vMotion fails across the hosts that are in different networks with error "The vMotion failed because the destination host did not receive data from the source host on the vMotion network".

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

• vMotion between the ESXi host with VMkernel adapters in different VLAN/subnet fails.
• Each host has vMotion network adapter configured on a custom separate TCP/IP stack.
• Following error is returned during the migration activity.

"The vMotion failed because the destination host did not receive data from the source host on the vMotion network. Please check your vMotion network settings and physical network configuration and ensure they are correct."

• vmkping between the vMotion network across the ESXi host fails.
• Packet captures on the vMotion network using pktcap-uw utility confirms that packets are received by "vMotion stack" enabled VMkernel adapter but no ICMP reply packets are being generated.
• Route list on host do not report any route information for the vMotion vmkernel adapter interface as shown in the example below.

Sample Output

• On the ESXi host, the output below shows that vmk2 is the vMotion VMkernel adapter that is configured with custom TCP/IP stack named vmotion.

• vMotion VMkernel adapter (vmk2) is not listed in the routing table.

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi

Cause

The custom TCP/IP stack allows the communication of the ESXi host VMkernel adapters that are within the same network subnet, and therefore, there are no routing information found for the corresponding VMkernel adapter.
Hence, the vMotion does not work across the ESXi host with VMkernel adapters that are in different network with custom TCP/IP stack.

Resolution

Re-create the vMotion VMkernel adapters with default TCP/IP stack.

Additional Information

You can identify the TCP/IP stack type of a VMkernel adapter by running following command in the host: 

esxcfg-vmknic -l 

Alternatively, this information can also be viewed through the vCenter/host UI.