PSA: DO NOT UPGRADE from 5.0/5.1 straight to 5.5 U3b

Really VMware!?
Here is the KB: https://kb.vmware.com/kb/2143943
[UPDATE: Patch released that should fix this issue: https://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=2144357]
Basically, you'll end up w/ some 5.0 hosts that will be overloaded w/ VM's, assuming you used UM to do your updates.  In my case, I had 13 hosts on 5.5 w/ 2 hosts overloaded on 5.0.

So here is my workaround to keep VM's up and running w/o rebooting them:

  1. Fresh Install ESXi 5.5 U2 on some hosts that were already upgraded to 5.5 U3b
    1. In my case, most of my 5.5U3b hosts were empty.
  2. Once 5.5 U2 is installed, you should be able to successfully migrate from 5.0 to 5.5U2.
  3. Follow that up by migrating from 5.5U2 to your remaining 5.5 U3b hosts.

This worked for me and saved my arse.  Hope you don't run into this and I'm sorry for all those previous to me that actually followed that stupid KB.

On the flip side, a PERFECT case as to why you might want to implement stateless caching for your ESXi hosts.  If I'm thinking of it correctly, should have been an easy way for me to swap versions.  Will need to explore that more.

Exact Error:
Error when attempting to vMotion, error
Migration to host <> failed with error Already disconnected (195887150). 
vMotion migration [-1062717213:1455646378729101] failed writing stream completion: Already disconnected
vMotion migration [-1062717213:1455646378729101] failed to flush stream buffer: Already disconnected
vMotion migration [-1062717213:1455646378729101] socket connected returned: Already disconnected

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