Error: "The operation is not supported on the object" after VM scan or remediation fails

Products

VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

VM Updates > CHECK STATUS scan fails with:
- Status: "The operation is not supported on the object."
- Description: "Scan or remediation is not supported on <VM_Name> because of unsupported OS <OS_Name>"
VM Updates > VMware Tools or VM Hardware Compatibility > UPGRADE TO MATCH HOST fails with:
- Status: "The operation is not supported on the object." status.
Virtual Machine > Update shows both VMware Tools and VM Hardware Compatibility as "? Unknown" for a virtual machine.
Affected VM is configured for any of the following guest operating systems:
- Windows Server 2019
- Windows Server 2022
- Debian 11 (32 bit)
- Debian 11 (64 bit)
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (64 bit)

The VMware Update Manager server log (/var/log/vmware/vmware-updatemgr/vum-server/vmware-vum-server-xx.log) shows similar entries:

info vmware-vum-server[57005] [Originator@6876 sub=Activation.trace] [activationValidator 1127] Invoke done: integrity.UpdateManager.scan
[#51] --> Result:
[#51] --> 'vim.Task:c3513074-0f3f-4b7f-93ca-4d73ea63f475:task-298559'
verbose vmware-vum-server[02327] [Originator@6876 sub=JobDispatcher] [JobDispatcher 420] The number of tasks: 1
info vmware-vum-server[02327] [Originator@6876 sub=JobDispatcher] [JobDispatcher 2017] Scheduling task ScanTask{5326}
info vmware-vum-server[02327] [Originator@6876 sub=JobDispatcher] [JobDispatcher 476] Starting task ScanTask{5326}
info vmware-vum-server[02327] [Originator@6876 sub=VciScanTask.ScanTask{5326}] [vciTaskBase 1390] VciTask { id: ScanTask{5326}, type: com.vmware.vcIntegrity.ScanTask }: Setting VC task state to: running
info vmware-vum-server[02254] [Originator@6876 sub=InventoryMonitor] [InventoryMonitor 517] ProcessUpdate, Enter, Update version :=  1416
info vmware-vum-server[02254] [Originator@6876 sub=InventoryMonitor] [InventoryMonitor 1675] UpdateHandler: Last updateSet
verbose vmware-vum-server[57024] [Originator@6876 sub=JobDispatcher] [JobDispatcher 1700] ProcessUpdate
info vmware-vum-server[57068] [Originator@6876 sub=VciScanTask.ScanTask{5326}] [vciTaskBase 579] Task started...
info vmware-vum-server[57068] [Originator@6876 sub=InventoryTree] [InventoryTree 433] [AcquireWriteLock] Node vm-12345 write locked successfully, new Lock state: Write.
info vmware-vum-server[57068] [Originator@6876 sub=entityLocker] [entityLocker 153] [LockEntitiesInt] Entities to be locked: 1, entities actually locked: 1
warning vmware-vum-server[57068] [Originator@6876 sub=SessionMgr] [sessionMgr 104] Cannot get activation or session. Returning server locale
error vmware-vum-server[57068] [Originator@6876 sub=vmOpsUtils] [vmOpsUtils 561] Action (SCAN) skipped for VM: <VM_Name>. The guest OS Microsoft <OS_Name> is not supported
info vmware-vum-server[57068] [Originator@6876 sub=InventoryTree] [InventoryTree 497] [ReleaseWriteLock] Released write lock on node vm-185497. Post unlock, notified all the waiting readers and writers.
error vmware-vum-server[57068] [Originator@6876 sub=VciScanTask.ScanTask{5326}] [vciTaskBase 604] Task execution has failed: Fault cause: vmodl.fault.NotSupported

Environment

7.x, 8.x, 8.0U3

Resolution

VMware is aware of this issue and working to resolve this in a future release.

Workaround 1 - 8.0U2 and earlier

Manually add the operating system to the list for VMware Update Manager.

