ESXi host using Intel X710 adapters with the i40en device driver is disconnected from vCenter Server

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

• ESXi host is marked as 'Not Responding' in vSphere Client inventory.
• ESXi host is using Intel X710 adapters with the i40en device driver.
• Performing a NIC link down/up or an ESXi cold reboot does not resolve the issue.
• The following message is logged by the driver in the /var/log/boot.gz.
  Rx/Tx is disabled on this device because the module does not meet thermal requirements.

Environment

Any ESXi host using Intel X710 adapters with the i40en device driver.

 

Cause

It is suspected that a transceiver module installed in the physical NIC does not meet the hardware thermal requirements, which causes the i40en driver to disable data transmission.
For more details, contact the physical NIC support team.

Resolution

Contact the physical NIC support team.