Converting a cluster to image-based fails with "Cluster contains payload from unsupported solution(s)." when the host has an invalid scratch configuration

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

• When trying to convert a cluster from Update manager baselines to a Lifecycle Manager Cluster image, the attempt fails with an error message:

"Cluster contains payload from unsupported solution(s)."

• Reviewing the Lifecycle Manager log (/var/log/vmware/vmware-updatemgr/vum-server/vmware-vum-server-<number>.log, you find entries similar to the below:

  <timestamp> error vmware-vum-server[857661] [Originator@6876 sub=ImageManager::EnablementManager] [EnablementManager 1613] Failed to get installed components result from '<host_fqdn_or_IP>' host. Error: Dynamic exception type
  : std::shared_ptr<Vapi::Data::ErrorValue const>
  <timestamp> error vmware-vum-server[857661] [Originator@6876 sub=ImageManager::EnablementManager] [EnablementManager 1894] Failed to retrieve payload information for 'domain-c###' cluster.

 

• A persistent scratch location was configured for the host as per Creating a persistent scratch location for ESXi 8.x/7.x/6.x.
• When trying to review the current logs of the specific ESXi host in the scratch partition though, you find them to be inaccessible.

Environment

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

Cause

This issue occurs when the host does not currently have access to the current log files in the scratch location. This can happen when multiple hosts have the same target location configured as scratch location, causing them to access the same logs concurrently, which is not possible.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, verify that all ESXi hosts have a unique dedicated scratch location configured.

If any of them share the same scratch configuration, follow the steps outlined in Creating a persistent scratch location for ESXi 8.x/7.x/6.x to change the scratch partition to a unique one.