Importing a vSphere (Lifecycle Manager) ESXi image version 8.x into SDDC Manager 9.x fails with the error - "Unable to compute the checksum for image xxxxx specification"

Products

• VMware SDDC Manager / VCF Installer

Issue/Introduction

Both options below fail when an ESXi image version 8.x is being imported on an SDDC Manager 9.x -

• option 1 (Import Image - Import from a vCenter)
• option 2 (Import Image > Import from a file) in the UI, where the cluster config spec JSON / software spec JSON / ZIP / optional ISO are specified

The Subtask on SDDC Manager 9.x fails with:

Name: vSphere Lifecycle Manager Image Upload vSphere8-legacy ("Sphere8-legacy" - the name of the image to be imported)  

TYPE: PERSONALITY_UPLOAD  

Error: Message: Unable to compute the checksum for image <UID> specification  

The ESX image version 8.x that is attempting to be imported on the SDDC Manager 9.x has been exported from the workload domain vCenter 8.x

Environment

vCenter 8.x

SDDC Manager 9.x

Cause

The ESX image content being exported from the workload domain vCenter 8.x is causing the error on the SDDC Manager 9.x import, whereby the image checksum is unable to be computed.

Resolution

Export the ESX 8.x image from the management vCenter 9.x instead -

• add an ESX 8.x host to the datacenter (no cluster creation needed) in the management vCenter 9.x
• let the image be created by the management vCenter 9.x during the host addition
• to do this -
  • launch the Add Host workflow
  • complete steps 1 to 3
  • on step 4 - "Host lifecycle", select the option to "Extract the image on the host" - under "Set up the host image"