Problem:
When trying to enable HA on an ESXi 4.1 cluster, the following error is displayed:
Also, the Summary tab for the ESXi host on which the HA agent fails shows the following:
Background & Analysis:
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The HA agents on ESXi hosts in a cluster use the Management VMkernel ports for communication.
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If an ESXi host in a cluster has more than one Management VMkernel port, then the HA agent on that host does not know which VMkernel port to use and hence the HA agent fails to work on that host.
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In some cases, extra Management VMkernel ports are used in different VLANs for more efficient P2V conversions.
Solution:
For the ESXi Cluster:
STEP 1: Configure das.allowNetwork0=<Management VMkernel port> in the Advanced Options for VMware HA,
where <Management VMkernel port> = Name of the VMkernel port used for ESXi Management (default value is “Management Network”
STEP 2: Disable and enable HA
Refer this VMware KB Article for more details.
NOTE: With the above solution implemented, ensure that you do not rename the Management VMkernel Port later.
Root Cause:
More than one VMkernel port for ESXi Management caused the HA agent to fail.
(1) The solution above describes a successful problem-solving experience and may not be applicable to other problems with similar symptoms.
(2) Your rating of this post will be much appreciated as it gives me and others who read this article, an indication of whether this solution has worked for people other than me. Also, feel free to leave comments.
