Reconnect host ESXi to vCenter fail due to an error "Powered-on or suspended virtual machines on the host may be using CPU features hidden by that mode."

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

• Reconnect host ESXi to vCenter fails with following error

The host cannot be admitted to the cluster's current Enhanced vMotion Compatibility mode. Powered-on or suspended virtual machines on the host may be using CPU features hidden by that mode.

• In vpxd.log, we see the vim.fault.EVCAdmissionFailedVmActive being logged

YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss info vpxd[27361] [Originator@6876 sub=vpxLro opID=7194439] [VpxLRO] -- BEGIN task-878 -- host-5675 -- vim.HostSystem.reconnect -- 52f4057e-877c-cb6c-563c-77113276a48c(52f54c6b-e96b-8688-bf7d-84c7d5e511d1)
.
.
YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss error vpxd[27361] [Originator@6876 sub=Default opID=7194439] [VpxLRO] -- ERROR task-878 -- 52f4057e-877c-cb6c-563c-77113276a48c(52f54c6b-e96b-8688-bf7d-84c7d5e511d1) -- host-5675 -- vim.HostSystem.reconnect: :vim.fault.EVCAdmissionFailedVmActive
--> Result:
--> (vim.fault.EVCAdmissionFailedVmActive) {
-->    faultCause = (vmodl.MethodFault) null, 
-->    faultMessage = <unset>, 
-->    productName = <unset>, 
-->    productVersion = <unset>, 
-->    faults = (vmodl.MethodFault) [
-->       (vim.fault.FeatureRequirementsNotMet) {
-->          faultCause = (vmodl.MethodFault) null, 
-->          faultMessage = <unset>, 
-->          featureRequirement = (vim.vm.FeatureRequirement) [
-->             (vim.vm.FeatureRequirement) {
-->                key = "cpuid.avx512bw", 
-->                featureName = "cpuid.avx512bw", 
-->                value = "Bool:Min:1"
-->             }, 
-->             (vim.vm.FeatureRequirement) {
-->                key = "cpuid.avx512cd", 
-->                featureName = "cpuid.avx512cd", 
-->                value = "Bool:Min:1"
-->             }, 
-->             (vim.vm.FeatureRequirement) {
-->                key = "cpuid.avx512dq", 
-->                featureName = "cpuid.avx512dq", 
-->                value = "Bool:Min:1"
-->             }, 
.
.
-->                featureName = "misc.rdcl_no", 
-->                value = "Bool:Min:1"
-->             }, 
-->             (vim.vm.FeatureRequirement) {
-->                key = "misc.rsba_no", 
-->                featureName = "misc.rsba_no", 
-->                value = "Bool:Min:1"
-->             }
-->          ], 
-->          vm = 'vim.VirtualMachine:1', 
-->          host = 'vim.HostSystem:ha-host'
-->          msg = "The target host does not support the virtual machine's current hardware requirements."
-->       }
-->    ]
-->    msg = "The host cannot be admitted to the cluster's current Enhanced vMotion Compatibility mode. Powered-on or suspended virtual machines on the host may be using CPU features hidden by that mode."
--> }

Environment

vCenter Server 7.x
vCenter Server 8.x

Cause

Applying EVC to an ESXi host fails because a virtual machine running on the target host uses CPU features not provided by the EVC mode.

Resolution

To reconnect ESXi host to vCenter power off all virtual machine on the host.