Failed vCenter Upgrade through SDDC Manager Due to Repository Configuration Error

Products

• VMware SDDC Manager

Issue/Introduction

During an attempt to upgrade a VMware vCenter Server via SDDC Manager, users encountered errors related to repository configuration. The error message indicated that the update repository could not be set due to network issues or incorrect URL settings.

 

lcm-debug.log: 

Failed to set the repository https://<vcenter_fqdn>/vmware/vcf/bundle/96368be7-554c-40d1-81ef-3ad0b47c16f0/update_repo during upgrade for vCenter <vc_fqdn>  due to exception NotFound (com.vmware.vapi.std.errors.not_found) => { messages = [LocalizableMessage (com.vmware.vapi.std.localizable_message) => { id = com.vmware.appliance.update_error, defaultMessage = %s, args = [Network failure. Check the network settings and try again.], params = <null>, localized = <null> }], data = <null>, errorType = NOT_FOUND }

 

PatchRunner.log: 

INFO vpxd Copied vpxd cfg files to tmp
2024-10-04T14:22:31.543Z vpxd:Expand INFO vpxd Completed vpxd.cfg.tmp modification
2024-10-04T14:22:31.573Z vpxd:Expand ERROR vmware_b2b.patching.executor.hook_executor Patch hook 'vpxd:Expand' failed.
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/storage/updatemgr/software-updatee43ps3cg/stage/scripts/patches/py/vmware_b2b/patching/executor/hook_executor.py", line 74, in executeHook
    executionResult = systemExtension(args)
  File "/storage/updatemgr/software-updatee43ps3cg/stage/scripts/patches/libs/sdk/extensions.py", line 106, in __call__
    result = self.extension(*args)

Matches https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article?legacyId=96830 and the resolution in the KB does not resolve the issue. 

 

Environment

VMware Cloud Foundation 4.x

VMware Cloud Foundation 5.x 

Cause

After a failed vCenter upgrade attempt through SDDC Manager and re-trying the upgrade, vCenter VMDIR state goes into standalone mode and needs to be fixed. 

Resolution

1. Verify and Correct Repository URL:
Ensure that the repository URL is correct and accessible. May need to manually set the URL in the vCenter Appliance Management Interface (VAMI - vcenterFQDN:5480 site) by doing the following: 

• Login to the VAMI 
• Click the updates tab > Settings > Select specified URL > Change the URL to what SDDC is calling out 
• Retry the upgrade 

 

2. Reset the VMDIR Service and clean up the failed upgrade files from vCenter by doing the following: 

• Take powered down snapshots of all linked vCenters.
• SSH into the vCenter as root and run the following command:

/opt/likewise/bin/lwregshell set_value '[HKEY_THIS_MACHINE\Services\vmdir]' "Arguments" "/usr/lib/vmware-vmdir/sbin/vmdird -s -l 0 -f /usr/lib/vmware-vmdir/share/config/vmdirschema.ldif"

 

• Then cleanup the upgrade files by running the following commands: 

service-control --stop applmgmt

rm -rf /storage/core/software-update/updates/*
rm -rf /storage/core/software-update/stage/*
rm -rf /storage/db/patching.db
mv /etc/applmgmt/appliance/software_update_state.conf /storage/core

service-control --start applmgmt

• Retry vCenter upgrade from SDDC Manager.