Image profile version differs from ESXi build version after upgrade

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi 7.0
• VMware vSphere ESXi 8.0

Issue/Introduction

After applying updates to ESXi hosts, the image profile version and installed version of ESXi may skew, and vSphere solutions, such as High Availability or Spherelet agents, may fail to deploy or update.

• On the Summary page of ESXI Image profile version and build version of ESXI are not the same.
  

 

• Command: esxcli system version get does not match esxcli software profile get
  
  
  

• The following errors are present in esxupdate.log
  

  YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS Er(11) esxupdate[########]: raise Exception(NO_IMAGEPROFILE_MSG)
  YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS Er(11) esxupdate[########]: Exception: Host does not have a valid image profile defined. This could be a result of a database error.
  (END)

• Command localcli software profile get --rebooting-image returns the following error:
  

  Errors:
   [Exception]
   Host does not have a valid image profile defined. This could be a result of a database error.
   Please refer to the log file for more details.

Environment

ESXi 8.x / 9.x

Cause

A Corrupt "imgdb.tgz" image database file in /bootbank and /altbootbank.
This can be cause by updating the ESXi 8.x via unsupported method (e.g., using “esxcli software install vib”).

• Update ESXi Hosts by Using Zip Files
  

Resolution

Reinstall the ESXi host or copy the "imgdb.tgz" file from the other working ESXi host.

• Rebuild the ESXi host.
  
  OR
  
  
• Replace corrupted "imgdb.tgz" file with one from a working ESX host.
  1. Copy the broken "imgdb.tgz" file to a temporary/backup directory on the host.
  2. Copy the "imgdb.tgz" file from a functional ESX host with the correct image profile.
     
  3. On the affected host, remove the imgdb.tgz file from the /bootbank and /altbootbank directories.
  4. Copy the working "imgdb.tgz" file to /bootbank and /altbootbank.
  5. Restart the ESXi host.