host software only supports 1 cpu?

[dropadrop]

Since about 2 weeks ago Virtualcenter is refusing to start up any of my virtuals with more then 1 cpu. I get a message "Virtual machine has 2 virtual CPUs, but the host software only supports 1. Please check the licenses on the host."

This message seems to come on hosts running Enterprise and Standard edition. The standard edition servers only have one Quad cpu, that should not limit vCPU's though? In "ESX Server Licence Type" I have a mention "Up to 4-way virtual SMP".

[VirtualNoitall]

Sounds like a licensing issue. You can try a couple of things:

1) restarting your the licenses server

2) rereading your license file

ESX Starter Edition only supports 1 CPU. Could these boxes have the wrong licenses?

[masaki · Accepted solution]

You need this workaround:

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

look at this links for details:

http://www.vmware.com/community/thread.jspa?threadID=47087&start=25&tstart=0

http://www.vmware.com/community/thread.jspa?messageID=463260&#463260