Updates using online repositories fails if updates are attempted with the token which does not have entitlement for the specific product version

Products

• VMware vCenter Server 7.0
• VMware vCenter Server 8.0

Issue/Introduction

vCenter Server patching fails with any of the following error message after updating the token by following the steps in KB VCF Authenticated downloads Configuration Update Instructions:

Error copying packages:



Update is not staged:



[Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/storage/updatemgr/software-updatexxxxxx/stage/update/patching_backup_config.json':



Error in method invocation Timeout happens while sending message to microservice:

Log Location -/var/log/vmware/applmgmt/update_microservice.log

YYYY-MM-DD 05:35:32, 647 - 23088 - update_functions target ::-- waitretry 1 -- connect-timeout 10 -r -np -nH -nd -A -P /storage/seat/software-update 4ftl1ri/stage https://dl.broadcom.com/#####################XXXXXW/PROD/COMP/VCENTER/vmw/8d16xyz../8.0.3.00600/package-pool/010cbb2b1373b111b91e0d827a4423df0499fe206404022b92ca81add4eae3d7.blob

YYYY-MM-DD 05:35:33,393 - 23088 - update_functions target :::35:32 -- https://dl.broadcom. com/#####################/PROD/COMP/VCENTER/vmw/#####################XXXXX5a3/8.0.3.00600/package-pool/010cb2b1373b111b91e0d827a4423df0499fe206404022b92ca81add4eae3d7.blob\nResolving dl.broadcom. com ... , 10.x.x.x, 2606: 4700: 7: : a5, ... \n
Connecting to dl.broadcom.com|10.x.x.x| :443 ... connected. \nHTTP request sent, awaiting response ... \n HTTP/1.1 403 Forbidden\n Date: Fri, 19 Dec YYYY 05:35:3 GMT\n Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8\n Content-Length: 12\n Connection: keep-alive\n
Server: cloudflare\n2025-12-19 05:35:33 ERROR 403: Forbidden. \n\n'ERROR - Exception staging containers 

Environment

• VMware vCenter Server 7.x
• VMware vCenter Server 8.x

Cause

• The provided token does not have the necessary entitlements for the selected version.
• The token has expired.

Resolution

Cleanup the update state with the below steps and retry the update with a valid token:

1. Delete the patching db:
   
   rm /storage/db/patching.db
   
   
2. Check if the file: /storage/core/software-update/stage/stageDir.json is present, and check its content: 
   
   cat /storage/core/software-update/stage/stageDir.json
   
   
3. If above file is present, it would give a stagedir location something similar to "/storage/<subdir>/software-updatexxxx". If so, delete this folder and files with command:
   
   rm -rf /storage/<subdir>/software-updatexxxx
rm -rf /storage/core/software-update/stage/stageDir.json
   
   
4. Clean up the state file
   
   rm /etc/applmgmt/appliance/software_update_state.conf
   
   
5. Configure valid token based on the entitlement -  VCF Authenticated downloads Configuration Update
6. Retry the vCenter Server patching

Additional Information

• This issue can also occur due to an incorrect Download Token generated against the incorrect Site ID.
• The vCenter server license must be tied to the same Site ID used to generate the Download Token.