SDDC Manager NSX Upgrade Error - Transport Nodes Using EDP without valid License.

Products

VMware NSX VMware SDDC Manager

Issue/Introduction

When trying to upgrade NSX-T from version 4.2.3.1 to 4.2.3.2, SDDC and NSX prechecks indicate a warning regarding the use of Enhanced Datapath without a valid license, and the upgrade fails from the SDDC manager on the pre-upgrade checks with this error:

You have 4 transport nodes using Enhanced Datapath without a valid license. Please use appropriate license. List of some transport nodes without valid license:

Though there is a VCF solution key license in their environment

SDDC Manager Version: 5.2.2.0-2493686
NSX Version: 4.2.3.1.0-24954727

Below are the log entries seen on the NSX manager:

/var/log/upgrade-coordinator/upgrade_coordinate.log:

2026-01-14T10:14:33.913Z INFO pool-49-thread-20 InspectionTask 1724567 - [nsx@6876 comp="nsx-manager" level="INFO" subcomp="upgrade-coordinator"] List of hosts using invalid license: [esx03X05XXXXX.XXXX.XXXX.XXX.tX-XXn.XXX: 48XXXXXX-fXXf-4X8X-9XXd-4XXXXXXXXXX0, esx03X06XXXXX.XXXX.XXXX.XXX.tX-XXn.XXX: fXXXXXX1-XXd1-4dXX-bXX8-XXXXXXXXXXa7, esx03X07XXXXX.XXXX.XXXX.XXX.tX-XXn.XXX: cXXXXXX8-ffXX-XX34-9XX4-05XXXXXXXXXX, esx03X08XXXXX.XXXX.XXXX.XXX.tX-XXn.XXX: XXXXXXX5-XXbd-4eXX-9XX3-XXXXXXXXXXb9]

2026-01-14T10:14:33.913Z INFO pool-49-thread-20 UpgradeServiceImpl 1724567 SYSTEM [nsx@6876 comp="nsx-manager" level="INFO" subcomp="upgrade-coordinator"] Executing cleanUp for check Check for enhanced datapath license validity.

2026-01-14T10:14:33.913Z INFO pool-49-thread-20 UpgradeServiceImpl 1724567 SYSTEM [nsx@6876 comp="nsx-manager" level="INFO" subcomp="upgrade-coordinator"] [PUC] Finish Check for enhanced datapath license validity. on component HOST. Result -- BasicInspectionTaskResult{status=WARNING, taskInfo=InspectionTaskInfo[acknowledgement=false,componentType=HOST,description=This check warns the user to use valid license for host switches with enhanced datapath mode.,id=enhancedDatapathLicenseCheck,name=Check for enhanced datapath license validity.,needsAcknowledgement=true,needsResolution=false,resolution=false,resolutionError=<null>], failureMessages=null, failures=[{"moduleName":"upgrade-coordinator","errorCode":31510,"errorMessage":"You have 4 transport nodes using Enhanced Datapath without a valid license, please use appropriate license. List of some transport nodes without valid license: esx03X0XXXXX.XXXX.XXXX.XXX.tX-XXn.XXX: 48XXXXXX-fXXf-4X8X-9XXd-4XXXXXXXXXX0, esx03X06XXXXX.XXXX.XXXX.XXX.tX-XXn.XXX: fXXXXXX1-XXd1-4dXX-bXX8-XXXXXXXXXXa7, esx03X07XXXXX.XXXX.XXXX.XXX.tX-XXn.XXX: cXXXXXX8-ffXX-XX34-9XX4-05XXXXXXXXXX, esx03X08XXXXX.XXXX.XXXX.XXX.tX-XXn.XXX: XXXXXXX5-XXbd-4eXX-9XX3-XXXXXXXXXXb9."}]}

Environment

VMware NSX.

VMware Cloud Foundation 5.x

Cause

This known bug stems from the licensing pre-check logic, which specifically looks for key-based licenses.

Resolution

This is fixed in 9.0 and onward, and in the upcoming 4.2.3 patch releases.

Workaround:

To suppress the warning from the SDDC:

1. Log in to SDDC

2. vi /opt/vmware/vcf/lcm/lcm-app/conf/application-prod.properties
3. Add this entry as a last line

lcm.nsxt.suppress.prechecks.warnings=true
4.vi /opt/vmware/vcf/lcm/lcm-app/conf/application.properties
5. Add this entry as a last line

lcm.nsxt.suppress.prechecks.warnings=true

6. restart lcm - "systemctl restart lcm"

Note:

Ideally, the entry should be added only to:

/opt/vmware/vcf/lcm/lcm-app/conf/application-prod.properties

However, since the upgrade failed previously, it is possible that the configuration was not picked up correctly, which is why the entry was added to both files.

To disable a specific pre-check from NSX:

1. Log in to the NSX appliance

2. /opt/vmware/upgrade-coordinator-tomcat/webapps/upgrade-coordinator/WEB-INF/classes/config.properties
  There will be a property in this file

  upgrade.host.precheck.disableChecks=NA
  update it to

  upgrade.host.precheck.disableChecks=enhancedDatapathLicenseCheck

3. /etc/init.d/upgrade-coordinator restart

Additional Information

Currently, you can address this by manually skipping the license pre-check or by installing one of the following supported licenses.

NSX Data Center Enterprise Plus
NSX Data Center SP Enterprise Plus
NSX-T Enterprise Plus
NSX Advanced with Threat Prevention
NSX Enterprise Plus with Advanced Threat Prevention
NSX Data Center Advanced
NSX Data Center Advanced per Processor (for Limited Export)
NSX for vSphere - Enterprise
NSX for vSphere - Advanced
NSX Data Center SP Advanced
VMware NSX Enterprise per Processor (Limited Export)
NSX-T Advanced
NSX-T Advanced Limited Edition
NSX Advanced with Threat Prevention
NSX Enterprise Plus with Advanced Threat Prevention
NSX-T Enterprise Plus Add-On
NSX-T Advanced Add-on

Note: This workaround will suppress only the licensing precheck warning before the upgrade; the rest of the upgrade precheck will function without impact.