Host is not compatible with VDS version when adding ESXi host to a Distributed Virtual Switch

Products

• VMware NSX

Issue/Introduction

When attempting to add an ESXi host to an existing Distributed Virtual Switch (vDS) or a cluster managed by NSX, the operation fails with the following error:

Host <hostname> is not compatible with the VDS version <version>



Environment

• VMware vSphere ESXi 7.x / 8.x
• VMware vCenter Server
• VMware NSX

Cause

The ESXi host is running a version or build that is older than the version required by the Distributed Virtual Switch. For example, the cluster vDS may be configured for version 7.0 U3, while the new host is running 7.0 Ga.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, upgrade the ESXi host to a version that matches or exceeds the version of the Distributed Virtual Switch.

1. Identify the version of the target Distributed Virtual Switch in vCenter.
2. Patch or upgrade the ESXi host to the required build level. See [Download Broadcom products and software] for steps to download the required release.
3. Add the host to the Distributed Virtual Switch again.
4. Proceed with migrating uplinks and VMkernel interfaces (e.g., vmk0) to the vDS.
5. If applicable, trigger NSX host preparation from the NSX Manager UI.

If the issue persists, ensure that there are no stale networking configurations on the host standard switch (vSS) that might conflict with the vDS migration.

Additional Information

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