esxupdate fails with error: HostImage: ERROR: Failed to send vob install.stage.error: [Errno 27] File too large

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

• Using the esxupdate command to update an ESXi host fails.
  
  
• You see error similar to in the log location less /var/run/log/esxupdate.log:
  
  esxupdate: HostImage: INFO: Constructing payloads from tardisks for vib VMware_bootbank_cpu-microcode_6.0.0-0.0.2494585
  esxupdate: HostImage: ERROR: Failed to send vib install.stage.error: [Errno 27] File too large
  
  
• Scratch partition is correctly configured and has free space.
  
  
• The scratch partition is Read/write enabled.
  
  
• Running the command ls -al */imgdb.tgz , you see output similar to:
  
  -rw-rw-r-- 1 support support   ,altbootbank/imgdb.tgz
  -rw-rw-r-- 1 support support    bootbank/imgdb.tgz
  
  

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 6.0

Cause

This issue occurs due to invalid imgdb.tgz file.

Resolution

Find an ESXi host with the same patch level that has a correct imgdb.tgz and copy it over (through a shared lun or scp).

Note: If you can not find an host with the same patch level, then do not apply this as the database will report a patch level which does not match the reality of the actual software installed.

For example (here we are using a shared lun)

1. Run this command on a good ESXi host:
cp imgdb.tgz  /vmfs/volumes/mylun/goodimgdb.tgz

2. Run the following commands on the affected ESXi host:
 cp /vmfs/volumes/mylun/goodimgdb.tgz /bootbank/imgdb.tgz
 cp /vmfs/volumes/mylun/goodimgdb.tgz /tmp/
 cd /tmp
 tar -xzf imgdb.tgz
 cp -r /tmp/var/db* /var/db
 /sbin/auto-backup.sh

3. Reboot the affected ESXi host.
4. Remediate the affected ESXi host.