The NSX data plane is failing to instantiate with alarm "Failed to enable the datapath on the Edge node after three attempts"

Products

• VMware NSX

Issue/Introduction

• Failed to enable the datapath on the Edge node after three attempts, alarm has been noticed.
• Following Edge node redeployment, the Edge cluster fails to initialize the data plane, BGP peering, and TEP tunnels. 
• Management Plane status shows "Connected," but the Data Plane remains functionally isolated. 
• Command 'get logical-routers' shows blank/partial entries listed in edge cli.
• Symptoms include errorCode="EDG0400056" and errorCode="EDG0400306" in Edge syslogs, indicating a routing domain validation loop.

Edge, /var/log/syslog:

2026-05-09T03:07:56.951Z Edge01 52f7c29a1cdd 4209 - -  message repeated 12 times: [ 2026-05-09T03:07:56Z datapathd 5277 firewalldp tname="dp-ipc22" [ERROR] cannot clear L2 track on null cookie ]
2026-05-09T03:07:56.832Z Edge01 52f7c29a1cdd 4209 - -  2026-05-09T03:07:56Z datapathd 5277 routing-domain tname="dp-ipc22" [ERROR] Routing domain ###ce1c7-####-####-####5a558 does not exist  errorCode="EDG0400056"
2026-05-09T03:07:56.931Z Edge01 datapath-systemd-helper 5161 - -  2026-05-09T03:07:56Z datapathd 5277 routing-domain tname="dp-ipc22" [ERROR] Routing domain ###ce1c7-####-####-####5a558 does not exist  errorCode="EDG0400056"
2026-05-09T03:07:56.719Z Edge01 NSX 5277 ROUTING [nsx@6876 comp="nsx-edge" subcomp="datapathd" s2comp="routing-domain" tname="dp-ipc22" level="ERROR" errorCode="EDG0400056"] Routing domain ###ce1c7-####-####-####5a558 does not exist
2026-05-09T03:07:56.889Z Edge01 NSX 5277 FABRIC [nsx@6876 comp="nsx-edge" subcomp="datapathd" s2comp="dpc-agent" tname="dp-ipc22" level="ERROR" errorCode="EDG0400306"] epconn_message_ack_version: rc_epconn=0 rc=-1 ver=35
2026-05-09T03:07:56.420Z Edge01 52f7c29a1cdd 4209 - -  2026-05-09T03:07:56Z datapathd 5277 dpc-agent tname="dp-ipc22" [ERROR] epconn_message_ack_version: rc_epconn=0 rc=-1 ver=35  errorCode="EDG0400306"
2026-05-09T03:07:56.559Z Edge01 datapath-systemd-helper 5161 - -  2026-05-09T03:07:56Z datapathd 5277 dpc-agent tname="dp-ipc22" [ERROR] epconn_message_ack_version: rc_epconn=0 rc=-1 ver=35  errorCode="EDG0400306"
2026-05-09T03:07:56.675Z Edge01 9e492729075e 4209 - -  2026-05-09T03:07:56Z nsxa 1 dp-ipc [ERROR] Receive error ack version35 from DP:   errorCode="EDG0100372"

 

Environment

VMware NSX

Cause

The Tier-1 Edge cluster and Tier-0 Edge cluster are associated with different Transport Zones. 
This mismatch prevents the Edge from validating the routing domain, which consequently blocks Data Plane initialization.

Resolution

In the NSX Manager UI, identify the problematic Tier-1 Gateway and its linked Tier-0 Gateway.
Confirm the Transport Zone (TZ) associated with the Tier-0 Gateway.
Check the Transport Node configuration of the Edge nodes to verify whether they are members of that specific Transport Zone.

Correct the mismatch by performing one of the following

1. Reassign the Tier-1 Gateway to a Tier-0 Gateway that shares a Transport Zone with the Edge nodes.
2. Update the configuration so that both gateways and the Edge nodes are members of the same Transport Zone.

Monitor the Edge syslogs to ensure the EDG0400056 errors have ceased and TEP tunnels/BGP sessions are established.