"Cannot complete login due to expired password" error when migrating VM compute or storage

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

• vMotion or Storage vMotion fails with "Cannot complete login due to expired password" authentication error.
• As per /var/log/vmware/vpxd/vpxd.log on vCenter
  
  YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ info vpxd[18##561] [Originator@6876 sub=vmomi. soapStub [65591] opID=mj##########-auto-w4cp-h5: 70191866-4d-01] SOAP reque
returned HTTP failure; << io_obj p:0x00007f470cl7be48, h:58, <UNIX ' '>, <UNIX '/var/run/envoy-hgw/hgw-pipe'>>, /hgw/host-29296/sdk>, method: login; code: 5
internal Server Error); fault: (vim. fault. PasswordExpired) {
faultCause = (vmodl.MethodFault) null,
faultMessage = <unset>
msg = "Received SOAP response fault from [ << io_obj p:0x00007f470c17be48, h:58, <UNIX ' '>, <UNIX ' /var/run/envoy-hgw/hgw-pipe'>>, /hgw/host-29296/s
: login
-- > Cannot complete login due to expired password."
-- > }
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ error vpxd[18##561] [Originator@6876 sub=Vmomi opID=mj##########-auto-w4cp-h5: 70191866-4d-01] Failed to login on host;
gw/host-#####>, /sdk>, N3Vim5Fault15PasswordExpired9ExceptionE (Fault cause: vim. fault. PasswordExpired

Environment

• VMware vCenter Server 8.x
• VMware vSphere ESXi 8.x

Cause

• The migration fails because vCenter Server cannot authenticate with the ESXi host via the internal vpxuser account. If the vpxuser password expires, vCenter is restricted from performing management operations, including Storage vMotion and host-to-host migrations.

Resolution

To resolve we need to remove the source and destination from the inventory or refresh the vpxuser by disconnecting and reconnecting the host.

• Login to the vSphere Client
• Right click on the ESXi host in the Inventory
• Click "Disconnect"
• Wait until the task status changes to complete
• Right click on the ESXi from the Inventory.
• Under "Connection" option choose "Connect"
• This will result in an authentication error:
  
• Following this error, the "Add Host" wizard will automatically open, asking for valid host credentials. Provide the root account and password and follow the wizard to reconnect the host