VCF Workload Domain Creation Fails to List latest Version for ESXi Cluster Image Selection

Products

• VMware SDDC Manager / VCF Installer
• VMware Cloud Foundation

Issue/Introduction

• When attempting to create a new Workload Domain (WLD) in VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF), the VCF UI workflow for cluster image selection may filter out the latest ESXi versions from the Image Catalog. The UI lists only older versions, even if the Management Domain and existing workload domains have already been patched to a newer version.
• Observed Symptoms:
  
  
  • The VCF "Image selections" screen displays a filtering message:

    For Example:

    "Showing only images with ESXi version 8.0U3b-24280767 "

  • The VCF UI does not list 8.0U3g-24859861 for selection, despite the Management and existing workload domain is already patched to 8.0U3g-24859861

Environment

VMware Cloud Foundation 5.x

Cause

This issue typically occurs when the SDDC Manager's Life Cycle Management (LCM) configuration is pinned to specific component versions, preventing the UI from displaying more recent images available in the catalog during the "Create VI Workload Domain" workflow.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, manually update the LCM configuration properties to match the required versions for the new Workload Domain.

1. Take a snapshot of the SDDC Manager VM
2. SSH to SDDC Manager using vcf user and su to root.
3. Navigate to the LCM configuration directory:

   cd /opt/vmware/vcf/lcm/lcm-app/conf/

4. Edit Properties: Open the application-prod.properties file for editing:

   vi application-prod.properties

5. Update Versions: Append or modify the file with the specific versions of vCenter, NSX, and ESXi intended for the new WLD. Example entries:
   

   vcenter.install.version=8.0.3.00600-24853646
   nsxt.install.version=4.2.3.0.0-24866349
   esx.install.version=8.0.3-24859861

    

   Note: Ensure the version strings match the specific build numbers you intend to deploy.
   
   
6. Restart the LCM service and verify its status:

   systemctl restart lcm

   systemctl status lcm

7. Retry the Workload Domain creation workflow from SDDC Manager UI