Connect to the vCenter Server Appliance per SSH and log in
Create a backup of the vci-integrity.xml file:
mkdir /backup && cp /usr/lib/vmware-updatemgr/bin/vci-integrity.xml /backup/
Modify the vci-integrity.xml file by opening the file using vi editor:
vi /usr/lib/vmware-updatemgr/bin/vci-integrity.xml
Locate the <vci_vcIntegrity> ..... </vci_vcIntegrity> section
Enter edit mode by hitting the insert or the letter i button
Before the </vci_vcIntegrity> line, add the following lines, depending on the operating system configured in the virtual machine.
- For Windows Server 2019:
  <supportedWindowsGuestIds>
  <windows2019srv_64Guest/>
  </supportedWindowsGuestIds>
- For Windows Server 2022 (Note: This is not a typo, Value for Windows Server 2022 is 2019srvNext as below):
  <supportedWindowsGuestIds>
  <windows2019srvNext_64Guest/>
  </supportedWindowsGuestIds>
- For Windows Server 2025 (Note: This is not a typo, Value for Windows Server 2025 is 2022srvNext as below)
  <supportedWindowsGuestIds>
  <windows2022srvNext_64Guest/>
  </supportedWindowsGuestIds>
- For Windows 11
  <supportedWindowsGuestIds>
  <windows11_64Guest/>
  </supportedWindowsGuestIds>
- For Debian 11 (32 bit):
  <supportedLinuxGuestIds>
  <debian11Guest/>
  </supportedLinuxGuestIds>
- For Debian 11 (64 bit):
  <supportedLinuxGuestIds>
  <debian11_64Guest/>
  </supportedLinuxGuestIds>
- For Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (64 bit):
  <supportedLinuxGuestIds>
  <rhel9_64Guest/>
  </supportedLinuxGuestIds>
- For Rocky Linux (64 bit)
  <supportedLinuxGuestIds>
  <rocklinux_64Guest/>
  </supportedLinuxGuestIds>
  Note: To enter multiple OS versions (ie: Windows 2019 AND 2022), combine the lines as shown below.
- For Windows
  <supportedWindowsGuestIds>
  <windows2019srv_64Guest/>
  <windows2019srvNext_64Guest/>
  </supportedWindowsGuestIds>
- For Debian
  <supportedLinuxGuestIds>
  <debian11Guest/>
  <debian11_64Guest/>
  </supportedLinuxGuestIds>
Exit edit mode by hitting the ESC button
Save and exit the file:
wq!
Restart the VMware Update Manager service:
vmon-cli -r updatemgr

Workaround 2 - 8.0U3 and above

Update the hardware version of the virtual machine.
Note: If this fails via the vSphere UI, upgrade the VM hardware version directly from the ESXi UI.
Select the correct Guest OS version in the virtual machine options.

For instance:
- Windows 2019 Guest OS was introduced in hardware version 17 as stated in below KB article, so you need to upgrade to hardware version 17 in order to select windows 2019 Guest OS: Windows Server 2019 guest operating system option is not available during virtual machine creation
- For VMware Tools and VM Hardware Compatibility to be properly displayed, the windows 2019 virtual machine hardware version needs to be on 17 at least.

See Upgrading a virtual machine to the latest hardware version (multiple versions) to upgrade a virtual machine hardware version.

Additional Information

Important: If the lines <supportedWindowsGuestIds> </supportedWindowsGuestIds> and/or <supportedLinuxGuestIs> </supportedLinuxGuestIds> appear more than once, VUM will crash. Ensure they appear only once in the file.

---------------------------------------------------

For Rocky Linux, use:

<rocklinux_64Guest/>

This issue is being checked by Diagnostics for VMware Cloud Foundation.

The check is as follows:

Product: vCenter
Log File: vmware-vum-server-xx.log
Log Expression Check "Action (SCAN) skipped for VM" AND "The guest OS" AND "is not supported"

If the scan is failing the vCenter Server vCSA VM, the scan/failure can be ignored as the VCSA VM uses a custom OS and modifying its OS and packages is not supported.

VMware Virtual Appliances and customizations to operating system and included packages

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The Same issue can occur if the VM in question is running on very outdated Virtual Hardware.

Powering off the VM and updating the hardware using the "Update" tab as per kb Update Virtual Hardware will resolve this.

Once the VM hardware is up to date the updates tab should return to working as normal once the VM is powered back on.