Expired vSAN License Alerts Following ESXi Host Upgrade

Products

• VMware vSAN

Issue/Introduction

 

• vCenter Server triggers alerts for "Expired vSAN license."
• Cluster assets show status as "Evaluation Mode" or "Expired" post-upgrade.
• Workloads remain active but configuration changes at the cluster or VM level may be restricted.

 

Environment

 

• VMware vSAN 7.x, 8.x
• VMware vSphere ESXi 7.x, 8.x

 

Cause

Major version upgrades of ESXi and vSAN cause hosts to drop legacy license keys and default to a 60-day evaluation period. If updated license keys corresponding to the new version are not applied within this window, the evaluation period expires and triggers system-wide alerts.

Resolution

To resolve license expiration alerts after an upgrade, perform the following steps:

1. Upgrade Licenses in Portal:
   • Log in to the Broadcom Support Portal.
   • Navigate to the My Entitlements section.
   • Select the legacy license keys and follow the upgrade wizard to generate keys for the new version.
2. Assign Licenses in vCenter:
   • Navigate to Administration > Licenses.
   • Click the Assets tab and select the vSAN Clusters sub-tab.
   • Assign the newly generated keys to the affected clusters.
3. Address Entitlement Shortages:
   • Verify the required CPU count for the cluster against the available entitlement in the portal.
   • If there is a shortage (e.g., cluster requires 5-CPU but only 2-CPU is available), contact the Broadcom Global Customer Assistance (GCA) team to reconcile the entitlement.
4. Clear Stale Alarms:
   • Once valid licenses are applied, right-click the "Expired vSAN license" alarm in vSphere and select Reset to Green.
   • NOTE:  valid licenses must be applied to all hosts in the cluster before the alarm will stay cleared, otherwise it may re-trigger

Additional Information

• For instructions on how to upgrade license keys, see KB 142814.
• To create a licensing support case, refer to KB 142884.
  licensing cases should be opened under the "Licensing" category (per KB 142884)