Host commission fails in SDDC Manager with vSAN HCL validation error for ESA controllers
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Host commission fails in SDDC Manager with vSAN HCL validation error for ESA controllers

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Article ID: 439313

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Updated On:

Products

VMware SDDC Manager / VCF Installer

Issue/Introduction

Unable to commission ESXi hosts in VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) SDDC Manager.

The commission workflow fails with the following exact error message:
Failed to validate vSAN HCL status.

operationmanager.log under /var/log/vmware/vcf/operationmanager contains below entries.

YYYY-MM-DD:12:07.451+0000 DEBUG [vcf_om,69eb4f9d5ff4b44f4848bb58c5f1eafd,dc1c] [c.v.e.s.c.c.v.vsphere.VcManagerBase,host-comm-decomm-exec-4] Task: (MOR:haTask--vim.host.VsanSystem.update-1718514713) (Name:update) Entity: (MOR:ha-host) (Name:ha-host) status: running. Waiting for its complete
YYYY-MM-DD:12:09.452+0000 WARN  [vcf_om,69eb4f9d5ff4b44f4848bb58c5f1eafd,dc1c] [c.v.v.v.c.h.i.HttpProtocolBindingBase,host-comm-decomm-exec-4] Asynchronous execution requested but no Executor configured. The request will be executed as synchronous one.
YYYY-MM-DD:12:09.697+0000 INFO  [vcf_om,69eb4f9d5ff4b44f4848bb58c5f1eafd,dc1c] [c.v.e.s.c.c.v.vsphere.VcManagerBase,host-comm-decomm-exec-4] Task: (MOR:haTask--vim.host.VsanSystem.update-1718514713) (Name:update) Entity: (MOR:ha-host) (Name:ha-host) is complete
YYYY-MM-DD:12:10.217+0000 DEBUG [vcf_om,69eb4f9d5ff4b44f4848bb58c5f1eafd,dc1c] [c.v.e.s.c.c.v.vsan.VsanManagerBase,host-comm-decomm-exec-4] Cluster health summary: {"timestamp":{"year":2026,"month":3,"dayOfMonth":24,"hourOfDay":11,"minute":12,"second":9},"groups":[{"groupId":"com.vmware.vsan.health.test.hcl","groupName":"Hardware compatibility","groupHealth":"yellow","groupTests":[{"testId":"com.vmware.vsan.health.test.hcldbuptodate","testName":"vSAN HCL DB up-to-date","testDescription":"Checks the age of the VMware Hardware Compatibility Guide database used for the HCL checks. Shows warning when it is older than 90 days or not all ESXi versions on cluster are included in local HCL DB. Shows error when it is older than 180 days. VMware updates the VCG frequently, so it is important to keep the local copy up-to-date.","testShortDescription":"Checks the age of the VMware Hardware Compatibility Guide database.","testHealthyEntities":1,"testAllEntities":1,"testHealth":"green","testDetails":[{"columns":[{"label":"Current time","type":"date"},{"label":"Local HCL DB copy last updated","type":"date"},{"label":"Days since last update","type":"string"},{"label":"All ESXi versions on cluster are included","type":"health"}],"rows":[{"values":["1777029130.039906","1776848100.0","2","green"]}],"label":"HCL DB info"}],"testActions":[{"actionId":"UploadHclDb","actionLabel":{"key":"com.vmware.vsan.health.action.label.uploadhcldb","message":"Upload from file..."},"actionDescription":{"key":"com.vmware.vsan.health.action.uploadhcldb.short","message":"Updates the HCL DB by uploading a file."},"enabled":false},{"actionId":"UpdateHclDbFromInternet","actionLabel":{"key":"com.vmware.vsan.health.action.label.updatehcldbfrominternet","message":"Get latest version online"},"actionDescription":{"key":"com.vmware.vsan.health.action.updatehcldbfrominternet.short","message":"Downloads an update of the HCL DB from the internet."},"enabled":false}]},{"testId":"com.vmware.vsan.health.test.nvmeonhcl","testName":"NVMe device is VMware certified","testDescription":"*****","testShortDescription":"Checks if the NVMe device(s) in this vSAN cluster is/are compatible with the vSAN configuration type as per vSAN VCG (VMware Compatibility Guide).","testAllEntities":3,"testHealth":"yellow","testDetails":[{"columns":[{"label":"Host","type":"dynamic"},{"label":"Device","type":"string"},{"label":"Device name","type":"string"},{"label":"Used by vSAN","type":"string"},{"label":"Device certified","type":"*****"},{"label":"PCI ID","type":"string"},{"label":"Use for","type":"string"},{"label":"Supported vSAN Configuration","type":"string"}],"rows":[{"values":["HostReference:HOSTIP","vmhba1","t10.NVMe____KIOXIA_KCD8XPJE7T68_____________________85B7B80BE38EE38C","No","yellow#common.uncertified","*****","vSAN