Error: "nmlx5_QueryWol command failed: IO was aborted" triggers Host error alarm

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

An ESXi host triggers frequent 'Host error' alarms, though the host remains online and operational.

The vmkernel.log file contains repeated alerts regarding the nmlx5_core driver failing to query Wake On LAN (WOL) status.

vmkalert: cpu14:2097549)ALERT: <NMLX_ERR> nmlx5_QueryWol:1057 command failed: IO was aborted
vmkernel: cpu14:2097549)<NMLX_ERR> nmlx5_core: vmnic#: nmlx5_en_UplinkWOLStateGet - (nmlx5_core_en_uplink.c:6350) nmlx5_CmdQueryWOLConfig failed: IO was aborted

Example Alarm Event: Alarm 'Host error' on <hostname> triggered by event 38313955 'Issue detected on <hostname> in <Datacenter>: <NMLX_ERR> nmlx5_QueryWol:1057 command failed: IO was aborted'

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 7.x

VMware vSphere ESXi 8.x

VMware vSphere ESX 9.x

Cause

This issue occurs because the Wake On LAN (WOL) feature is disabled in the server BIOS or at the firmware level for the network adapter. The nmlx5_core driver attempts to query the WOL state (nmlx5_QueryWol), but receives no response or an aborted I/O because the feature is inactive on the hardware.

Resolution

To resolve the alerts, verify the hardware configuration and enable Wake On LAN in the BIOS.

1. Verify Compatibility Ensure the installed driver and firmware versions for the Mellanox card are compatible by checking the Broadcom Compatibility Guide.
   • Refer to the article Determining Network/Storage firmware and driver version in ESXi for instructions on identifying current versions for the Network Card.
2. Steps to enable WOL in BIOS
   • • Power off the affected server.
     • Enter the system BIOS.
     • Locate the network adapter settings.
     • Enable the Wake On LAN feature and set the Wakeon type to Magic Packet (if not already enabled).
     • Save changes and power on the server.
3. Verify WOL Status run the following command on the ESXi host to confirm the driver now detects WOL support:

   esxcli network nic get -n vmnic# | grep -i Wakeon

   (Replace vmnic# with the interface name reported in the logs, e.g., vmnic4).
   
   
4. Expected output should indicate support (e.g., Supports Wakeon: true or specific modes).

   Supports Wakeon: true
   Wakeon: MagicPacket(tm)

5. If the command still shows "Supports Wakeon: false" or "Wakeon: None" after enabling it in the BIOS, contact the hardware vendor to:
   • Update the adapter firmware.
   • Confirm if the specific card model supports the WOL feature.

Additional Information

This alarm is often benign regarding data traffic stability, as it specifically relates to the driver's inability to read the power management configuration state, there is no performance impact observed due to this.