ESXi Hosts may experience a PSOD during an upgrade from NSX 3.2.x or 4.0.x/4.1.x to NSX 4.2.2 with a panic in the NSX VSIP Module

Products

• VMware vDefend Firewall
• VMware vDefend Firewall with Advanced Threat Prevention

Issue/Introduction

1. When upgrading from NSX versions 3.2.x, 4.0.x or 4.1.x to 4.2.2, ESXi hosts may experience a Purple Screen of Death (PSOD) related to the VSIP module in the pfr_kif_ktbp_head_RB_FIND or pfr_find_ktbp function, as shown in the stack trace below.
2. During the upgrade process, when vMotions occur from ESXi hosts running NSX 3.2.x, 4.0.x, or 4.1.x to hosts running 4.2.2, the upgraded 4.2.2 host may encounter a PSOD.
3. The issue can occur in both maintenance and in-place upgrade modes.
4. Upgrades from 4.2.x to 4.2.2 are NOT impacted by this issue.
5. PSODs can occur only during the upgrade process. The issue will not occur once all the hosts in a cluster are upgraded to 4.2.2.

Environment

From Version: NSX 3.2.x , 4.0.x/4.1.x
To Version: NSX 4.2.2

Cause

During vMotion, certain NSGroup IP addresses may be duplicated during the import function on the destination ESXi host running NSX 4.2.2, which leads to a PSOD.

Resolution

This issue is fixed in NSX 4.2.2.1 and later releases.