ESA","vSAN ESA"]},{"values":["HostReference:HOSTIP","vmhba2","t10.NVMe____KIOXIA_KCD8XPJE7T68_____________________C6B7B80BE38EE38C","No","yellow#common.uncertified","*****","vSAN ESA","vSAN ESA"]},{"values":["HostReference:HOSTIP","vmhba3","t10.NVMe____KIOXIA_KCD8XPJE7T68_____________________07B8B80BE38EE38C","No","yellow#common.uncertified","*****","vSAN ESA","vSAN ESA"]}],"label":"Device list"}]},{"testId":"com.vmware.vsan.health.test.controllerreleasesupport","testName":"Controller is VMware certified for ESXi release","testDescription":"*****","testShortDescription":"Displays information about whether there is any driver supported for a given controller in the release of ESXi installed. Only the VMware certified controller will be tested and shown in the result","testHealthyEntities":0,"testAllEntities":0,"testHealth":"*****","testDetails":[{"columns":[{"label":"Host","type":"dynamic"},{"label":"Device","type":"string"},{"label":"Current ESXi release","type":"string"},{"label":"Release supported","type":"health"},{"label":"Certified ESXi releases","type":"*****"}],"label":"Controller List"}]},{"testId":"com.vmware.vsan.health.test.hostmemcheck","testName":"Host physical memory compliance check","testDescription":"Check if the host physical memory is larger than the minimum vSAN memory requirement","testShortDescription":"Check if the host physical memory is larger than the minimum vSAN memory requirement","testAllEntities":0,"testHealth":"green","testDetails":[{"columns":[{"label":"Host","type":"dynamic"},{"label":"Host Physical Memory (GB)","type":"float"},{"label":"Minimum vSAN Memory Requirement (GB)","type":"float"}],"label":"Non compliant hosts"}]}]}],"overallHealth":"yellow","overallHealthDescription":"vSAN HCL warning"}
YYYY-MM-DD:12:10.222+0000 DEBUG [vcf_om,69eb4f9d5ff4b44f4848bb58c5f1eafd,dc1c] [c.v.e.s.c.c.v.vsan.VsanManagerBase,host-comm-decomm-exec-4] HCL check failed for test NVMe device is VMware certified due to yellow status
YYYY-MM-DD:12:10.709+0000 ERROR [vcf_om,69eb4f9d5ff4b44f4848bb58c5f1eafd,dc1c] [c.v.v.h.c.s.i.CommissionHostsValidator,host-comm-decomm-exec-4] Host validation failed for Host: HOSTNAME
YYYY-MM-DD:12:10.709+0000 DEBUG [vcf_om,69eb4f8d4cb3b95bd7a42ada2074dbd9,06d3] [c.v.v.h.c.s.i.CommissionHostsValidator,om-exec-7] HOSTNAME: VSAN_HCL_VALIDATION_FAILURE
YYYY-MM-DD:12:10.709+0000 DEBUG [vcf_om,69eb4f8d4cb3b95bd7a42ada2074dbd9,06d3] [c.v.v.h.c.s.i.CommissionHostsValidator,om-exec-7] Completed validating Host(s).
YYYY-MM-DD:12:10.709+0000 DEBUG [vcf_om,69eb4f8d4cb3b95bd7a42ada2074dbd9,06d3] [c.v.v.h.c.c.v.HostManagerCommDecommIsController,om-exec-7] Host validation response {"status":"error","message":"Host Validation Failed.","errors":[],"commissionHostValidationResponses":[{"ipAddress":"HOSTIP","hostfqdn":"HOSTNAME","hostValidationStatus":"VSAN_HCL_VALIDATION_FAILURE","networkPoolId":"464553c2-b443-4646-b965-38b077bb4a0a","networkPoolName":"NETWORKPOOLNAME","username":"root","password":"*****","storageTypes":["VSAN_ESA"]}]}

Environment

VMware Cloud Foundation 5.2.0

Cause

The storage controller in use only supports vSAN Express Storage Architecture (ESA). During the hardware compatibility list (HCL) validation phase, SDDC Manager validates against both vSAN ESA and vSAN Original Storage Architecture (OSA) requirements. This dual validation causes the health check to return a yellow warning status for the ESA-only controllers, failing the commission workflow.

Resolution

This is a known issue affecting VMware Cloud Foundation 5.2.0. It is resolved in VMware Cloud Foundation 5.2.2.

To work around this issue in VCF 5.2.0:

  • Apply the mock VIB to bypass the vSAN HCL validation during host commissioning, as detailed in Broadcom KB 400057.
  • Complete the host commission workflow and add the host to the target vSphere cluster.
  • Manually unclaim any vSAN disks that are not certified but were automatically claimed by vCenter Server due to the presence of the mock VIB.

Additional Information

vSAN ESA deployment fails during vSAN HCL validation due to uncertified disks (Broadcom KB 400057)

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