vLCM Remediation Update Fails for Possibly Transient Reasons

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Integrated Smart Update Tools (iSUT) for ESXi is a utility that assists in performing online software and firmware updates on a system that uses tools such as HPE OneView, iLO Amplifier Pack, or SUM via the iLO management network. iSUT has 4 modes:

• OnDemand
• AutoStage
• AutoDeploy
• AutoDeployRoboot

The default install mode is OnDemand mode. In OnDemand mode, iSUT does not perform any updates automatically. When set to AutoDeploy, iSUT runs as a service and polls the iLO for requested updates from external tools. Once detected, iSUT can perform the following actions:

• Just stage the updates
• Stage and deploy
• Stage, deploy and reboot

With iSUT set to AutoDeploy, vSphere Lifecycle Manager can ensure consistency of ESXi, vendor addon, and firmware at a cluster level using the desired image. You can find the latest documentation for iSUT in HPE’s SUT information Library website at http://www.hpe.com/info/sut-docs.

Symptoms:
HPE customers using vSphere Lifecycle Manager (vLCM) to manage ESXi, vendor addon components, and firmware might see the following error when upgrading from vSphere 7 to 7 Update 1. This will happen if, during the remediation precheck, vLCM discovers the service required to stage, deploy updates and reboot the server (iSUT) is either not started or not set to AutoDeploy.




Error: “Skipping remediation of host due to potentially transient reasons”

Cause

vLCM invokes the Hardware Support Manager (HSM) for the FW update pre-check. HPE’s HSM will complain if either the minimal version of iSUT isn’t installed (2.5.5) or if iSUT isn’t configured in “AutoiSUT (the service required to deploy firmware updates and reboot servers) is either not started or not set to AutoDeploy.

Resolution

Make sure the iSUT service is set to AutoDeploy on the host.

1. Log in to ESXi host.
2. Set the iSUT mode to AutoDeploy Mode

# sut -set mode=AutoDeploy

Additionally, the following command will show you how iSUT is currently configured:

 # sut -exportconfig