VCF Download Tool missing ESXi and Day N bundles when using INSTALL flag in VMware Cloud Foundation 9.1.0.0

Products

• VMware SDDC Manager / VCF Installer

Issue/Introduction

When attempting to download binaries using the VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) Download Tool without specifying a component, the list of binaries is incomplete. Command executed:

./vcf-download-tool binaries list --sku VCF --vcf-version 9.1.0.0 --depot-download-activation-code-file /var/www/html/activation-code.txt --type INSTALL --proxy-server=<#.#.#.#>:3128

Additionally, running a targeted command to explicitly fetch the ESX_HOST component using the --type INSTALL flag returns 0 elements:

./vcf-download-tool binaries list --sku VCF --vcf-version 9.1.0.0 --component ESX_HOST --depot-download-activation-code-file /var/www/html/activation-code.txt --type INSTALL --proxy-server=#.#.#.#>:3128

 

Environment

VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9.1.0.0

Cause

The VCF Download Tool default list query is architecturally designed to only list Day 0 products utilized for initial VCF Fleet Deployment workflows. The rest of the published components are omitted from the default payload and must be explicitly queried and downloaded using the --component flag.

The ESX_HOST component is intentionally excluded from the --type INSTALL repository payload because SDDC Manager does not facilitate bare-metal ESXi installations, restricting the VCF download tool from serving ESXi installation binaries.

 

Resolution

• To list and download specific components not included in the default Day 0 payload, you must append the --component [COMPONENT_NAME] flag to your command (e.g., --component DLVM (for VMware Private AI).

• For ESXi lifecycle management operations (upgrades and patches for commissioned hosts), append the --component ESX_HOST flag and modify the syntax to use the --type UPGRADE flag instead of --type INSTALL:

  • ./vcf-download-tool binaries list --sku VCF --vcf-version 9.1.0.0 --component ESX_HOST --depot-download-activation-code-file /var/www/html/activation-code.txt --type UPGRADE --proxy-server=<#.#.#.#>:3128

• For components that are not part of VCFDT(such as initial SUPERVISOR_SERVICE_ARGOCD), administrators must manually download the binaries directly from the Broadcom Support Portal via: My Downloads -> VMware Cloud Foundation -> VMware Cloud Foundation 9.1.0.0.

Additional Information

In VCF Download Tool (vcfdt) 9.1, the following components and their corresponding public names are available for download using the --component parameter:

• DEPOT_SERVICE : Software depot

• DLVM : VMware Private AI

• DSM : Data Services Manager

• ESX_HOST : VMware ESX

• HCX : VCF HCX

• NSX_ALB : Avi Load Balancer

• NSX_T_MANAGER : VMware NSX

• SDDC_MANAGER_VCF : SDDC Manager

• TELEMETRY_ACCEPTOR : Telemetry

• VCENTER : VMware vCenter

• VCFDT : VCF download tool

• VCFMS_METRICS_STORE : Real-time metrics store

• VCF_FLEET_LCM : Fleet lifecycle

• VCF_LICENSE_SERVER : License server

• VCF_OBSERVABILITY_DATA_PLATFORM : Real-time metrics

• VCF_OPS_CLOUD_PROXY : Cloud proxy

• VCF_SALT : Salt master

• VCF_SALT_RAAS : Salt RaaS

• VCF_SDDC_LCM : SDDC lifecycle

• VCF_SERVICE_VCD_MIGRATION_BACKEND : Migration service engine

• VIDB : Identity broker

• VKSM_EXTENSIONS : VKSM Extensions

• VLR : Protection and recovery

• VLR_EDGE : Protection/Recovery Proxy

• VRA : VCF Automation

• VRLI : Log management

• VRNI : VCF Operations for networks

• VROPS : VCF Operations

• VSAN_FILE_SERVICES : VMware vSAN File Services

• VSP : VCF services runtime

VMware Cloud Foundation 9.1 Technical Documentation