ESXi Host Power Off unexpectedly

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

ESXi host shuts down or reboots abruptly without a Purple Diagnostic Screen (PSOD).
Virtual Machines (VMs) fail over via vSphere HA.
The following log entry exapmples appear in the ESXi support bundle:

vmkernel.log:
`####-##-##T##:##:##.###Z cpu#:#######)VMKAcpi: ###: Power button pressed; requesting graceful shutdown and poweroff`

hostd.log
`####-##-##T##:##:##.###Z info hostd[#######] [Originator@#### sub=Hostsvc.HaHost] ACPI power event from the vmkernel`
`####-##-##T##:##:##.###Z info hostd[#######] [Originator@#### sub=Hostsvc.HaHost] Shutdown, force = true`

vmksummary.log:
`####-##-##T##:##:##.###Z bootstop[#######]: Host is powering off`

 

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 8.X

 

Cause

The ESXi hypervisor received a graceful shutdown command via the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI). This signal originates from the physical hardware layer, indicating that the server's physical power button was pressed or the Baseboard Management Controller (BMC)—such as Lenovo XCC, HPE iLO, or Dell iDRAC—initiated a "soft-off" or "power down" command.

Possible triggers include:
Physical intervention (manual button press).
Remote management command issued through the BMC.
Hardware component failure (Power Supply, Motherboard) triggering an emergency ACPI shutdown.
Environmental events (Thermal limit reached).

Resolution

1.  Perform a power reset of the ESXi host to restore service.
2.  Review the hardware vendor management logs (Lenovo XClarity, HPE iLO, or Dell iDRAC) to identify the specific sensor or user that triggered the ACPI signal.
3.  Engage the server hardware vendor to perform deep physical diagnostics on the motherboard and Power Supply Units (PSUs).
4.  Verify that the System BIOS and Firmware are on the latest versions supported by the VMware Compatibility Guide

If further assistance is needed from Broadcom to interpret virtualization-level events, see Contact Broadcom Support

 

Additional Information

For general troubleshooting of unexpected reboots, refer to Investigating Unexpected ESXi Reboot or Shutdown