ESXi license expire after 60 days-General System Error occurred: Internal error

[pingwu]

When I try to open a VM in ESXi, I got General System Error occurred: Internal error.

Here is what I did.

Bootup/installed VMware-VMvisor-InstallerCD-3.5.0_Update_2-103909.i386.iso on Dell PE 2650 and it works just fine with 60 Days evaluation license.

Then I apply the ESXi license keys. Bring VM up and down from VI client without problem

I then modify the system day for two months in advance and this Internal error come up.

Please help me understand if ESXi is perpetually free or just the Free for the first 60 days?

[Dave_Mishchenko]

When you sign up for a free ESXi license, that license is perpetual. It may be that there is a problem with your serial number, in which case you might want to get another (they're free - you'd just need another email address).

When you first install ESXi, it installs with a 60 day evaluaiton license. If you don't add a license after 60 days, then you wouldn't be able to start any VMs but in that case you should get an error message to that affect and not a general system error.

[pingwu]

Thanks Dave. I just try that but still doing the same thing.

I am concern about 60 days later I am forcing paying thousands of dollars to keep the VM running .....;\

Ping Wu

[Dave_Mishchenko]

I am concern about 60 days later I am forcing paying thousands of dollars to keep the VM running

That's definitely not the case. If you're changing your host time and not the client, that might be an issue. Otherwise there's something wrong with your serial number.

[pingwu]

Thanks Dave.

I am glad to hear that the expired ESXi shouldn't be the case. That answer my concern.

Ping Wu

[matt_granzow]

I'm experiencing a similar problem.

I installed ESXi, entered my license key then changed the system time from CDT to UTC. I have not since been able to power on a VM. I get;

A general system error occurred: Internal error

Message from <host>: This product has expired. Be sure that your machine's date and time are set correctly. There is a more recent version available at the VMware Web site: "http://www.vmware.com/info?id=4".

I removed /etc/vmware/license.cfg and it restarted by 60-day trial. In that mode it still would not power on a VM. I re-entered my serial number and still have the same result.

I again removed /etc/vmware/license.cfg and /etc/vmware/vmware.lic, rebooted, reset the clock, rebooted again and the VMs fired up.

[jmkao]

I too am experiencing the same problem starting today. I registered for a free perpetual ESXi key last week, which was working properly.

Then today, I was suddenly unable to start any VMs with the error "This product has expired. Be sure that your host machine's date and time are set correctly."

So, I then re-registered for a different license key using a different e-mail address. I plugged that new license key in, and the same error occurred.

After that, I tried reverting to the Eval license, which indicated an expiration date of Oct 10, 2008, far enough in the future for me. After putting that license in, I still got the same error.

I then re-tried the two other free perpetual licenses, and still no-go. At this point, it seems like nothing I can do will bring back my ability to start VMs.

[RonWBrown]

Same here just happened about 1 hour ago.. Now, this is a big huge drop in confidence in VMWARE, free or not, it still should not take you out of commision! Please, someone help...

[mattjk]

http://communities.vmware.com/thread/162377

[krival96]

http://www.vdi.co.nz/?p=18

[tvleavitt]

Also posted this to the thread above.

I have a paid VMware Foundation Server license, and just had this happen to me on my ESXi Server. I went to my license configuration page and saw that everything was listed as "Unlicensed Use". I fixed it in 5 minutes by restarting the license server on the machine where VirtualCenter was installed. Not that this is acceptable, but for those folks who need a quick fix, this will enable you to start your VMs.

If you're having the same problem, which I'd strongly suspect you are.

Update: I spoke too soon. This solved the "Unlicensed Use" issue, but I still can't start up my VMs! This is very problematic. And no, I can't turn the clock back to August 10th.

[matt_granzow]

guys, please re-read my reply, it offers a possible solution to this issue.

[jkao]

It looks promising, but on VMware ESXi, is it possible to mess with the files in /etc without having first done the hack to activate SSH shell access?

I, unfortunately, did not perform that hack before sending my server to the data center.

[Wicaeed]

Getting this exact same issue, and I'm sure as hell not powering off any VM's till I find a way to fix it!

I unfortunately cannot create a user account for myself on ESXi, hence I can't SSH in and delete any logs.

Anyone

know of a workaround for being unable to add a user? Basically I can

get to the Users & Groups tab, and add a user, but my OK dialogue

box never actually appears as clickable.

No user = no SSH access (that I know of) = no command line access = no manual removal of liscense files = sad EU

On the other hand, the fix posted at http://communities.vmware.com/thread/162377 worked for me.

[matt_granzow]

this just crept up again for me.

I reset my clock to 8/7/2008 and the vm started up.

Looks like vmware knows of the issue as the previous poster pointed out. Hopefully they fix this soon!

[tvleavitt]

matt.granzow: guys, please re-read my reply, it offers a possible solution to this issue.

Me: Are you saying that if I follow the procedure outlined in your post, that I'll be able to start my VMs without setting the clock back? ... I was able to simply set the clock back and restart a VM, then set it forward again.

[matt_granzow]

at this point, with the bug report that has been released, I don't believe so.

Yesterday it may have helped.

I have VMs running right now, so I can't take the outage to test, but you might be able to remove those two files I mentioned and restart the esxi host to restart your 60-day trial. that MIGHT work.

the easier way is to just reset the clock. that's what I'm doing now.

[pingwu]

Please see this link:

Ping Wu

[Totohydra]

A curious knock-off effect us that performance data is killed off for anything powered back on after setting the clock back.

Guests that have bee running uninterrupted don't seem to be affected by this.