Version remains unchanged in VMware Aria Operations after a successful upgrade in the Admin UI

Products

• VCF Operations/Automation (formerly VMware Aria Suite)

Issue/Introduction

After performing a software update via the Admin UI, the software update console reports the upgrade as "Successful." However, the product version is not updated in the Aria Operations Product UI (Help>About)Additionally, verifying the version via the CLI by running cat /etc/vmware/.buildInfo on the primary node returns the older, pre-upgrade version.

Environment

VCF Operations/Automation (formerly VMware Aria Suite)

Cause

This issue occurs due to a combination of the following factors during the upgrade process:
 
1. Incorrect .pak File Variant: An incorrect `.pak` file was uploaded. For example, if a Cloud Proxy-only (CP) .pak file is applied to the main cluster instead of the Virtual Appliance (VA).pak file. Because the CP.pak file lacks the main Virtual Appliance binaries, it does not trigger the underlying OS and application upgrade for the primary, replica, or data nodes.

2. Skipped or Ignored Signature/Validation Checks: The wrong .pak file was used, and the post-validation signature check was either bypassed by the administrator (e.g., using "Ignore the PAK file signature checking") or not strictly verified. This allows the Admin UI to process the incorrect file's payload and erroneously report a "Successful" installation without actually executing the core appliance upgrade.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, you must download the correct ".pak" file with a valid signature from the Broadcom Support Portal and re-apply the upgrade. When downloading the upgrade binaries, be aware of the three distinct types of .pak files available:

1. Cloud Proxy Only: Contains updates exclusively for remote Cloud Proxy nodes (e.g., vRealize_Operations_Manager-CP-<version>-upgradepak.pak).
2. Virtual Appliance Only: Contains updates exclusively for the core Aria Operations analytics cluster nodes (e.g., vRealize_Operations_Manager-VA-<version>-upgradepak.pak).
3. Combined Virtual Appliance and Cloud Proxy: A unified file that contains the payload to upgrade both the core analytics cluster nodes and the associated Cloud Proxies.

Post downloading the correct .pak file, perform the installation as follows : 

1. Log in to the Broadcom Support Portal and download the "Virtual Appliance Only" or the "Combined Virtual Appliance and Cloud Proxy".pak file, depending on your environment requirements. Ensure the file downloads completely to avoid checksum/signature issues.
2. Ensure that offline snapshots (without memory) are taken for all nodes in the Aria Operations cluster before proceeding.
3. Log in to the Aria Operations Admin UI (https://<FQDN>/admin).
4. Navigate to Software Update > Install a Software Update**.
5. Upload the correct, newly downloaded .pak file. 
6. Ensure that the system successfully performs the PAK file signature validation natively. Do NOT bypass this check.
7. Check the box for Install the PAK file even if it is already installed, to ensure the system processes the new payload over the previous incomplete attempt.
8. Complete the upgrade wizard and wait for the cluster to restart.
9. Once the cluster is back online, verify the successful upgrade via the UI (Help > About) and the CLI (cat /etc/vmware/.buildInfo)