[SOLVED] After upgrade unable to run VM in embedded ESXi with error: "You are running VMware ESX through an incompatible hypervisor"

[Urbanovits]

Hi All,

Need your help!

After upgrade I have this error message when a newly installed ESXi 6.02 -as nested VM- going to start an ESXi hosted VM
"You are running VMware ESX through an incompatible hypervisor"
problem here: ProxMox=>ESXi=>VM

On that host I have another identical ESXi which has no problem. Installed prior upgrade and have identical config like newly installed one.

Nesting enabled of course:
cat /sys/module/kvm_intel/parameters/nested
Y

Nested ESXi config:
args: -machine vmport=off
balloon: 0
boot: order=sata0;ide2;net0
cores: 4
cpu: host
ide2: none,media=cdrom
memory: 8196
meta: creation-qemu=7.0.0,ctime=1668700528
name: aaa
net0: vmxnet3=B6:C7:00:1F:93:40,bridge=vmbr0
numa: 0
ostype: other
sata0: CluserStor1:vm-153-disk-0,size=32G
sata1: CluserStor1:vm-153-disk-1,size=120G
scsihw: pvscsi
smbios1: uuid=93f4e60c-2ef9-4311-b363-1a0eb6d0cceb
sockets: 2

 

[Urbanovits]

Update

It looks like ProxMox Hypervisor not exposing all host CPU functions to VM

Problem around this. After several test
"This may be because Intel VT-x/AMD-V is disabled in the BIOS"



Missing VT-x (
cat /proc/cpuinfo:

processor : 31
vendor_id : GenuineIntel
cpu family : 6
model : 63
model name : Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2640 v3 @ 2.60GHz
stepping : 2
microcode : 0x43
cpu MHz : 3400.000
cache size : 20480 KB
physical id : 1
siblings : 16
core id : 7
cpu cores : 8
apicid : 31
initial apicid : 31
fpu : yes
fpu_exception : yes
cpuid level : 15
wp : yes
flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe syscall nx pdpe1gb rdtscp lm constant_tsc arch_perfmon pebs bts rep_good nopl xtopology nonstop_tsc cpuid aperfmperf pni pclmulqdq dtes64 monitor ds_cpl vmx smx est tm2 ssse3 sdbg fma cx16 xtpr pdcm pcid dca sse4_1 sse4_2 x2apic movbe popcnt tsc_deadline_timer aes xsave avx f16c rdrand lahf_lm abm cpuid_fault epb invpcid_single pti intel_ppin ssbd ibrs ibpb stibp tpr_shadow vnmi flexpriority ept vpid ept_ad fsgsbase tsc_adjust bmi1 avx2 smep bmi2 erms invpcid cqm xsaveopt cqm_llc cqm_occup_llc dtherm ida arat pln pts md_clear flush_l1d
vmx flags : vnmi preemption_timer posted_intr invvpid ept_x_only ept_ad ept_1gb flexpriority apicv tsc_offset vtpr mtf vapic ept vpid unrestricted_guest vapic_reg vid ple shadow_vmcs
bugs : cpu_meltdown spectre_v1 spectre_v2 spec_store_bypass l1tf mds swapgs itlb_multihit mmio_stale_data
bogomips : 5195.92
clflush size : 64
cache_alignment : 64
address sizes : 46 bits physical, 48 bits virtual
power management:

 

[leesteken]

Nested KVM might not be enabled by default. See the Proxmox Wiki for intormation on how to enable it.

 

[Urbanovits]

Please review my very fist post
Nested KVM enabled PLUS another VMWare running on that host which one was installer prior upgrade from 6.5 to 7.X

Parroting myself:
cat /sys/module/kvm_intel/parameters/nested
Y

Conclusion:
This symptom looks like VT-x not exposed properly after upgrade
Wierd issue.

