ESXi 6.5 vCPU bug, sockets: 1.33333333

[LordNicoll]

While attempting to change a VM from 6 cores, 1 socket, to 8 cores, 2 sockets, I get this bizarre error, After saving the config, the VM wouldn't start, and when I looked, it had defaulted to

8 cores, 1 cores per socket, sockets: 1.3333333, from being at

8 cores, 4 cores per socket, sockets: 2

The server is a HP ProLiant DL380 G7 with 60GIB of RAM and dual Xeon X5670's. ESXi is installed on a microSD card in an SD Card adapter, but the adapter has a lock feature, but doesn't label which is locked, could that be the cause? I've changes the RAM allocation a lot in the same time and successfully passed a PCIe device to another VM however, so I'm not that sure. The host's OS is ESXi 6.5.0 (Build 4887370)

The error is "Failed to power on virtual machine [VM name]. Module 'CPUID' power on failed. Click here for more details."

[daphnissov]

A couple things, one of which may help, the other may be new information.

1. Make sure you're using the latest ESXi embedded (HTML5) host client available from the Fling site (v1.24) as it is known to resolve several issues from v1.21.
2. All Gen 7 hardware from HPE is not officially supported for 6.5.

[LordNicoll]

I'll try the update now, however I am not particularly hopeful, the issue is only present on this VM, none of the others have the issue when changing CPU cores. I am pretty stumped as to the cause at this point. I'll swap the SD card adapter over but I doubtful that will do anything.

I'm not too worried about it being supported, generally it isn't an issue. When installing it on my HP ProLaint DL160 G6 with Xeon E5606's, it warned me this was the last versions to support them, but I never got any kind of warming from this host when I was installing ESXi, and it's worked completely fine up until now.

[admin]

6.5 will work but you get warnings about future CPU compatibility.

DL380 G7 CPU is not compatible  for ESXI 6.5.

Gen 7 hardware from HPE is not officially supported for 6.5.

Regards,

Randhir

[MBreidenbach0]

I'd check the content of the VMs configuration file (*.vmx); maybe it contains something strange.

[Dave_the_Wave]

I'm getting the impression that many here are not even aware of the HPE builds of ESXi.

The G6 and G7 were virtually identical, anyways this screenshot of a ProLiant with a X5670 should give you more insight.