Entering maintenance mode doesn't migrate virtual machines ?

[bipsen]

Hi

I have a setup with 4 VMware ESX 3.5 and VC2.5 on another host. - When I was running with only 3 ESX hosts, I had no prolbems when entering maintenance mode - vhosts were migrated off to the other hosts, and everything worked well.

After I added server number 4, I have problems with maintenance mode.... But only on the fourth server ? NTP has been configures exactly as on the other 3 servers, but for some wierd reason hosts are not migrated off this server when I want to put it in maintenance mode...

VC just says "Entering maintenance mode", ans keeps staying on 2% in the progress bar... I can migrate the virtual hosts off to the other ESX hosts in the cluster - but it doesn't happen automatically when I enter maintenance mode (as on the other 3 servers).

Any hints on what could be the issue ?

Regards

Brian

[weinstein5]

As I understand it VMs willing be migrated off a host going to into maitenance mode if it is a member of a DRS cluster in Fully Automated mode - so are all machines part of a DRS cluster?

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[bipsen]

Hi

All 4 ESX servers are part of the same DRS cluster - that is why it puzzles me, that the VM's doesn't migrate of server 4 automatically, when it is put into maintenance mode ... because it works fine on the other 3 hosts...

Could it have something to do with the license file ?? The 3 ESX servers and VC license ecists in one .LIC file - the 4th server has a seperate .LIC, that is located in the same directory (C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware License Server\Licenses), which has been configured according to KB Article 7252734

Regards

Brian

[weinstein5]

I do not think the license file should cause a problem since you were able to add the esx server to your VC inventory - but just confirm and check the license in VC - also can you manually vmotion the vms form the fourth host to one of the other hosts? Because if there is something in the VM or host configuration preventing the vmotion then DRS will not automatically evacuate your host -

[bipsen]

Hi

Looking af the license configuration for the fourth host indicates, that the license for DRS and Vmotion is present (for the required number of CPU's).

I can migrate/vmotion the VM's manually to another host without problems - that is why I'm puzzled about this issue.....

Regards

/Brian

[TomHowarth]

what version of ESX are you using? Are all four host running the same update version??

I am pretty certain that the automatic migration on entering maintenance mode was removed in U2, there is a post some where on the forums where VMware stated that it was by design not accident.

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Tom Howarth

VMware Communities User Moderator

[THP]

We found something similar because we had DRS set as partially automated - when going into maintenance mode we discovered that it would generate a load of DRS recommendations but not actually move anything until we had accepted the recommendations.

Once the recommendations had been accepted vmotions tok place and the server finally entered maintenance mode for patching.