NSX pre-upgrade bundle missing from SDDC Manager during VCF 5.2 to 9.1 transition

Products

• VMware NSX
• VMware SDDC Manager / VCF Installer

Issue/Introduction

Introduction

In VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9.1, attempting to initiate an NSX upgrade before completing the mandatory prerequisite upgrade steps results in a "bundle not found" error in the SDDC Manager UI. This occurs when the SDDC Manager has been upgraded to version 9.1, but the underlying components (ESXi, vCenter, NSX) are still at the VCF 5.2/8.0 baseline.

Symptoms

• SDDC Manager UI reports the following error during the NSX pre-check or upgrade phase: NSX pre-upgrade bundle missing from SDDC Manager appliance. Please download the bundle via SDDC Manager UI (Lifecycle Management > Binary Management).
• The NSX bundle is present in Binary Management, but the upgrade remains unavailable.
• SDDC Manager is running version 9.1.0, while NSX is running version 4.2.3.0.

Environment

• VMware Cloud Foundation 5.2.x
• VMware Cloud Foundation 9.1
• VMware NSX 4.x

Cause

VCF 9.1 architecture mandates a strict component upgrade sequence. The NSX upgrade cannot be triggered directly through the SDDC Manager LCM if the environment has bypassed the required order of operations (e.g., upgrading SDDC Manager to 9.1 while other components remain at the 5.2 baseline).

Resolution

To resolve this issue, you must follow the mandatory VCF 9.1 upgrade sequence as defined in the official deployment documentation.

1. Identify the Baseline: Confirm if the site is upgrading from a VCF 5.2 or VCF 9.0 baseline.
2. Follow the Sequence:
   • For Site 1 (VCF 5.2 Baseline): Follow the steps in the Upgrading a VCF Instance from Version 5.2.x to Version 9.1 guide.
   • For Site 2 (VCF 9.0 Baseline): Follow the steps in the Upgrading a VCF Instance from version 9.0.x to version 9.1 guide.
3. Download Tooling: If the environment is offline, ensure the VCF Download Tool is used to retrieve binaries. Note that the legacy Offline Bundle Transfer Utility (OBTU) is not supported for SDDC Manager 9.x and higher.
4. Verification: Once the environment reaches the specific NSX upgrade step in the manifest sequence, the SDDC Manager will correctly identify and retrieve the required pre-upgrade bundles.

Additional Information

• VCF 9.1 Paths to Adoption
• VCF Download Tool Documentation