vCenter upgrade via SDDC fails with error "com.vmware.vcf.error.update.vc.runtime.vcsa.install.failed"

Products

• VMware SDDC Manager

Issue/Introduction

• vCenter upgrade from 7.x to 8.x via SDDC fails at the precheck stage
• The task information in the UI shows the following information:

Message: Reason is: com.vmware.vcf.error.update.vc.runtime.vcsa.install.failed

Remediation Message: Please make sure input.json exists at the path, /var/log/vmware/vcf/lcm/vcenter/<directory>/<directory> and check If it has read/write permissions. Please make sure /var/log/vmware/vcf/lcm/vcenter/<directory>/<directory>/install/workflow_<workflow-ID>/vcsa-cli-installer-status-deprecated.json and vcsa-cli-installer-status.json exists. If exists, then open and check for any errors. Please retry the upgrade once the upgrade is available again. Contact GSS for assistance, if the retry fails.

• In the /var/log/vmware/vcf/lcm/lcm.log file of the SDDC manager, the following entry may be observed:

failed to run upgrade stage: VCENTER_UPGRADE_INSTALL_PRECHECK, starting cleanup

• In the /var/log/vmware/vcf/lcm/lcm-debug.log file of the SDDC manager, the following entry may be observed:

UpgradeError, stage: VCENTER_UPGRADE_INSTALL_PRECHECK, errorType: RECOVERABLE,errorCode: VCSA_INSTALL_PRECHECK_FAILED, errorDescription: com.vmware.vcf.error.update.vc.runtime.vcsa.install.precheck.failedFAILED TASK : com.vmware.vcsa.installer.requirements.src_requirement
test2., remediateSteps: Please make sure input.json exists at the path, /var/log/vmware/vcf/lcm/vcenter/<directory>/<directory> and check If it has read/write permissions.
Please make sure /var/log/vmware/vcf/lcm/<directory>/<directory>/precheck/workflow_/workflow_<workflow-ID>/vcsa-cli-installer-status-deprecated.json and vcsa-cli-installer-status.json exists.

• When reviewing the /var/log/vmware/vcf/lcm/vcenter/<directory>/<directory>/install/workflow_<workflow-ID>/vcsa-cli-installer-status.json file of the SDDC manager, the following error(s) may be observed:

"errors": [
            {
              "id": "",
              "time": "YYYY-MM-DDT##:##:##.######",
              "message": {
                "default_message": "The source machine hostname '<hostname>' resolves to IPv6 address(es) ';; communications error to ##.##.##.###53: timed out, ;; communications error to ##.##.##.###53: timed out', but IPv6 networking will not be preserved after the upgrade. This will prevent certain services preferring IPv6 from establishing network communication.",
                "id": "",
                "args": []
              },
              "resolution": {
                "default_message": "Either remove the DNS IPv6 entry for hostname '<hostname>' or change the network configuration of the source machine to pure IPv6 or in case dual networking stack is needed, set a static IPv6 address.",    

Environment

SDDC Manager 5.x

vCenter Server 7.x

Cause

The vCenter upgrade scripts verify whether the source vCenter hostname/IP resolves to an IPv6 address.

• If IPv6 resolution exists but IPv6 networking is not enabled on the vCenter appliance, the upgrade precheck fails.
• This is to prevent post-upgrade communication failures for services that prefer IPv6.

Resolution

See KB: "The source machine hostname 'IP/hostname' resolves to IPv6 address(es) 'ffff:###.##.##.##' communication error, but IPv6 networking will not be preserved after the upgrade" while upgrading VCSA 7.0/8.0 fails at precheck