ESXi transport node disconnected in NSX after host management network connectivity loss

Products

• VMware NSX

Issue/Introduction

 

• ESXi transport node is in a Disconnected state in NSX.

• The host lost network connectivity after a driver and/or firmware update.

• Unable to ping the ESXi host management network IP address.

• VMNIC numbering changed from vmnic1–vmnic4 to vmnic0–vmnic3 after the update.

• After the management network issue is resolved, the host remains in a Disconnected state in NSX.

• The transport node is part of a cluster with a Transport Node Profile.

• When the host is removed from the cluster and added back, it enters an Orphaned state.
  
  Transport Node Errors
  Host configuration: Failed to send the HostConfig message.
[TN-TransportNode/#########-####-####-####-#############]. Reason:
Failed to send HostConfig RPC to MPA node:#########-####-####-####-#############. Error: Unable to reach client #########-####-####-####-#############, application Switching Vertical.

 

Environment

VMware NSX

Cause

The ESXi host, prepared as an NSX Transport Node, enters a disconnected state when it loses connectivity to the NSX Manager. This behavior is expected when the host is offline or unreachable.

Resolution

To resolve the issue, use the following steps to remove and reconfigure the ESXi host as an NSX Transport Node and to reapply the Transport Node Profile, restoring the host to a healthy connected state in NSX.

• Put the host into maintenance node and remove the ESXi transport node from the cluster.

• In the NSX Manager UI, navigate to System > Fabric > Standalone Hosts, and select Remove NSX using the Force Delete option

• Log in to the ESXi CLI terminal and run nsxcli -c del nsx command. If you wish to perform the del nsx command without complying with the recommendations suggested, run nsxcli -c del nsx force.

• Add the host back to the cluster and confirm that the Transport Node Profile (TNP) is applied successfully.

 

Additional Information

ESXi host loses network connectivity after driver/firmware update

Uninstall NSX from a Managed Host in a vSphere Cluster