vLCM is not downloading patches behind a proxy

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

This article provides troubleshooting steps to be done when we have patch downloads failing in a vc behind a proxy

Symptoms:
1- Downloading of the Patch information is failing.
2- lifecycle.log shows the below errors :
ImageManagerCTL: 52656: 2020-04-11 00:34:03,581 imagemanagerctl:976 INFO Calling with arguments: depots --validate --depot https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/addon-main/vmw-depot-index.xml --depot https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/main/vmw-depot-index.xml --depot https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/iovp-main/vmw-depot-index.xml --depot https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/vmtools-main/vmw-depot-index.xml --depot /storage/updatemgr/patch-store/hostupdate/__hostupdate20-consolidated-index__.xml
ImageManagerCTL: 52656: 2020-04-11 00:34:03,583 Downloader:262 INFO Opening https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/iovp-main/vmw-depot-index.xml for download
ImageManagerCTL: 52656: 2020-04-11 00:34:03,616 DepotCollection:271 INFO Could not download from depot at https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/iovp-main/vmw-depot-index.xml, skipping (('https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/iovp-main/vmw-depot-index.xml', '', '<urlopen error [Errno -2] Name or service not known>'))
...
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/lib/vmware-imagebuilder/site-packages/vmware/esximage/ImageManager/DepotMgr.py", line 144, in _connect
validate=validate)
File "/usr/lib/vmware-imagebuilder/site-packages/vmware/esximage/DepotCollection.py", line 239, in ConnectDepots
ignoreerror, validate)
File "/usr/lib/vmware-imagebuilder/site-packages/vmware/esximage/DepotCollection.py", line 275, in _connectDepots
raise err
vmware.esximage.Errors.MetadataDownloadError: ('https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/addon-main/vmw-depot-index.xml', '', "Could not download from depot at https://hostupdate.vmware.com/softw
ImageManagerCTL: 56624: 2020-04-30 12:24:57,387 imagemanagerctl:244 ERROR Load data from depot failed: ([MetadataDownloadError('https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/addon-main/vmw-depot-index
ImageManagerCTL: 56624: 2020-04-30 12:24:57,387 imagemanagerctl:146 ERROR [DepotConnectError]

3- Depot validation using the below commands fails
/usr/lib/vmware-updatemgr/image-manager/image-manager-ctl depots --validate --depot https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/addon-main/vmw-depot-index.xml --depot https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/main/vmw-depot-index.xml --depot https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/iovp-main/vmw-depot-index.xml --depot https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/vmtools-main/vmw-depot-index.xml --depot /storage/updatemgr/patch-store/hostupdate/__hostupdate20-consolidated-index__.xml

Resolution

1-Edit /etc/sysconfig/proxy
modify this line /etc/sysconfig/proxy file to replace https to http:

   HTTPS_PROXY="https://XXXXXXXX:3128/"
to
   HTTPS_PROXY="http:///XXXXXXXX:3128/"
 
2. Try proxy server IP if FQDN doesn't work
3. Reboot VCSA if you are on a version prior to 7.0 U1 , otherwise just restart services

Workaround:

1. Log in to the VCSA using vSphere Client.
2. Navigate to Menu -> Lifecycle Manager -> Settings.
3. Click on Patch Setup.
4. Select each Download Source and click Disable.
5. Note: Copy custom download source urls manually and add it as http.
6. Click on New and add the Download Sources as http URL's.
7. Click on Actions and select Sync Updates to confirm.