Resolving the "Update is not staged" Loop During VMware vCenter Patch or Update

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

This article provides detailed steps to resolve the issue where the VMware vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA) upgrade process is stuck in an "Update is not staged" loop. This issue occurs when discrepancies or missing files prevent the update from being properly staged, causing the VAMI (vCenter Appliance Management Interface) to continue showing the old version, despite the update logs indicating success.

Cause

The issue is typically caused by discrepancies or missing files during the update staging process. This can happen due to incomplete downloads, corrupted files, or issues during the staging phase of the update.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, follow these steps:

1. Stop the Staging Process

• SSH into the vCenter Server Appliance.
• Run the following command to stop the current staged update:
  Run the command : 

  
appliancesh
  

   

  software-packages unstage

2. Stop the Appliance Management Services

• Stop the appliance management services by executing:
   

  service-control --stop applmgmt

3. Clear Update and Staging Files

• Clear the update and staging files to remove any potential corrupted or incomplete files:
  
rm -rf /storage/core/software-update/updates/*
rm -rf /storage/core/software-update/stage/*
rm -rf /storage/db/patching.db

4. Move Configuration Files

• Move the configuration files that could be causing the issue:
   

  mv /storage/core/software-packages/staged-configuration.json /storage/core
mv /etc/applmgmt/appliance/software_update_state.conf /storage/core

5. Restart the Appliance Management Services

• Restart the appliance management services using:
   

  service-control --start applmgmt

6. Verify the Version

• Run the following command to verify the VAMI version:
   

  cat /etc/issue

  If the vCenter web interface (VAMI) shows an old version but the internal package manager (RPM) shows the latest patch is installed, this command helps confirm if the /etc/issue file—which the VAMI often reads
  • If the VAMI still shows the old version but rpm -qa | grep -i vCenter shows the latest patch, proceed to the next step.
    Note: Look for the version numbers in the results (e.g., 8.0.2.00100)

7. Update the Configuration File

• Backup the current update configuration file:
   

  cp /etc/applmgmt/appliance/update.conf /etc/applmgmt/appliance/update.conf.bak


• Edit the /etc/applmgmt/appliance/update.conf file and manually update the version and build fields to match the latest build.

Validation

After performing the above steps, the VAMI should correctly reflect the latest version, and the "Update is not staged" loop should be resolved. The update process can then proceed as expected.

Additional Information

Resolving issues with "Stage path file doesn't exist" or package discrepancies checks - Update of vCenter fails with "Stage path file doesn't exist" or "Package discrepency error, Cannot resume!"

Workarounds for vCenter Server update failures related to pre-installation checks - vCenter Server update fails with error "Installation failed - Install in progress - You have reached maximum number of retries to resume the patching. Please restore the vCenter using the backup."