Troubleshooting an ESXi/ESX host upgrade failure

Products

VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

This article provides steps to troubleshoot issues during an ESX/ESXi host upgrade.

Symptoms:

You cannot upgrade the ESXi/ESX host software.
Upgrading the ESXi/ESX host software fails.
The ESXi/ESX host software upgrade fails to complete.
Unable to complete the ESXi/ESX host software upgrade.
If the host was upgraded from ESXi/ESX 3.5 to 4.x, while performing a scan during an upgrade to ESXi 5.0 or ESXi 5.1, the VMware Update Manager events tab reports this error:

incompatible with esx.cfg file
In the DCUI screen of ESXi, you see entries similar to:

Error (see log for more info):
vmkfstools failed with message: Checking if remote hosts are using this device as a valid file system. This may take a few seconds...
Creating vfat file system on
"naaa.600508e00000000095b6592ad14b5006:2" with blockSize 1048576 and
volume label "none".
Usage: vmkfstools -C [vmfs3|vmfs5] /vmfs/devices/disks/vml... or,
vmkfstools -C [vmfs3|vmfs5] /vmfs/devices/disks/naa... or,
vmkfstools -C [vmfs3|vmfs5]
/vmfs/devices/disks/mpx.vmhbaA:T:L:P
Error: Invalid argument

Environment

VMware ESXi 4.1.x Installable
VMware ESXi 4.1.x Embedded
VMware ESX 4.1.x
VMware vSphere ESXi 5.1
VMware ESX 4.0.x
VMware ESX Server 3.5.x
VMware ESXi 3.5.x Installable
VMware vSphere ESXi 5.0
VMware ESX Server 2.5.x
VMware ESX Server 3.0.x
VMware vSphere ESXi 5.5
VMware ESXi 3.5.x Embedded

Resolution

Validate that each troubleshooting step below is true for your environment. Each step will provide instructions or a link to a document, for validating the step and taking corrective action as necessary. The steps are ordered in the most appropriate sequence to isolate the issue and identify the proper resolution. Please do not skip a step.

Verify that the ESXi/ESX version upgrade path requirements are met. For more information, see the Release Notes for your version of ESXi/ESX.
- If you are upgrading to ESXi 5.0, see Methods of upgrading to ESXi 5.0 (2004501).
- If you are upgrading to ESXi 5.1, see Methods of upgrading to ESXi 5.1 (2032757).
- If you are upgrading to ESXi 5.5, see Methods for upgrading to ESXi 5.5 (2058352).
Verify that the minimum system requirements for installing ESXi/ESX are met. For more information, see Minimum system requirements for installing ESXi/ESX (1003661).
Verify that the hardware on which you are trying to install is certified. For more information, see Confirming ESX/ESXi host hardware (System, Storage, and I/O) compatibility (1003916).
Verify if the issue is cause by the upgrade media. For more information, see Checking media integrity for ESX/ESXi host installations or upgrades (1003674).
Verify that your hardware is working as expected. For more information, see Verifying your hardware is functioning correctly (1003690).
Verify that you have adequate disk space to complete the installation. For information, see Investigating disk space on an ESX or ESXi host (1003564).
Verify that your firmware and BIOS are at the latest revision. For more information, see Checking your firmware and BIOS levels to ensure compatibility with ESX/ESXi (1037257).
If a failed upgrade has left your server in an inconsistent state, so that a reinstall also fails, you may need to perform a clean installation. For more information, see Completing a clean installation using the ISO image if your installation or upgrade fails of ESX/ESXi (1004038).

Note: You may want to speak to a VMware support engineer before completing this step.

Note: If your problem still exists after trying the steps in this article, please:

Gather the VMware Support Script Data. For more information, see Collecting diagnostic information in a VMware Virtual Infrastructure Environment (1003689).
File a support request with VMware Support and note this KB Article ID (1004107) in the problem description. For more information, see How to Submit a Support Request.

Additional Information

For more information on installing or upgrading your ESXi/ESX host, see the VMware Documentation site.Investigating disk space on an ESX or ESXi host
Minimum system requirements for installing ESXi/ESX
Checking media integrity for ESX/ESXi host installations or upgrades
Collecting diagnostic information in a VMware Virtual Infrastructure Environment
Verifying your hardware is functioning correctly
Confirming ESX/ESXi host hardware (System, Storage, and I/O) compatibility
Completing a clean installation using the ISO image if your installation or upgrade fails of ESX/ESXi
Checking your firmware and BIOS levels to ensure compatibility with ESX/ESXi
Methods of upgrading to ESXi 5.0
Methods for upgrading to ESXi 5.1
Methods for upgrading to ESXi 5.5