Your host license expires in -X days. The host will disconnect from vCenter Server when its license expires.

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

• When attempting to apply a valid license from VCF Operations to the vCenter server, the license application fails to reflect on  the ESXi host. The vSphere UI and ESXi host UI display the following error:

Your host license expires in -X days. The host will disconnect from vCenter Server when its license expires.

• vCenter server holds a valid license that has been applied from the VCF Operations.
  
  
• Running the command vim-cmd vimsvc/license --show on the affected host shows an expired evaluation state: 

   serial: 00000-00000-00000-00000-00000
   vmodl key: esx.eval.entitlement.cpuCoreMin
   name: VMware ESX Server
   total: 1
   used: 1
   unit: host
   Properties:
     [system_time] = yyyy-mm-ddThh:mm:ss
     [startDate] = yyyy-mm-ddThh:mm:ss
     [expirationDate] = yyyy-mm-ddThh:mm:ss
     [expirationHours] = 0
     [expirationMinutes] = 0
     [diagnostic] = Evaluation period has expired, please install license.
     [ProductName] = VMware ESX Server
     [ComponentFamily] = VMware ESX Server
     [ProductVersion] = 9.x

• Additionally, running esxcli licensing entitlement list reveals that the Subscription entitlement type is missing for the host:
  
  [root@esx_fqdn] esxcli licensing entitlement list
ID                                    Entitlement ID                     Entitlement Type  Name                        Asset Type
------------------------------------  -------------------------------    ----------------  --------------------------  ----------
evaluation                            ######-####-####-####-########     Evaluation        Evaluation                  ESXI

Environment

VCF 9.x
VVF 9.x

Cause

The evaluation license on the VMware ESXi host has expired, which prevents the successful assignment of a new subscription license.

Resolution

Re-install the VMware ESXi host. This will restart the host in a fresh 90-day evaluation state.

NOTE: If the host has not yet reached the end of its evaluation period, or if this issue occurs under different circumstances, please reach out to Broadcom Support for further diagnostic assistance.