VIBs Cannot Be Removed Due to Legacy Dell PowerPath Dependency Error on ESXi 8.0 U3
Article ID: 419735
Updated On:
Products
Issue/Introduction
When attempting to install, upgrade, or remove VIBs (including VMware Tools or NSX) on an ESXi 8.0 U3 host, the process fails.
VMware Tools upgrade to version 13.x fails.
NSX host unprepare operations fail.
The ESXi esxupdate.log contains a vmware.esximage.Errors.DependencyError.
Example Error:
vmware.esximage.Errors.DependencyError: On platform embeddedEsx, VIB DEL_bootbank_powerpath.plugin.esx.esx7_8.0.0.00.00-1DEL.700.0.0.15525992 requires esx-version
Environment
VMware ESXi 8.0 U3
Legacy Dell PowerPath VIB installed (version compatible only with 7.x)
Cause
A legacy Dell PowerPath VIB package remained on the host after an upgrade from ESXi 7.x to 8.0 U3.
This VIB has a strict internal dependency requiring an ESXi version less than 8.0.0.
Because this requirement is not met on ESXi 8.0 U3, the VIB manager blocks all VIB transactions, preventing the installation or removal of any other software packages.
Note: This issue is not specific to NSX VIBs; the conflicting Dell VIB prevents any VIB removal or modification process on the host.
Resolution
Manually remove the incompatible Dell PowerPath VIB using the ESXi command line.
1. Place the ESXi host in Maintenance Mode.
2. Establish an SSH connection to the ESXi host.
3. Identify the exact VIB name: esxcli software vib list | grep powerpath
4. Remove the incompatible VIB: esxcli software vib remove -n powerpath.plugin.esx.esx7
5. If the previous step fails with a DependencyError, force the removal: esxcli software vib remove -n powerpath.plugin.esx.esx7 --force
6. Reboot the ESXi host
7. After the reboot, proceed with the VMware Tools installation or NSX operation.
Note: If Dell PowerPath is required, download the latest compatible version from the Dell Support website.
Additional Information
This VIB is not compatible with ESXi 8.x and should be removed pre-upgrade.
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