NSX installation on host fails - ENS Mode Capability Errors

Products

• VMware NSX

Issue/Introduction

• NSX Install failing with below validation error
  Validation Errors
8287: Physical nic [vmnicX] on TransportNode [######-####-####- ####-##########] is not capable for ENS mode for given HostSwitch [## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ##].

• Inbox network driver module is in use. 
• Running "esxcli network nic list" shows native driver in use for the vmnics.
• The verification using 'esxcli software vib get' for the network driver shows that either the inbox driver module does not support ENS mode or the ENS feature is not turned on for the vmnics.
• Use the esxcfg-nics -e command on the ESXi node to check ENS status.
  
  
  
  "ENS Capable" means whether the NIC supports the ENS feature or not
  "ENS Driven" means whether the ENS feature is enabled or not.

Environment

• VMware NSX 4.x

Cause

• The issue stems from the physical NICs in the ESXi hosts, which are either incompatible with or improperly configured for NSX preparation using the EDP/ENS feature. This could be due to a complete incompatibility, a NIC driver that doesn't support ENS, or a feature that requires enabling/disabling to work with ENS Enabled Transport Nodes.

• "The inbox Intel - i40en module does not support the EDP(ENS) feature, as shown in the sample snippet below."

  
  
  

• "The Async Intel - 140en module supports the EDP(ENS) feature, as shown in the sample snippet below."

  
  
  

Resolution

• Ensure the physical NICs in the ESXi host(s) are updated to comply with the EDP/ENS feature requirements.
• Install the correct driver for the NICs intended for ENS use. Information regarding the Driver Supported Features can be found on the Broadcom Compatibility Guide, relative to the specific driver module.

Additional Information

Enabling EDP Standard in Active Environments