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Knowledge Base

ESXi/ESX host fails to go into maintenance mode (1036167)

Last Updated: 3/27/2024Categories: TroubleshootingTotal Views: 158162Language:
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Learn how VMware Skyline Advisor and Skyline Health Diagnostics work together to provide proactive intelligence and self-service log analysis.

Use Skyline Advisor to avoid issues before they occur across VCF, vSphere, vSAN, NSX, vROps & Horizon. Skyline Findings are based on top KBs, VMSAs/CVEs and design best practices.

Use Skyline Health Diagnostics to root cause vSphere & vSAN logs when an issue occurs. Skyline Health Diagnostic Findings are based on top KBs and VMSA/CVEs. You can use the Skyline Health Diagnostics tool in online or offline mode.

If you require additional help from technical support, please use Skyline Advisor to initiate a Log Assist to reduce time to upload logs. TSEs can also initiate logs to reduce effort.

Symptoms

An ESXi/ESX host does not enter maintenance mode.

You cannot remove the ESXi/ESX host from vCenter Server.

Hosts fail to migrate when attempting to enter maintenance mode.

The progress indicator remains at 2% indefinitely in the vSphere Web Client.

A VMware vMotion fails at 10%.

You receive one or more of these errors:

Could not power VM, no swap file, failed to power on VM.

VMControl error -11: No such virtual machine.

A general system error occurred. The system returned on error. Communication with the virtual machine may have been interrupted.

Migration will cause the virtual machine's configuration to be modified to preserve the CPU feature requirements for its guest operating system.

Operation timed out

A general system error occurred:

Failed waiting for data. Error 16. Invalid argument

Purpose

This article provides steps to troubleshoot issues when you are unable to put an ESXi/ESX host into maintenance mode.

Resolution

Validate that each troubleshooting step below is true for your environment. Each step provides instructions or a link to an article to eliminate possible causes and take corrective action as necessary. The steps are ordered in the most appropriate sequence to isolate the issue and identify the proper resolution. Do not skip a step.

Verify if there are orphaned virtual machines in the vCenter Server inventory.

All virtual machines on the ESXi or ESX host must be migrated to another host or shut down before the host is placed into maintenance mode. If there are orphaned virtual machines in the inventory, the host cannot be put into maintenance mode. Ensure that the orphaned virtual machines are removed before attempting to put the host into maintenance mode. For more information, see Virtual machines appear as invalid or orphaned in vCenter Server (1003742).

If an ESXi/ESX host is a part of VMware High Availability (HA) or DRS cluster, check the Admission Control settings. You may have to disable this option if there are not enough resources to ensure fail over capacity. For more information, see:

ESX/ESXi host in a VMware High Availability cluster fails to enter maintenance mode and stops at 2% (1007156)

ESX/ESXi host unable to enter maintenance mode in a two node cluster (1017330)

Note: If you want vCenter Server to migrate your running virtual machines automatically to other hosts when placing your host in maintenance mode, the ESXi/ESX host must part of a fully automated DRS cluster.

If the ESXi/ESX host is a part of a fully automated DRS cluster, but the Enter Maintenance Mode task hangs at 2% in the vSphere Web Client, try motioning the virtual machines between the hosts in the cluster. This test helps you to determine the reason for the maintenance mode issues. For more information about troubleshooting motion issues, see Diagnosing a vMotion failure at 10% in vCenter Server (1003734).

Note: If your problem still exists after trying the steps in this article:

Gather VMware Support Log Bundle. For more information, see Collecting diagnostic information for VMware products (1008524)

File a support request with VMware Support and note this KB Article ID (1036167) in the problem description. For more information, see How to Submit a Support Request.

Related Information

Understanding and troubleshooting vMotion
Virtual machines appear as invalid or orphaned in vCenter Server
ESX/ESXi host in a VMware High Availability cluster fails to enter maintenance mode and stops at 2%
Collecting diagnostic information for VMware products
ESX/ESXi host unable to enter maintenance mode in a two node cluster
ESXi/ESX ホストでメンテナンス モードへの切り替えに失敗する
ESXi/ESX 主机无法进入维护模式

Detectable by VMware SkylineTM

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