Auto Deploy Service Fails or Rules Disappear after vCenter Server 8.0 Update 3k Patching

Products

• VMware vCenter Server
• VMware vCenter Server 8.0

Issue/Introduction

After upgrading vCenter Server to 8.0 Update 3k (build 25600417) or later, the following symptoms may occur:

• Auto Deploy web page fails to load or shows connectivity errors.
• The Auto Deploy service appears registered, but rules or resources are missing in the UI.
• Old deploy rules suddenly appear instead of the currently used image.
• vCenter Alarms: alarm.HealthStatusChangedAlarm on Datacenter folder because rbd status changed from green to red.
• Error message: "An error occurred while connecting to the Auto Deploy service."

Environment

vCenter 8.x

Cause

This issue occurs due to a conflict with a stale database file located at /var/lib/rbd/db.

The Auto Deploy database resided at /var/lib/rbd/db.

In newer releases, the active database is at /etc/vmware-rbd/db/db.

If a legacy or stale database file remains at /var/lib/rbd/db, the patch runner script incorrectly attempts to replicate it over the active database, leading to service corruption.

Resolution

Preventative Steps (Before Patching)

1. Take a file-level backup or offline virtual machine snapshot of the vCenter Server.
2. Establish an SSH session to the vCenter Server Appliance using root credentials.
3. Check for the presence of the legacy database file: ls -la /var/lib/rbd/db
4. If the file exists, remove it: rm /var/lib/rbd/db
5. Proceed with applying the vSphere 8.0 Update 3k patch.

Remediation (If already patched)

1. Restore the vCenter Server from the pre-patch backup.
2. Follow the Preventative Steps listed above.
3. If no backup is available, contact support .