtual machine is still showing as disabled for autostart 
• Following this, you find the following entries in /var/log/vmware/vpxd.log:

  ####-##-##T##:##:##.###Z error vpxd[166116] [Originator@#### sub=MoHost opID=HB-host-######@#####-#######f] [ReplaceVmMoRefs] Linked vm 0 not found on host vim.HostSystem:host-#####, ignored 
  ####-##-##T##:##:##.###Z error vpxd[166116] [Originator@#### sub=MoHost opID=HB-host-######@#####-#######f]  [ReplaceVmMoRefs] Linked vm 0 not found on host vim.HostSystem:host-#####, ignored
  ..
  ####-##-##T##:##:##.###Z error vpxd[166197] [Originator@#### sub=MoHost opID=memlmfc2-#######-auto-#yor#-h5:#######-##-#########] [ReplaceVmMoRefs] Linked vm 0 not found on host vim.HostSystem:host-#####, ignored 
  ####-##-##T##:##:##.###Z error vpxd[166197] [Originator@#### sub=MoHost opID=memlmfc2-#######-auto-#yor#-h5:#######-##-#########] [ReplaceVmMoRefs] Linked vm 0 not found on host vim.HostSystem:host-######, ignored 

 

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 8.0.x

VMware vSphere ESXi 8.0.x 

Cause

This issue can occur when the vCenter Server (vpxd) service has outdated autostart information in its cache that relate to no longer existing virtual machines. In some situations this information might not get cleared, thus causing the Autostart manager to fail applying new changes to the autostart configuration. 

Resolution

Broadcom engineering is aware of this issue.

To work around this, please apply one of the options: 

 

Option A

Restart the vCenter Server service (vpxd) to clear the cached autostart settings:

# service-control --stop vpxd && service-control --start vpxd

 

Option B

Unregister the ESXi host holding the virtual machine you want to configure autostart for from the vCenter inventory and add it back. 

This will lead to the cached settings for any object on the host to be invalided.

However, this option should be selected with caution, as removing/readding the ESXi host can result in additional reconfiguration being required, especially if the host is a member of a distributed switch or of a VSAN datastore.