Update Manager fails with the error: Metadata for patch missing

Products

• VMware vCenter Server
• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• After downloading ESX patches using Update Manager, scanning the ESX host fails
• Update Manager fails
• You see errors similar to:
  
  Metadata for patch missing
  Download host update packages: System error 3: The system cannot find the path specified.; Context: Failed to create temporary file. Error: 3
  
  
• Cannot update ESX hosts
• In the esxupdate.log file of Update Manager, you see the error :
  
  connection refused 111
  
  
• In the vmware-vci-log4cpp.log file located at C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\VMware\Update Manager or C:\Users\All Users\VMware\VMware Update Manager\Logs, you see connection errors similar to:

[08Apr17-0937] DEBUG: summary: /usr/sbin/esxupdate --HA --flushcache -d http://esxhost/vci/hostupdates/hostupdate/esx/esx-3.5.0 scan
[08Apr17-0937] DEBUG: root: Enabling hostagent interface
[08Apr17-0937] DEBUG: db: dbfile = [/etc/vmware/patchdb/patch.db], 3 keys
[08Apr17-0937] DEBUG: Depot: Download Rules: {'blacklist': ['*.rpm', '*/headers'], 'exclusives': []}
[08Apr17-0937] ERROR: root: [Errno 4] IOError: <urlopen error (111, 'Connection refused')>

Environment

VMware VirtualCenter 2.5.x
VMware vCenter Update Manager 1.0.x
VMware vCenter Update Manager 4.0.x
VMware ESX Server 3.5.x

Resolution

To resolve the issue:

1. Ensure that the Update Manager hostname can be pinged from the VirtualCenter and the ESX host.
2. Ensure that the Windows temp directory is present in the system where Update Manager is running. If not, create one.
3. Ensure that the Update Manager is allowed through the ESX firewall. For example, if the port for Update Manager is 8080, the command is:
   
   esxcfg-firewall -o 8080,tcp,out,updatemanager
   
   For more information, see VMware Update Manager Network Port Requirements (1004543) .

Additional Information

If you make changes to Update Manager ports, ensure to restart the VMware Update Manager service or reboot the server for the changes to take effect. For more information on restarting services, see Stopping, starting, or restarting vCenter services (340943).