Update Manager fails to remediate a host with the error: The host has a VM with VMware vCenter Update Manager or VMware vCenter installed

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• Update Manager is unable to remediate a host
• Using VMware vCenter Update Manager to remediate an ESX host that is running vCenter Server or Update Manager contained inside a virtual machine fails.
• You see the error:
  
  The host <hostname> has a VM <VM name> with VMware vCenter Update Manager or VMware vCenter installed. The VM needs to be moved to another host for remediation to proceed.
  
• Remediation fails and none of the virtual machines are migrated.
• If you put the host into Maintenance Mode, all virtual machines migrate off successfully (including the vCenter Server or Update Manager virtual machine).

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 4.0.x
VMware vCenter Update Manager 4.0.x

Resolution

If remediation of any host patches requires the host to be put into Maintenance Mode, VMware vCenter Update Manager invokes the Maintenance Mode task to do the migration for it.

However, with Update Manager 4.0, the remediation fails when it is initiated against a host running vCenter Server or Update Manager contained in a virtual machine. There is no attempt to migrate those virtual machines. This is expected behavior.

To workaround this issue, manually migrate the vCenter Server or Update Manager virtual machine off of the ESX host that you want to remediate.

Additional Information

For more information about VMware vCenter Update Manager, see the VMware vCenter Update Manager Administration Guide.