vCenter 8.0.3 fails to update with error: "Installation failed. Please collect the VC support bundle."

Products

VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Patch update install fails from VAMI as well as vCenter CLI
[2025-10-19 09:35:57,143] : Installing version: 8.0.3.00600
[2025-10-19 09:36:01,662] : Installation failed. Please collect the VC support bundle.
vCenter - /var/log/vmware/applmgmt/patchRunner.log

"name": "vmdir",
"patchScript": "/storage/seat/software-updatedvsay6u1/stage/scripts/patches/payload/components-script/vmdir",
"requirementsResult": {
"mismatches": [
{
"description": {
"id": "vmdir.replicationerror.text",
"localized": "VMDir replication is not working correctly",
"translatable": "VMDir replication is not working correctly"
},
"problemId": null,
"relatedUserDataId": null,
"resolution": {
"id": "vmdir.replicationerror.resolution",
"localized": "Please refer the KB to handle VMDir replication issues: https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/93910",
"translatable": "Please refer the KB to handle VMDir replication issues: https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/93910"
},
"severity": "error",
"text": {
"id": "vmdir.replicationerror.text",
"localized": "VMDir replication is not working correctly",
"translatable": "VMDir replication is not working correctly"
}
}
vCenter - /var/log/vmware/applmgmt/update_microservice.log

"text": {
"id": "vmdir.collect_requirements.vmdirstalevcs.text",
"translatable": "VMDir Replication is not working between partners as they are not reachable. If they are stale please decommission them.",
"localized": "VMDir Replication is not working between partners as they are not reachable. If they are stale please decommission them."
},
"description": {
"id": "vmdir.collect_requirements.vmdir.description",
"translatable": "",
"localized": ""
},
"resolution": {
"id": "vmdir.collect_requirements.vmdirstalevcs.resolution",
"translatable": "Non-reachable vCenter servers are %(0)s. Make sure the stale vCenter servers are decommissioned and all vCenter servers are reachable before continuing. Refer KB %(1)s to decommission the stale vCenter servers.",
"args": [
"########",
"https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article/316470"
],
"localized": "Non-reachable vCenter servers are ########. Make sure the stale vCenter servers are decommissioned and all vCenter servers are reachable before continuing. Refer KB https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article/316470 to decommission the stale vCenter servers."
},
"problemId": null,
"severity": "warning",
"relatedUserDataId": null
vCenter is currently a standalone vCenter, but was previously apart of an ELM environment.

Environment

vCenter 8.x

Cause

When replication agreements are not removed completely, stale entries remain on the existing vCenter.

Resolution

Identify and confirm if stale entries are still present within vmdir:

SSH to the existing vCenter via root
Run the following command to view partnership:

/usr/lib/vmware-vmdir/bin/vdcrepadmin -f showpartnerstatus -h localhost -u Administrator

Example:
root@VC1 [ ~ ]# /usr/lib/vmware-vmdir/bin/vdcrepadmin -f showpartnerstatus -h localhost -u Administrator
password:
Partner: VC2.example.com
Host available: Yes
Status available: Yes
My last change number: 1752497
Partner has seen my change number: 1383370
Partner is 369127 changes behind.
root@VC2 [ ~ ]# /usr/lib/vmware-vmdir/bin/vdcrepadmin -f showpartnerstatus -h localhost -u Administrator
password:
Partner: VC1.example.com
Host available: Yes
Status available: Yes
My last change number: 1556148
Partner has seen my change number: 1479071
Partner is 77077 changes behind.

If there is still a replication agreement between the vCenter and an old vCenter that no longer exists, this indicates the old vCenter was not properly decommissioned.

Take powered-off snapshots of all the vCenters either in the ELM or standalone. Reference KB VMware vCenter in Enhanced Linked Mode pre-changes snapshot (online or offline) best practice.
Unregister the stale vCenter:

cmsso-util unregister --node-pnid <old_vCenterServer_System_Name> --username administrator@vsphere.local --passwd 'vCenter_Single_Sign_On_password'

where old_vCenterServer_System_Name is the FQDN or IP address of the vCenter Server that is to be decommissioned. Enter the vCenter_Single_Sign_On_password in quotes. Reference KB Using the cmsso command to unregister vCenter with External PSC or vCenter with Embedded PSC from Single Sign-On.

If the above cmsso-utils command does not remove the entries completely, follow the below workaround to manually delete the entries:

Take powered-off snapshots of all the vCenters either in the ELM or standalone, remove the replication agreements using the below command and reboot the vCenter.
Referencing Determining replication agreements and status with the Platform Services Controller (PSC), run the below command to remove the replication agreement:

/usr/lib/vmware-vmdir/bin/vdcrepadmin -f removeagreement -2 -h <Source_PSC/vCenter_FQDN> -H <PSC/vCenter_FQDN_to_Remove_from_Replication> -u administrator -w 'Administrator_Password'
Manually un-stage the update, re-stage the update from VAMI, and install the update.

1. SSH to the vCenter via root
2. Unstage the update:
  
  software-packages unstage
3. Start the update process again.

If the above un-stage command does not work, use this alternative method for clean up.

Take powered-off snapshots of all the vCenter either in the ELM or standalone. Reference KB VMware vCenter in Enhanced Linked Mode pre-changes snapshot (online or offline) best practice.
SSH into vCenter via root
Stop the appliance management service:
service-control --stop applmgmt
Clean up the different directories:
rm -rf /storage/core/software-update/updates/*rm -rf /storage/core/software-update/stage/*rm -rf /storage/db/patching.dbmv /storage/core/software-packages/staged-configuration.json /storage/coremv /etc/applmgmt/appliance/software_update_state.conf /storage/core
Restart the appliance management service:

service-control --start applmgmt
If the system uses the /storage/seat partition to store the software-update, clean it up with the command:
rm -rf /storage/seat/software-*

Additional Information

Update of vCenter fails with "Stage path file doesn't exist" or "Package discrepency error, Cannot resume!"