Cannot install the vCenter Server agent service. Unknown installer error

Products

• VMware vCenter Server
• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

• Cannot reconfigure HA on a cluster.
• Re-configuring HA on a cluster failed.
• You see the error:

  "Cannot install the vCenter server agent service, Unknown installer error"

• In /var/log/esxupdate.log you see entries similar to the below VIBs: (The VIBs will be different from host to another depends on the hardware vendor)

  YY-MM-DDT:hh:mm:ssZ esxupdate: 2130632: esxupdate: ERROR: VIB QLogic_bootbank_net-bna_3.2.5.0-1OEM.550.0.0.1331820 requires com.vmware.driverAPI-9.2.2.0, but the requirement cannot be satisfied within the ImageProfile.
  YY-MM-DDT:hh:mm:ssZ esxupdate: 2130632: esxupdate: ERROR: VIB QLogic_bootbank_net-bna_3.2.5.0-1OEM.550.0.0.1331820 requires vmkapi_2_2_0_0, but the requirement cannot be satisfied within the ImageProfile.
  YY-MM-DDT:hh:mm:ssZ esxupdate: 2130632: esxupdate: ERROR: VIB QLogic_bootbank_scsi-bfa_3.2.5.0-1OEM.550.0.0.1331820 requires vmkapi_2_2_0_0, but the requirement cannot be satisfied within the ImageProfile.
  YY-MM-DDT:hh:mm:ssZ esxupdate: 2130632: esxupdate: ERROR: VIB Lenovo_bootbank_ilfu_6.0-2.03.20160225 requires vmkapi_2_3_0_0, but the requirement cannot be satisfied within the ImageProfile.
  YY-MM-DDT:hh:mm:ssZ esxupdate: 2130632: esxupdate: ERROR: VIB QLogic_bootbank_net-qlge_3.0.0.59-1OEM.550.0.0.1331820 requires com.vmware.driverAPI-9.2.2.0, but the requirement cannot be satisfied within the ImageProfile.

Environment

• VMware vCenter Server 7.0
• VMware vCenter Server 8.0
• VMware vSphere ESXi 7.0
• VMware vSphere ESXi 8.0

Cause

ESXI host issue with third-party VIBs

Resolution

1. Check the /var/log/esxupdate.log to identify the specific VIBs preventing the FDM from installation
2. Ensure that the VIBs are already listed on the ESXi host by using the following command:

   esxcli software vib list | grep "VIB name"

3. Remove the VIBs using the following command:

   esxcli software vib remove -n "VIB name" -n "VIB2 name" -n "VIB3 name"

4. Reboot the ESXI host to apply the removal of the VIBs
5. Reconfigure the FDM VIB again using the below KB article to confirm that the HA agent is installed 

         How to run vSphere HA agent remove script in ESXi

Additional Information

Impact/Risks:
When the ESXi host cannot install or configure to join the vSphere HA agent, VMs may not vMotion to it or may not restart on another ESXi host if the problem ESXi host fails.

Encountered similar scenario and performed the below steps to resolve the issue

 

- cd into tmp

 

- Perform "ls" which will list out the VIB present 

 

Ran the below command

 

esxcli software vib install -v /tmp/<VIB Name> -f  which will install the correct vib on the host and HA will be configured successfully