Patching vCenter Server to 8.0 U3 fails during PostInstallHook phase due to netdumper service not starting

Products

• VMware Cloud Foundation

Issue/Introduction

 

• Patching vCenter Server to 8.0 U3 fails during PostInstallHook phase due to netdumper service not starting
  
  
• Exception occurred in postinstallHook for last_component:Patch.
  Please check the logs for more details. Take corrective action and resume.
  
  
  
  
• /var/log/vmware/applmgmt/Patchrunner.log
  

  [YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS] last_component:Patch INFO last_component Start All VMware services: command=['/bin/service-control', '--start', '--all'], exit-code=1, stdout=Operation not cancellable. Please wait for it to finish...
Performing start operation on service lwsmd...
Successfully started service lwsmd
Performing start operation on service vmafdd...
Successfully started service vmafdd
Performing start operation on service vmdird...
Successfully started service vmdird
Performing start operation on service vmcad...
Successfully started service vmcad
Performing start operation on profile: ALL...
, stderr=Service-control failed. Error: Failed to start services in profile ALL. RC=1, stderr=Failed to start netdumper services. Error: Operation timed out2025-05-28T12:42:56.811Z last_component:Patch ERROR vmware_b2b.patching.executor.hook_executor Patch hook 'last_component:Patch' failed.
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/storage/updatemgr/software-update8l33qdkn/stage/scripts/patches/payload/components-script/last_component/__init__.py", line 283, in _perfromStartAllVmwareServices
    _startAllVMwareServices(addHookData)
  File "/storage/updatemgr/software-update8l33qdkn/stage/scripts/patches/payload/components-script/last_component/__init__.py", line 264, in _startAllVMwareServices
    raise UserError(FAILED_TO_START_SERVICES_TEXT)
patch_errors.UserError: Failed to start all services after successful patching.

  During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:

  Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/storage/updatemgr/software-update8l33qdkn/stage/scripts/patches/py/vmware_b2b/patching/executor/hook_executor.py", line 74, in executeHook
    executionResult = systemExtension(args)
  File "/storage/updatemgr/software-update8l33qdkn/stage/scripts/patches/libs/sdk/extensions.py", line 106, in __call__
    result = self.extension(*args)
  File "/storage/updatemgr/software-update8l33qdkn/stage/scripts/patches/libs/sdk/extensions.py", line 123, in _func
    return func(*args)
  File "/storage/updatemgr/software-update8l33qdkn/stage/scripts/patches/payload/components-script/last_component/__init__.py", line 306, in patch
    _perfromStartAllVmwareServices(addHookData)
  File "/storage/updatemgr/software-update8l33qdkn/stage/scripts/patches/payload/components-script/last_component/__init__.py", line 288, in _perfromStartAllVmwareServices
    _startAllVMwareServices(addHookData)
  File "/storage/updatemgr/software-update8l33qdkn/stage/scripts/patches/payload/components-script/last_component/__init__.py", line 264, in _startAllVMwareServices
    raise UserError(FAILED_TO_START_SERVICES_TEXT)
patch_errors.UserError: Failed to start all services after successful patching.
[YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS] ERROR vmware_b2b.patching.phases.patcher Patch hook Patch got ComponentWrapperError.
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/storage/updatemgr/software-update8l33qdkn/stage/scripts/patches/py/vmware_b2b/patching/phases/patcher.py", line 208, in patch
    _patchComponents(ctx, userData, statusAggregator.reportingQueue)
  File "/storage/updatemgr/software-update8l33qdkn/stage/scripts/patches/py/vmware_b2b/patching/phases/patcher.py", line 90, in _patchComponents
    executeComponentHook(Hook.Patch, ctx, c, userData, reportingQueue)
  File "/storage/updatemgr/software-update8l33qdkn/stage/scripts/patches/py/vmware_b2b/patching/executor/execution_facade.py", line 97, in executeComponentHook
    result = executeHook(c.patchScript, hook, args,
  File "/storage/updatemgr/software-update8l33qdkn/stage/scripts/patches/py/vmware_b2b/patching/executor/execution_facade.py", line 53, in executeHook
    result = executor.executeHook(scriptFile, hook, args, reportQueue, reportIdentifier)
  File "/storage/updatemgr/software-update8l33qdkn/stage/scripts/patches/py/vmware_b2b/patching/executor/hook_executor_process.py", line 119, in executeHook
    raise ex
patch_errors.ComponentError
[YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS] WARNING root stopping status aggregation...
[YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS] ERROR __main__ Patch vCSA failed
(END)

• var/log/vmware/vmon//vmon.log:

  
  [YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS] In(05) host-1976 <netdumper-healthcmd> Constructed command: /usr/bin/python /usr/lib/vmware-vmon/vmonApiHealthCmd.py -n netdumper -u /netdump/healthstatus
[YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS] In(05) host-1976 <netdumper> Re-check service health since it is still initializing.
[YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS] In(05) host-1976 <netdumper> Service start operation timed out.
[YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS] Wa(03) host-1976 <netdumper> Found empty StopSignal parameter in config file. Defaulting to SIGTERM
[YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS] Wa(03) host-1976 <netdumper> Service exited. Exit code 0
[YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS] Er(02) host-1976 Service batch op START failed. Failed services: 'netdumper'
[YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS] Wa(03) host-1976 [ReadSvcSubStartupData] No startup information from netdumper.
[YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS] In(05) host-1976 Executing service batch op API_HEALTH. IgnoreFail=1, service count=42
[YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS] In(05) host-1976 <vmware-vpostgres> Running the API Health command as user vpostgres

 

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 8.0.x

Cause

This issue is caused by vmware-netdumper service failed to start automatically.
By default, vmware-netdumper service Startup type is set to Manual, but this was set to Automatic.

Resolution

1. Changing the Startup Type to Automatic/Manual through Putty/SSH:
   To check the current Startup type of service, run the command:# vmon-cli -s netdumper
   For example, to check the Startup type of service, run the below command:
   root@vcsxx [ ~ ]# vmon-cli -s netdumper
   Name: netdumper
   Starttype: AUTOMATIC
   RunState: STOPPED
   
   To update the Startup Type of service, run the command:# vmon-cli -S Startup_Type -U service_name
   For example, to set the Start up type of netdumper service to run the below command:
   root@vcsxx [ ~ ]# vmon-cli -S MANUAL -U netdumper
   Completed Service State Update request.
   
   
2. Go back to VAMI and Resume vCenter update.
   Note: the upgrade was successfully completed, but the vCenter is still on the old version.
   
   
3.  Retry the upgrade process from the SDDC manager UI.

Additional Information

Setting vCenter server services start up type to Manual/Automatic mode via either Command line or VAMI Page
https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article/390401/setting-vcenter-server-services-start-up.html