Virtual machine has 2 virtual CPUs, but the host software only supports 1!!

[SandyB]

I built a new Server with VC2 today and 2 new ESX servers running ESX3, all the licensing is working correctly.

I then added 2 ESX 2.5.3 servers and cold migrated a VM to VI3, i then followed the upgrade guide and did the "virtual hardware upgrade" however when i try to power it on i get "Virtual machine has 2 virtual CPUs, but the host software only supports 1" so i set the VM to have 1 vCPU and it powered on, i successfully upgraded the VMware tools and rebooted, the VM was then powered off and i switched it to 2 vCPUs tried powering it on and get the same message again.

I then tried recreating a new VM using the same vmdk file, however i still get the same error!!!

anyone have any ideas?

[joose]

I've got the same bloody problem, and it's really starting to piss me off.

I've got VC2 with the following:

2x DL585 4-way DC Opteron running ESX 3 Enterprise - these servers are fine

1x DL385 2-way DC Opteron running ESX 3 Starter - this server has four VM's on it; 3 are 2-way vCPU one is single vCPU. I can reboot and start 3 out of the four VM's on this machine. Only one won't start at all. Every time I try and start it I get the "Virtual machine has 2 virtual CPUs, but the host software only supports 1" message.

I've tried removing/readding to VC, removed all licensing from all 3 servers, restarting the license service on the license server, restarting the license service using the license tools on the license server, shutting down the single-CPU VM and starting it before attempting to start the affected VM, rebooting the VM running the license server and still no dice.

Any ideas?

[eliot]

for me, starting a single proc vm on my 585's first always allowed subseqent dual proc vms to start. (i mean, no VM's running at-all, start a single proc, then start everything else)

[joose]

I just ilo'd to the console on that server and found the weirdest of errors:

"14:05:33:25.641 cpu1: 1076(Heartbeat: 468: PCPU0 didn't have a heartbeat for 62 seconds. \*may* be locked up."

I thought that was odd, so I rebooted the server; now everything is working fine.

I don't like that error though...makes me feel uneasy...

[joose]

GRRRRR...

Rebooted the server, applied a host license file, started all machines, added back to virtual center, and now that same VM is still giving me the error "Virtual Machine has 2 cpu's, but the host software only supports 1".

I think I'm going to have to call this in...

[ReggieSmith]

I went around the world and back again on this one and even disabled HT on my 2 ESX servers to keep them from seeing all those "logical" processors! In the end, I disconnected the host and then added it back to VC and now I can power on and VMOTION a dual proc VM. (Dare I try a 4 proc VM? Has anyone done one just to see?)

I honestly think the whole "flex" licensing thing is to blame. I think the Licensing server gets confused and locks out features from time to time.

[joose]

Reggie Smith from SUFI?

[Tooms]

i have seen this a number of times and i can fix it every time by doing this

1. go to the license server

2. in the license server app i click "Reload license file" and stop/start the service

3. go into VC2 and select the ESX server

4. pull off the license so the server is "unlicensed"

5. put the license back on

6. start the VM

[mstahl75]

2. in the license server app i click "Reload license file" and stop/start the service

If you stop/start or restart the license manager service the reload automatically happens when it starts.

[Tooms]

okey thanks

then there is no need to click on the "reload" just go restart services in step 2

[mstahl75]

Well, theoretically reloading would be enough. I usually just find it easier to connect to the server and restart the service.

[dxb]

I encountered this problem today, and worked around it by logging in to the web access interface of the host server, and powering on the VM from there.

[SandyB]

Remove the host and then re add it, this resolves the issue. This is a bug which i hope will be fixed by the next update to ESX 3/VC2

Thanks Sandy

[dalepa]

Had the same problem!! This procedure worked for us also.

i have seen this a number of times and i can fix it

every time by doing this

1. go to the license server

2. in the license server app i click "Reload license

file" and stop/start the service

3. go into VC2 and select the ESX server

4. pull off the license so the server is

"unlicensed"

5. put the license back on

6. start the VM

[Borat_Sagdiev]

The licensing system is a bloody nightmare. FlexLM is a complete piece of garbage, it always has been on other software as well. The frustrating part is that so much time has to be spent babysitting stupid crap that should just work on its own. Couple that with all the bugs in the dot-0 releases of ESX and VC and you have a full time job fixing stuff.

Had this same problem, removed host from VC and readded, works fine now. I dream of the day when VMware decides to abandon this crazy licensing system and get something that works.

[joose]

Amen brother

[darren_wiseman]

Just so you know, the same thing happens in ESX3.01

The suggested fix of "unlicense the host then relicense" seems to work though.

[Dave_M]

I have a monster VI3 environment, 4 x 16 dual core processor ES7000 systems each with 32GB RAM, these are configured in a HA and DRS cluster.

I was running ESX 3.0, and encountered the same problem, but what was frustrating was that the previous day everything had worked correctly. None of the ESX hosts had been rebooted. I then tried to VMotion a VM and could not do so because of this licensing issue. My problem is if I loose an ESX host during the night and my VM's don't restart on the other ESX hosts.

Yesterday, I did the upgrade to ESX 3.0.1 and we will monitor this licensing issue.

I am sure if enough calls are logged for this, VMware will do something about it and not just respond with a workaround. For me the workaround does not help.

[arusso]

Excellent post Dalepa. Wish I had seen this earlier, but at least our VMWare support person knew of this thread. We were hit with this issue and were thinking our licenses were not correct. Followed your steps and viola we can now create guest os's with more than 1vcpu. Yay!

[mnobis]

Gentelmen,

I know it's been a while since this topic was started but I got the same problem as described, but answers in this topic didn't help me.

during the esx status change from "unlicensed" to "licensed" i got an error "There are not enough licenses installed to perform the operation."

i found the sollution in other forums (sorry i don't know where).

in case of the problems check your license file and make sure there is no field like:

"licenseType=Host"

if there is just change it to:

"licenseType=Server"

It helped me (of course i'm using license server)

treat that mail as a ad acta one

regards.

[squirrelking]

Had this issue as well when moving physical servers into a new DRS and HA cluster. Unlicense then license the physical servers in the cluster worked for me.

Thanks!