"Host not compatible with the image" Error in vSphere Lifecycle Manager when the ESXi version does not match the vLCM image

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

• When performing a compliance check in a vSphere Lifecycle Manager (vLCM) enabled cluster, users may encounter a "Host not compatible with the image" error. The Software Compliance section will specifically state that the "ESXi version in the image is a downgrade of the installed version".

• In this scenario, the host is running a newer build (e.g., 8.0 U3g – 24859861), while the Cluster Image is configured with an older build (e.g., 8.0 U3e – 24674464).
  

Environment

vSphere 8.0 Update 3

Cause

This error occurs because the ESXi host was upgraded outside of the Cluster Image lifecycle, typically by using an ISO. vSphere Lifecycle Manager is designed to maintain a "desired state" and prevents the downgrade of base images or components to ensure system stability.

Because the host version is now ahead of the cluster's defined image, vLCM marks the host as incompatible until the cluster's desired state is updated to match or exceed the version currently running on the host.

Resolution

To resolve version mismatches between hosts and the cluster configuration in vSphere Lifecycle Manager (vLCM), update the Cluster Image definition to match the software already running on the hardware. Using an Offline Bundle (.zip) is the best practice, as standard ISOs often lack the metadata required for vLCM to populate the version dropdown menus correctly.

1. Obtain the relevant ESXi Offline Bundle (.zip) from the Broadcom Support Portal. The Offline Bundle contains the metadata necessary for vLCM to recognize the build as a valid Base Image.

2. Extract this parent .zip archive to locate the specific driver/component .zip file required for vLCM. Often, the downloaded parent .zip file from the portal is a bundle that contains supplementary files alongside the driver payload.

3. In the vSphere Client, navigate to Lifecycle Manager > Image Depot > Import Updates.

4. Select and upload the extracted component .zip file. Note: Always prioritize the .zip format over the .iso when managing the Image Depot to ensure all component metadata is correctly indexed.

5. Navigate to Cluster > Updates > Image > Edit to manually point the cluster definition to this specific version.

6. Select the desired ESXi Version (e.g., 8.0 Update 3g - 24859861).

7. Select the corresponding Vendor Add-on (e.g., HPE Customization or Dell Add-on) or replace the specific manually added component with the newly imported version.

8. Click Validate to ensure compatibility, then click Save.

9. Run Check Compliance on the cluster.

If the software version in the Image definition now matches the version physically installed on the hosts, the status will change to Compliant. Because the versions are identical, no remediation or reboot will be required.

Additional Information

Finding ESXi Drivers in the Broadcom Support Portal