"An error occurred while connecting to depot" when trying to update the ESXi host using cluster image.
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"An error occurred while connecting to depot" when trying to update the ESXi host using cluster image.

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Article ID: 398817

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Updated On:

Products

VMware vCenter Server VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

  • Running a compliance check or remediation on a cluster using an image-based configuration fails.
  • ESXi host /var/run/log/lifecycle.log shows below symptoms :

YYYY-MM-DD-THH:MM:SS lifecycle: 3231338: DepotCollection:331 INFO Could not download from depot at http://vCenter FQDN:9084/vum/repository/hostupdate/__micro-depot__vendor-DEL__metadata-233__index__.xml, skipping (('http://vCenter FQDN:9084/vum/repository/hostupdate/__micro-depot__vendor-DEL__metadata-233__index__.xml', '', '<urlopen error timed out>'))
YYYY-MM-DD-THH:MM:SS lifecycle: 3231338: DepotMgr:161 ERROR Unable to connect to depot(s) http://vCenter FQDN:9084/vum/repository/hostupdate/__micro-depot__vendor-DEL__metadata-233__index__.xml:  ('http://vCenter FQDN:9084/vum/repository/hostupdate/__micro-depot__vendor-DEL__metadata-233__index__.xml', '', "Could not download from depot at http://vCenter FQDN:9084/vum/repository/hostupdate/__micro-depot__vendor-DEL__metadata-233__index__.xml, skipping (('http://vCenter FQDN:9084/vum/repository/hostupdate/__micro-depot__vendor-DEL__metadata-233__index__.xml', '', '<urlopen error timed out>'))") NoneType: None
YYYY-MM-DD-THH:MM:SS lifecycle: 3231338: imagemanagerctl:152 ERROR [DepotConnectError] ([MetadataDownloadError('http://vCenter FQDN:9084/vum/repository/hostupdate/__micro-depot__vendor-DEL__metadata-233__index__.xml', '', "Could not download from depot at http://vCenter FQDN:9084/vum/repository/hostupdate/__micro-depot__vendor-DEL__metadata-233__index__.xml, skipping (('http://vCenter FQDN:9084/vum/repository/hostupdate/__micro-depot__vendor-DEL__metadata-233__index__.xml', '', '<urlopen error timed out>'))")], 'Unable to connect to depot(s) http://vCenter FQDN:9084/vum/repository/hostupdate/__micro-depot__vendor-DEL__metadata-233__index__.xml: \n(\'http://vCenter FQDN:9084/vum/repository/hostupdate/__micro-depot__vendor-DEL__metadata-233__index__.xml\', \'\', "Could not download from depot at http://vCenter FQDN:9084/vum/repository/hostupdate/__micro-depot__vendor-DEL__metadata-233__index__.xml, skipping ((\'http://vCenter FQDN:9084/vum/repository/
YYYY-MM-DD-THH:MM:SS lifecycle: hostupdate/__micro-depot__vendor-DEL__metadata-233__index__.xml\', \'\', \'<urlopen error timed out>\'))")')
YYYY-MM-DD-THH:MM:SS lifecycle: 3231338: imagemanagerctl:157 ERROR Traceback (most recent call last):
YYYY-MM-DD-THH:MM:SS lifecycle: 3231338: imagemanagerctl:157 ERROR   File "/usr/lib/vmware/lifecycle/bin/imagemanagerctl.py", line 639, in software
YYYY-MM-DD-THH:MM:SS lifecycle: 3231338: imagemanagerctl:157 ERROR     t.ScanImage(swSpec, opts.depots, opts.taskId)
YYYY-MM-DD-THH:MM:SS lifecycle: 3231338: imagemanagerctl:157 ERROR   File "/lib64/python3.8/site-packages/vmware/esximage/Transaction.py", line 1749, in ScanImage
YYYY-MM-DD-THH:MM:SS lifecycle: 3231338: imagemanagerctl:157 ERROR     newPatcherComp, newPatcherVibs = _getPatcherFromImageSpec(imageSpec,
YYYY-MM-DD-THH:MM:SS lifecycle: 3231338: imagemanagerctl:157 ERROR   File "/lib64/python3.8/site-packages/vmware/esximage/Transaction.py", line 2484, in _getPatcherFromImageSpec
YYYY-MM-DD-THH:MM:SS lifecycle: 3231338: imagemanagerctl:157 ERROR     specMgr = _getSoftwareSpecMgr(imageSpec, depotUrls)
YYYY-MM-DD-THH:MM:SS lifecycle: 3231338: imagemanagerctl:157 ERROR   File "/lib64/python3.8/site-packages/vmware/esximage/Transaction.py", line 2603, in _getSoftwareSpecMgr
YYYY-MM-DD-THH:MM:SS lifecycle: 3231338: imagemanagerctl:157 ERROR     depotMgr = DepotMgr.DepotMgr(depotSpec, connect=True)
YYYY-MM-DD-THH:MM:SS lifecycle: 3231338: imagemanagerctl:157 ERROR   File "/lib64/python3.8/site-packages/vmware/esximage/ImageManager/DepotMgr.py", line 101, in __init__
YYYY-MM-DD-THH:MM:SS lifecycle: 3231338: imagemanagerctl:157 ERROR     self._connect(ignoreError=ignoreError, validate=validate)
YYYY-MM-DD-THH:MM:SS lifecycle: 3231338: imagemanagerctl:157 ERROR   File "/lib64/python3.8/site-packages/vmware/esximage/ImageManager/DepotMgr.py", line 172, in _connect
YYYY-MM-DD-THH:MM:SS lifecycle: 3231338: imagemanagerctl:157 ERROR     _raiseError(depotUrls, errors)
YYYY-MM-DD-THH:MM:SS lifecycle: 3231338: imagemanagerctl:157 ERROR   File "/lib64/python3.8/site-packages/vmware/esximage/ImageManager/DepotMgr.py", line 162, in _raiseError
YYYY-MM-DD-THH:MM:SS lifecycle: 3231338: imagemanagerctl:157 ERROR     raise DepotConnectError(errors, msg)
YYYY-MM-DD-THH:MM:SS lifecycle: 3231338: imagemanagerctl:157 ERROR vmware.esximage.Errors.DepotConnectError: ([MetadataDownloadError('http://vCenter FQDN:9084/vum/repository/hostupdate/__micro-depot__vendor-DEL__metadata-233__index__.xml', '', "Could not download from depot at http://vCenter FQDN:9084/vum/repository/hostupdate/__micro-depot__vendor-DEL__metadata-233__index

Additional symptoms reported:

  • Unable to Patch ESX Host
  • Will not complete a compliance check.
  • "Host Status is Unknown" -Compliance Check Failure

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 7.0.x
VMware vSphere ESXi 7.0.x
VMware vCenter Server 8.0.x
VMware vSphere ESXi 8.0.x

Cause

TCP port 9084 is blocked between the ESXi host and the vCenter.
ESXi hosts connects to Lifecycle manager over port 9084 to access the patch updates, ensure that port 9084 is open between the ESXi host and vCenter.

Resolution

Verify that the ESXi host can connect to vCenter over port 9084.

  • Login to ESXi host via SSH and run the below command:
    nc -z <vCenter_FQDN> 9084

If this fails to connect, consult your networking team to open port 9084 between the ESXi and the vCenter server.

Additional Information

Refer KB - TCP and UDP ports required to access VMware vSphere Update Manager for the port requirements between the vCenter and the ESXi host to use Lifecycle manager.

KB411379 references the same symptom with a similar error.

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