"Manually added component <VIB Name> is an unsupported downgrade from version <version> on the host" while running check compliance on the vLCM Image cluster

Products

• VMware vSphere ESX 8.x

Issue/Introduction

• In the vLCM Cluster the check complains fails on one or more ESXi host with error "Manually added component <VIB Name> is an unsupported downgrade from version <version> on the host. Replace the Component in the image with one of the same or higher version." 
• ESXi host during the vLCM precheck fails with "Host is not compatible with the image"

• The affected VIB installed on the ESXi host is of a higher version than the one present in the vlcm image version
• Removing the affected VIB would give below error

[e-mail]:~] esxcli software vib remove --vibname=iavmd
[ProfileValidationError]
Profile (Updated) ESXi-8.0U3c-24414501-standard is missing component(s) Intel-Volume-Mgmt-Device which are necessary and removing them is prohibited. Please ensure that these components, which are part of the ESXi release version 8.0.3-0.55.24414501, are fully installed or overridden without partial VIB replacement or removal.

Resolution

1. Download the appropriate version of the VIB (Intel-Volume-Mgmt-Device VIB) from the Broadcom Support Portal. Log in to the portal.
2. After logging in, select the cloud icon drop-down in the upper right corner and ensure the "VMware Cloud Foundation" option is chosen.
3. Go to My Downloads > VMware vSphere, select the appropriate entitlement (e.g., VMware vSphere - Standard), then click on version 8.0. On the VMware vSphere - Standard 8.0 page, click the Drivers & Tools tab.
4. In the search bar, type VMware ESXi 8.0 iavmd 3.0.1.1001.
5. Download the desired VIB version in zip format from the support portal.
6. Migrate all VMs off the ESXi host and place it into Maintenance mode.
7. Upload the zip file to a datastore on the ESXi host.
8. Using an SSH/Putty session to the ESXi host, navigate to the datastore where the package.zip file was uploaded and unzip the file.
9. To install the iavmd driver, run the following command:
   • esxcli software vib install -d "/vmfs/volumes/datastore_name/Intel-Volume-Mgmt-Device_3.0.1.1001-1OEM.800.1.0.20143090_21804845.zip"
10. Reboot the ESXi host.
11. From the cluster, go to Images and re-run the check-compliance for the ESXi host.
12. The ESXi host should show the message "Host is out of compliance with the image" indicating the host is ready for remediation with the new image.