 

[leesteken]

cat /sys/module/kvm_intel/parameters/nested
Y

flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe syscall nx pdpe1gb rdtscp lm constant_tsc arch_perfmon pebs bts rep_good nopl xtopology nonstop_tsc cpuid aperfmperf pni pclmulqdq dtes64 monitor ds_cpl vmx smx est tm2 ssse3 sdbg fma cx16 xtpr pdcm pcid dca sse4_1 sse4_2 x2apic movbe popcnt tsc_deadline_timer aes xsave avx f16c rdrand lahf_lm abm cpuid_fault epb invpcid_single pti intel_ppin ssbd ibrs ibpb stibp tpr_shadow vnmi flexpriority ept vpid ept_ad fsgsbase tsc_adjust bmi1 avx2 smep bmi2 erms invpcid cqm xsaveopt cqm_llc cqm_occup_llc dtherm ida arat pln pts md_clear flush_l1d
vmx flags : vnmi preemption_timer posted_intr invvpid ept_x_only ept_ad ept_1gb flexpriority apicv tsc_offset vtpr mtf vapic ept vpid unrestricted_guest vapic_reg vid ple shadow_vmcs

You claimed you were missing VT-x, but the vmx flag is present and nested is enabled. There must be something else that's preventing ESXi. Have you tried CPU Type max instead of host?

 

[Urbanovits]

Yes of course

Same error

 

[LnxBil]

After upgrade I have this error message when a newly installed ESXi 6.02 -as nested VM- going to start an ESXi hosted VM

What upgrade PVE or ESXi?

 

[leesteken]

When you run the Proxmox installer (no need to complete it) inside that VM, does it also complain that virtualization is not enabled?
It might be that ESXi 6.02 just didn't detect Proxmox before and simply refuses to run. I suggest looking into the threads about hiding the hypervisor (usually for on-line gaming).

 

[Urbanovits]

What upgrade PVE or ESXi?

PVE upgraded while ago from 6.5 to 7.2
Since that time I had no task to install another VMWare
ESXi 6.02 mean commercial (licensed) version, not the free one

 

[Urbanovits]

When you run the Proxmox installer (no need to complete it) inside that VM, does it also complain that virtualization is not enabled?
It might be that ESXi 6.02 just didn't detect Proxmox before and simply refuses to run. I suggest looking into the threads about hiding the hypervisor (usually for on-line gaming).

VMWare running top (in embedded inside) of ProxMox not vica-versa.
No issue during install

 

[leesteken]

VMWare running top (in embedded inside) of ProxMox not vica-versa.

I understood but I was asking if you, just as a test, run anything else in same VM (instead of ESXi), does that also complain about missing virtualization? Otherwise, it's ESXi that just does not want to run inside Proxmox and you were just lucky before. And you might need to hide Proxmox and trick ESXi.

 

[Urbanovits]

Just tested...

No problem with nested PVE 7.2 in PVE 7,2. Installed error free, test VM started ,no issue

Please help what is this "hide Proxmox and trick ESXi" procedure? No exact match find
partial info found
Testing with that

set:
kvm=off
error:
unable to parse config: kvm=off

set:
cpu: hidden=1
error:
unable to parse value of 'cpu' - CPU is missing cputype


Would like to give a try if I can have valid link all above.

 

[leesteken]

Check the manual for the right syntax? Search (the internet) for Proxmox and gaming and anti-cheat. I have not yet have any need for that and no experience with it.

 

[Urbanovits]

Solved

in case of VMWare ESX as embedded system running on ProxMox (KVM)

/etc/modprobe.d/kvm-intel.conf must set like this:

options kvm ignore_msrs=y
options kvm-intel nested=Y ept=Y
options kvm report_ignored_msrs=0


In addition if options kvm ignore_msrs=y NOT SET error coming up like this:

VMB: 398: Unexpected exception 13 @ memory address
(memory write error in details)



PLUS
ALL ESX VM must set in embedded mode on ESXi level individually

Add this line in config file at ESX VM

vmx.allowNested = TRUE