Error: An error occurred during host configuration: /usr/sbin/esxupdate returned with exit status: 15

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

• ESXi patch update fails.
• Logs show old incorrect system time.
  esxupdate.log:

  1998-01-22T08:31:19Z Er(11) esxupdate[2103488]: vmware.esximage.Errors.InstallationError: VMware_bootbank_esx-update_8.0.3-0.60.24585383, VMware_bootbank_loadesx_8.0.3-0.60.24585383: Failed to setup patcher for upgrade: ('VMware_bootbank_esx-update_8.0.3-0.60.24585383', 'Could not find a trusted signer: certificate is not yet valid')

Environment

8.x

Cause

Certificate error is tied to the incorrect system time.

Resolution

Use KB Verifying time synchronization across an ESXi host environment to sync the system time of the ESXi host.