Error "An internal error occurred during execution. Refer to vCenter server logs for further details." while checking cluster image status

Products

• VMware vCenter Server 8.0
• VMware vSAN 8.x

Issue/Introduction

When managing cluster images in vCenter Server, you may experience the following symptoms:

• The cluster image status displays the error: "An internal error occurred during execution. Refer to vCenter server logs for further details."
• Image Compliance checks fail to run or update.
• vCenter does not recognize disks as either compliant or non-compliant, and warnings appear on the cluster despite hosts functioning normally.
• Standard troubleshooting steps—such as restarting Update Manager/Lifecycle Services, deleting the vsan_hcl_cache.db file, or forcing an online/offline sync—do not resolve the issue.
• Reviewing the hcl_python_lib.log reveals log entries stamped with a future date (e.g., year 2142) and internal authentication errors:

         hcl_python_lib.log

2142-##-##T##:##:##.###Z ERROR hardware_discovery.services.vc_service Unknown exception during retrieving of service content
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
pyVim.sso.SoapException: SoapException:
faultcode: ns0:FailedAuthentication
faultstring: Invalid credentials
...
2142-##-##T##:##:##.###Z ERROR main Internal error occurred

Environment

• VMware vCenter Server version : 8.x
• vSAN version  : 8.x

Cause

• This issue occurs if the vCenter environment experienced an NTP (Network Time Protocol) failure that caused the system time to jump into the future (e.g., the year 2142), and a Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) check was executed while this future date was active.
• vSphere Lifecycle Manager (vLCM) stores only one HCL report per cluster in the VCDB. 
• When a new HCL check is run, vLCM compares the timestamp of the new report against the one in the database. 
• It will only save the new report if its creation date is newer than the existing entry.
• Because the database contains a report from the year 2142, any newly generated reports (running on the correct current date) are discarded as "older," preventing the image status from updating.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, the future-dated DB entry for the affected cluster must be manually cleared from the PostgreSQL VCDB. Once removed, newly run HCL checks will successfully save to the database.

 Important: Always take an offline snapshot or file-based backup of the vCenter Server Appliance (vCSA) before making manual modifications to the database.

Workaround :

1. Connect to the vCenter Server Appliance via SSH and log in as root.

2. Download and copy the script attached to this KB  to the location 

/tmp/hcl_cleanup.sh.

Instructions for running script :

1. Make the script executable: chmod +x /tmp/hcl_cleanup.sh

2. Run the script: /tmp/hcl_cleanup.sh

3. When prompted, enter the Cluster ID of the problematic cluster (e.g., domain-cXX).

4. Once the script confirms the row(s) have been deleted, return to the vSphere Client and manually trigger a new Cluster Image Compliance check.