VxRail: Upgrade Failed with Error: Failed to enter maintenance mode in 3,600 seconds

Summary: A Virtual Machine fails to migrate causing the host not to go in to maintenance mode.

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Symptoms

While doing an upgrade through VxRail Manager, the upgrade fails with error: 

Failure occurred while running an upgrade for bundle: DL90551_VxRail-4.x.xxx-Composite-Upgrade-Package-for-4.x.x.zip. The error message: Failed to enter maintenance mode in 3,600 seconds. Please check your environment.

Cause

A Virtual Machine (VM) may not be able to be migrated off of the host that the upgrade was trying to put into maintenance mode.

Resolution

Troubleshoot why the VM cannot be migrated off of that node. 

  • Check and see if an ISO is attached to the VM: Right-click the VM > Edit Settings > If there is a Datastore ISO file as the device for the CD/DVD drive and it is connected, that would prevent the VM from being able to migrate off. 

Screenshot showing the Virtual Machine with an iso attached 
To disconnect the ISO: uncheck the "connected" box and change the drop-down for the CD/DVD drive from Datastore ISO file to Client device. 

  • If there is not an ISO attached, check and see if VMware tools is being installed/updated: Right-click the VM > look at the options in Guest OS > If unmount VMware tools installer is not grayed out, that would prevent the VM from being migrated. Select unmount VMware tools installer to stop VMware tools from being installed. 

Screenshot showing the VMware tools installer options

  • Check and see if there is a host affinity rule tying that VM to the specific host: Cluster > Configure > VM/Host Rules. If there is an affinity rule in here keeping the VM on the host, disable the Affinity rule. 

 

Affected Products

VxRail, VxRail Appliance Series, VxRail Software
Article Properties
Article Number: 000039728
Article Type: Solution
Last Modified: 28 Mar 2025
Version:  5
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