vCenter Server upgrade pre-check fails due to insufficient space on /storage/archive partition

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

vCenter Server upgrade fails during the pre-check phase. The installer reports insufficient disk space on the /storage/archive partition. Manual inspection reveals high disk utilization on /storage/archive/vpostgres/ caused by an accumulation of PostgreSQL Write Ahead Log (WAL) archive files.

• Upgrade pre-check warning: "Insufficient space on partition /storage/archive"
• /storage/archive partition shows near 100% usage (e.g., 50GB utilized out of 52GB).
• High file count in /storage/archive/vpostgres/

Environment

VMware vCenter Server

Cause

PostgreSQL archive logs accumulated in the /storage/archive/vpostgres/ directory, exceeding the partition capacity due to high transaction volume 

Resolution

URGENT: Perform a file-based backup of the vCenter Server before proceeding.

1. Log in to the vCenter Server Appliance via SSH as root.

2. Verify disk space usage by running: df -h

3. Navigate to the archive directory: cd /storage/archive/vpostgres/

4. Follow the steps outlined starting with, Step 3 Manual Clean up, in the following KB to Perform a Manual Clean up of the archive logs older than 90 days to reclaim space

   Troubleshooting manual cleanup failures and read-only states for vCenter /storage/archive partition

5. If needed adjust command to 60 days if more space needs to be cleared see below: 

   find /storage/archive/vpostgres/ -mtime +60 | xargs rm

6. Resume the vCenter Server upgrade.