Upgrading ESXI host from 7.0 U3 to 8.0 U3 getting error: [InstallationError] Failed to start installation: ('/locker/packages/var/db/locker', "Error in purging old directory: [Errno 38] Function not implemented: '/locker/packages/var/db/locker

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi 8.0

Issue/Introduction

• Unable to upgrade the ESXI host from 7.0 U3 to 8.0 U3 getting error: [InstallationError]
  
  • Failed to start installation: ('/locker/packages/var/db/locker', "Error in purging old directory: [Errno 38] Function not implemented: '/locker/packages/var/db/locker/vibs'").
      cause = ('/locker/packages/var/db/locker', "Error in purging old directory: [Errno 38] Function not implemented: '/locker/packages/var/db/locker/vibs'")
Please refer to the log file for more details.
    

• Locker partition was in read-only mode. To validate that run the below command:

  • [root@xxxxx:~] vmkfstools -C vmfs6 /dev/disks/naa.xxxxxxf03ae1ae002487ff01f6d2a250
create fs deviceName:'/dev/disks/naa.xxxxxxf03ae1ae002487ff01f6d2a250', fsShortName:'vmfs6', fsName:'(null)'
deviceFullPath:/dev/disks/naa.xxxxxxxf03ae1ae002487ff01f6d2a250 deviceFile:naa.64cd98f03ae1ae002487ff01f6d2a250
ATS on device /dev/disks/naa.xxxxxxxf03ae1ae002487ff01f6d2a250: not supported

  • [root@xxxxx:~] partedUtil delete "/vmfs/devices/disks/naa.xxxxxxf03ae1ae002487ff01f6d2a250" 7
Error: Read-only file system during write on /dev/disks/naa.xxxxxxf03ae1ae002487ff01f6d2a250
Unable to delete partition 7 from device /vmfs/devices/disks/naa.xxxxxxf03ae1ae002487ff01f6d2a250

Environment

ESXi 8.x

Cause

This occurs if the disk was used to create a datastore during the installation process or if it is used for a core dump location or for syslog configuration or boot disk issue.

 

Resolution

Please engage the hardware vendor to run the diagnostics for boot disk issue and format it.

Workaround - Re-install the ESXi host with 8.0 U3 version fresh iso image.

Additional Information

Methods for installing ESXi 8.0

partedUtil command line

Cannot delete disk partition on ESXi host