"Exception occurred in postInstallHook for B2B-patching" error when updating vCenter Server 8.0U3d to 8.0U3h

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

vCenter Server update from 8.0U3 to 8.0U3e version fails with error:

"Exception occurred in postInstallHook for B2B-patching. Please check the logs for more details. Take corrective action and then resume".

In /var/log/vmware/applmgmt/PatchRunner.log:

Service-control failed. Error: {
    "detail": [
        {
            "id": "install.ciscommon.service.failstart",
            "translatable": "An error occurred while starting service '%(0)s'",
            "args": [
                "vmcad"
            ],
            "xalized": "An error occurred while starting service 'vmcad'"
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.979Z INFO service_manager Executing command '[['/bin/service-control', '--status', 'vmcad']]'
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.157Z INFO service_manager Command '[['/bin/service-control', '--status', 'vmcad']]' has exit-code='0' and stdout: Stopped:
 vmcad

stderr: 

YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.158Z INFO service_manager Service vmcad reported status stopped. Expected status started
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.158Z ERROR service_manager Service cannot be started. Error: 2026-01-16T15:51:18.958Z  RC = 1
Stdout = 
Stderr = Job for vmcad.service failed because the control process exited with error code.
See "systemctl status vmcad.service" and "journalctl -xe" for details.

YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.958Z  {
    "detail": [
        {
            "id": "install.ciscommon.command.errinvoke",
            "translatable": "An error occurred while invoking external command : '%(0)s'",
            "args": [
                "Stderr: Job for vmcad.service failed because the control process exited with error code.\nSee \"systemctl status vmcad.service\" and \"journalctl -xe\" for details.\n"
            ],
            "xalized": "An error occurred while invoking external command : 'Stderr: Job for vmcad.service failed because the control process exited with error code.\nSee \"systemctl status vmcad.service\" and \"journalctl -xe\" for details.\n'"

Environment

vCenter 8.x

Cause

Certificate issue causing VMware Certificate Service (vmcad) to fail to start

Resolution

Utilitze vCert utility to determine underlying certificate issue.

Additional Information

vCert - expired certificate replacement script