"VMware Tools Driver is Not Initialized" on Source vCSA or "Missing guest.guestFamily Property" Error During vCenter Server Appliance Upgrade from 6.0/6.5 to 6.7
search cancel

"VMware Tools Driver is Not Initialized" on Source vCSA or "Missing guest.guestFamily Property" Error During vCenter Server Appliance Upgrade from 6.0/6.5 to 6.7

book

Article ID: 342796

calendar_today

Updated On:

Products

VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

During an upgrade of the vCenter Server Appliance (vCSA) from version 6.0 or 6.5 to 6.7, the process may fail with the following error message:

"The VMware Tools driver is not initialized. Make sure that the VMware Tools driver is initialized and is running properly on the source vCenter Server Appliance (Sample_FQDN). Also, make sure that the ESXi host that contains the source vCenter Server Appliance is not under heavy load. Contact VMware support in case the issue cannot be resolved."


In the /var/log/vmware/upgrade/upgrade-requirements.log file, related entries may indicate missing guest information required for validation.

To further investigate, opening an SSH session to the ESXi host running the vCSA VM and executing the following command:

vim-cmd vmsvc/get.guest <VM_ID> | grep guest

Produces output similar to:

toolsVersionStatus = "guestToolsUnmanaged", toolsVersionStatus2 = "guestToolsUnmanaged", toolsRunningStatus = "guestToolsRunning", guestId = <unset>, guestFamily = <unset>, guestFullName = "", guestState = "running", guestKernelCrashed = <unset>, guestOperationsReady = true, guestStateChangeSupported = true,

This output confirms that the required guestFamily and guestId properties are unset, indicating that the guest OS metadata cannot be retrieved successfully.

Environment

VMware vCenter Server Appliance 6.5.x
VMware vCenter Server Appliance 6.0.x
VMware vCenter Server Appliance 6.7.x

Cause

This issue typically occurs when the /etc/SuSE-release file is either missing or corrupted on the source vCenter Server Appliance. This file is used by VMware Tools to identify the guest operating system. If the file is not present or is unreadable, VMware Tools fails to initialize properly, preventing the upgrade from proceeding.

Resolution

To resolve the issue, recreate the missing or corrupted /etc/SuSE-release file using the steps below:

  1. Log in to the source vCenter Server Appliance via SSH.

  2. If the file exists, create a backup:

     
    mv /etc/SuSE-release /etc/SuSE-release-bkp

  3. Open a text editor to create the file:

     
    vi /etc/SuSE-release

  4. Press the Insert key and paste the following content:

     
    PATCHLEVEL = 3 VERSION = 11 SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 (x86_64)

  5. Press Esc, then type :wq! and press Enter to save and exit.

  6. Reboot the source vCenter Server Appliance:

     
    reboot

  7. After the system reboots, attempt the upgrade process again.

Additional Information

 

  • This workaround restores the OS identification needed by VMware Tools, which in turn enables proper snapshot handling and system validation during the upgrade.

  • Ensure no other services are interrupted during the manual reboot process.

  • If issues persist, collect relevant logs and open a support request with VMware by Broadcom for further assistance.

 

Powered by Wolken Software