Upgrading vSphere with "expired or expiring licenses" alert

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi
• VMware vCenter Server 8.0

Issue/Introduction

When planning an upgrade (e.g., from vSphere 8.0.2 to 8.0.3) it is noticed that the vSphere UI displays a banner alert: “There are expired or expiring licenses in your inventory.”

1. Does this alert affect or prevent the upgrade process if the licenses are still valid?
2. Is it safe to proceed with the upgrade while licenses are in an expiring status?

Environment

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

Resolution

Yes, it is safe to proceed with the upgrade. The alert is a proactive notification and does not cause technical issues or prevent upgrade steps from completing, provided the licenses are currently valid.

Additional Information

• Verification: You may choose to apply the license keys to a tempoary test vCenter or ESXi host on the target version (e.g., 8.0.3) prior to the production upgrade to ensure compatibility, though keys for the same major version generally remain valid across minor updates.
• Contingency: Always perform a full backup of the vCenter Server and environment before starting the upgrade process to allow for a rollback if necessary.
• Long-term Planning: Ensure new licensing is procured and applied before the current expiration date to avoid service disruption after the licenses expire.