ESXi Hosts report unsupportedPXEHost error after upgrading from stateless-cache to stateful installation
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ESXi Hosts report unsupportedPXEHost error after upgrading from stateless-cache to stateful installation

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Article ID: 460241

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Updated On:

Products

VMware vCenter Server VMware Telco Cloud Platform VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

  • ESXi 8.0.3 hosts incorrectly flag as "UnsupportedPXEHost" during vCenter compliance scans.

  • This issue affects hosts that transition from Auto Deploy stateless-cache configurations to stateful disk installations.

  • Even though the system currently runs as a stateful disk installation, vCenter displays a "Cannot perform operation on PXE booted ESXi host. Check the events for details" fault.

Environment

Telco Cloud Platform : 5.x

VMware vCenter : 8.0 U3k

ESXi : 8.0 U3x

Cause

  1. The ConfigStore retains a hidden ImageCachedSystem="stateless" advanced option from the previous stateless-cache configuration.

  2. The RestoreImageCacheMarker() function adds this option during cache or install boot operations but fails to remove or reconcile it when the system transitions to a normal stateful boot.

  3. vSphere Update Manager (VUM) checks UserVars.ImageCachedSystem independently of the host's actual boot mode. Consequently, the presence of the stale "stateless" marker causes vCenter to reject the host with an "UnsupportedPXEHost" fault.

Resolution

Apply one of the following workarounds to clear the stale marker.

Option 1: Remove the stale option (Recommended):

  1. Run the following command on the host: esxcli system settings advanced remove -o ImageCachedSystem

  2. Verify the removal by running: esxcli system settings advanced list -o /UserVars/ImageCachedSystem

  3. The system returns: "Unable to find option ImageCachedSystem".

Option 2: Update the option to stateful:

  1. Run the following command on the host: esxcli system settings advanced set -o /UserVars/ImageCachedSystem -s stateful

  2. Verify the update by running: esxcli system settings advanced list -o /UserVars/ImageCachedSystem

 

Post-Resolution: Rerun the compliance scan and remediation in vCenter to confirm the resolution.

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