Upgrade Bundle Download from 443 UI will Fail in All HCX versions prior to 4.11

Products

• VMware HCX

Issue/Introduction

Currently, HCX systems utilize an external image depot (hybridity-depot.broadcom.com) server to download and upgrade image bundles. This depot server will be decommissioned, and HCX bundle downloads will align with VCF software entitlements from the Broadcom Support Portal. The workflows that enable downloading HCX upgrades and updates through the HCX Manager UI will no longer be functional. This document provides guidance on how to address this change and ensure continuity in upgrade and new installation processes.

Problem Details

Due to the depot server hosting the HCX OVA and upgrade bundles being decommissioned, the OVA and upgrade bundles downloaded from the HCX manager UI will fail. The following workflows in the HCX manager will be impacted:

Downloading the upgrade bundle

The following error message is displayed when the user downloads the upgrade bundle from either the HCX Connector or Cloud manager:

"Service Update: No new update available at this time. Please try again later"

Downloading the Connector OVA bits from HCX Cloud Manager

The "REQUEST DOWNLOAD LINK" button to download the HCX connector OVA from the HCX Cloud Manager UI will be disabled. The tooltip will show an "Unable to request download link. Please retry later" message.

Environment

VMware HCX 4.10.3 or earlier.

Cause

The HCX external image depot (hybridity-depot.broadcom.com) server will be decommissioned.

Resolution

With the decommissioning of the HCX Image Depot server, significant changes have been made to how customers can download the HCX OVA files and upgrade bundles:

Key Changes:

• Removal of Download Option from HCX Manager 443 & VC Plugin UI:
  The option to download the HCX OVA and upgrade bundles directly from the existing HCX Manager UI is no longer available.

  • This functionality has already been removed starting with HCX version 4.11 onwards.

  • From HCX Manager 4.9.0 onwards, systems that:

    • Are locally activated,

    • Use NSX & VCF based license keys, and

    • Operate in Standalone or Air-Gapped mode will also no longer see the download option under Administration > System Updates in the HCX Manager UI.

New Process for Downloading HCX OVA bits and Upgrade Bundles:

Effective immediately, customers is required to follow one of the below options based on their environment:

• Broadcom Support Portal:
  If you have a Broadcom support account with valid entitlements:

  1. Visit support.broadcom.com.

  2. Log in with your credentials.

  3. Navigate to the HCX product section to download the HCX OVA and the required upgrade bundles.

• Hyperscaler Customers:
  If you are using HCX through a hyperscaler environment

  • Please contact your respective hyperscaler provider to obtain the HCX OVA and upgrade bundles.

Once you download the upgrade bundle to your local machine, upload the bundle to HCX manager using the HCX Appliance Management (:9443 UI) and then perform an upgrade.

• Navigate to Upgrade screen:

• Upload the downloaded upgrade bundle:

Additional Information

VMC customers: Upgrade your connector by downloading the bundle and following the upgrade procedure.