Error: "PciBus: No actual device present for configured device PCI address '______'" seen in ESXi vmkdevmgr.log and the device is not visible on the host in vSphere web UI

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• Hardware device such as HBA / RAID card is not visible on the host in vSphere web UI.
• The device is confirmed as compatible using the Hardware Compatibility List
• Log messages such as the following are seen in /var/run/log/vmkdevmgr.log :
  • PciBus: No actual device present for configured device PCI address 's0000000c.00'
  • PciBus: deleted alias vmhba# for busAddress s0000000#.00 (new branch)
  • LogicalBus: Removed alias for busAddress: pci#s0000000#.00#0

• Prior to this, the device may be seen to be misbehaving according to the ESX kernel, for example in vmkernel.log:
  • ScsiPath: ####: Command 0x## (cmdSN 0x0, World 0) to path vmhba#:##:T###:L# timed out: expiry time occurs 0ms in the past
  • ScsiPath: ####: Failed to issue command 0x## (cmdSN 0x0) on path vmhba#:C1:T###:L#: Timeout

Environment

VMware ESXi 8.x

Cause

There is a physical connection problem or a hardware issue with the RAID controller itself, its PCIe riser, or motherboard.

Resolution

Engage the hardware vendor to troubleshoot this device.

It might be worth just reseating the device physically, in case there's a loose connection.