Error: vMotion fails with EVC mismatch due to stale cached host capabilities in vCenter Server

Products

• VMware vCenter Server
• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

When attempting to migrate a Virtual Machine (VM) between ESXi hosts, such as migrating from a Gen11 host back to a Gen10 cluster, the vSphere Client may report an EVC mismatch error. This occurs even when the source and destination EVC baselines are compatible. This behavior is typically caused by the vCenter Server (vpxd) maintaining stale cached information regarding host CPU capabilities.

Environment

• VMware vCenter Server 7.x / 8.x
• VMware vSphere ESXi 7.x / 8.x
• Mixed hardware generations (e.g., HPE ProLiant Gen10 and Gen11)

Cause

The vCenter Server service (vpxd) caches host capability metadata to optimize performance. In certain scenarios, such as recent host additions or reconfigurations, this cache does not refresh immediately. The UI pre-check uses this stale data, leading to a false-positive compatibility failure.

Resolution

Refresh the host capability cache using one of the following methods:

1. Inventory Sync: Right-click the affected ESXi host in the vSphere Client and select Refresh Storage System or perform a manual Reconfigure for VMware HA to trigger an inventory update.
2. Wait for Cache Expiry: The vpxd cache typically refreshes automatically within 30 to 60 minutes.
3. Restart vpxd (Impactful): If the error persists, restart the vCenter Server service to clear all cached metadata:
   • service-control --restart vmware-vpxd

This issue is under review for optimization in future releases. Recommend subscribing to this article to be updated on fix status: How to subscribe to a Knowledge Article.

Additional Information

To speak with a customer representative or a Support Engineer see Contact Support. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on your respective region.