Troubleshooting when Update Manager is unable to download patches

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

This article outlines the process of troubleshooting issues when Update Manager is unable to download patches. It outlines steps to eliminate common causes for problems by verifying configurations, system requirements and ensuring the server is setup as outline in the VMware Update Manager Administration Guide.

Symptoms:

• VMware Update Manager is unable to download patches
• You are unable to remediate any ESXi/ESX hosts or virtual machines
• When trying to initiate a download you see errors similar to:
  
  Web site hosting the update signatures and update packages cannot be reached
  
  Unable to download latest ESX patches using VMware Update Manager

Resolution

Validate that each troubleshooting step is true for your environment. Each step provides instructions or a link to a document to eliminate possible causes and take corrective action as necessary.

Note: The steps are sequenced to isolate the issue and identify the proper resolution. Do not skip a step.

1. Verify that the minimum system requirements for disk space exists on the Update Manager server. For more information, see Minimum requirements for installing vCenter Update Manager 5.x (2005084) and the Update Manager section of Installing ESXi/ESX 4.1 and vCenter Server 4.1 best practices (1022101).
2. When using a proxy server to connect to the internet, ensure it is configured correctly. For more information, see Troubleshooting issues with Update Manager and Proxy Authentication (1004125).
3. Ensure that all the required ports are open to and from the Update Manager server, ESX/iESX hosts, and virtual machines if applicable. For more information, see VMware vCenter Update Manager network port requirements (1004543) and vCenter Server 4.1 network port requirements (1022256).
4. In some cases, the VMware Patch portals are busy or unavailable. To troubleshoot if this is the issue, see Unable to download latest ESX patches using VMware Update Manager (1008638).

When your problem still exists after trying the steps in this article:

• Gather VMware Support Script Data. For more information, see Collecting diagnostic information for VMware products (1008524).
• File a Support Request with VMware Support and note this Knowledge Base Article ID (1031781) in the problem description. For more information, see Filing a Support Request in Customer Connect (2006985).

Additional Information

Troubleshooting issues with Update Manager and Proxy Authentication
VMware vCenter Update Manager network port requirements
Collecting diagnostic information for VMware products
Unable to download latest ESX patches using VMware Update Manager
Installing ESXi/ESX 4.1 and vCenter Server 4.1 best practices
vCenter Server 4.1 network port requirements
Minimum requirements for installing vCenter Update Manager 5.x
How to file a Support Request in Customer Connect