Imported ESXi image is not selectable as a target version during upgrade in SDDC Manager

Products

• VMware SDDC Manager / VCF Installer

Issue/Introduction

When attempting to upgrade ESXi hosts via SDDC Manager, a previously imported ESXi image is not available for selection in the target version drop-down menu.

Environment

VMware SDDC Manager

Cause

This is expected behavior.

In a VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) environment, the minimum allowable target version for an ESXi upgrade is dictated by the Bill of Materials (BOM) for the target VCF release. SDDC Manager restricts the selection of any ESXi version that is lower than the base version specified in the BOM.

For example, if the BOM for VCF 5.2.3 specifies ESXi 8.0 U3i as the base version, an older patch release such as ESXi 8.0 U3g cannot be selected as an upgrade target, even if the image was successfully imported.

Resolution

To proceed with the upgrade, ensure that you import and select an ESXi image version that is equal to or higher than the minimum version listed in the BOM for your VCF release.