vSphere HA configuration fails with "HA Agent Unreachable" due to missing loadesx VIB

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

• vSphere HA configuration on an ESXi host fails, and the host status displays HA Agent Unreachable or Uninitialized.
• The vCenter Server UI report errors indicating the vCenter Server agent service cannot be installed.
  
  
  
  
• The esxupdate log on the affected host contains a traceback error. The logs indicate that the installation crashed because a mandatory ESXi upgrade component (loadesx) is missing:
  
  /var/log/esxupdate.log:
  
  YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss esxupdate: ####: imageprofile: INFO: Adding VIB <VIB name> to ImageProfile (Updated) ATT-ESXi#.#_####_VUM    -----> ESXi shows older version. 
YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss esxupdate: ####: esxupdate: ERROR: An esxupdate error exception was caught:
YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss esxupdate: ####: esxupdate: ERROR: Traceback (most recent call last):
YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss esxupdate: ####: esxupdate: ERROR: File "/usr/sbin/esxupdate", line 222, in main
YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss esxupdate: ####: esxupdate: ERROR: cmd.Run()
YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss esxupdate: ####: esxupdate: ERROR: File "/lib64/python3.8/site-packages/vmware/esx5update/Cmdline.py", line 148, in Run
YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss esxupdate: ####: esxupdate: ERROR: File "/lib64/python3.8/site-packages/vmware/esximage/Transaction.py", line 2212, in InitVibInstall
YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss esxupdate: ####: esxupdate: ERROR: curPatcherComp, curPatcherVibs = findPatcher(curProfile)
YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss esxupdate: ####: esxupdate: ERROR: File "/lib64/python3.8/site-packages/vmware/esximage/Transaction.py", line 2499, in findPatcher
YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss esxupdate: ####: esxupdate: ERROR: return findPatcherFromCompsVibs(imageProfile.components, imageProfile.vibs,
YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss esxupdate: ####: esxupdate: ERROR: File "/lib64/python3.8/site-packages/vmware/esximage/Transaction.py", line 2559, in findPatcherFromCompsVibs
YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss esxupdate: ####: esxupdate: ERROR: raise Errors.InstallationError(None, None, msg)
YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss esxupdate: ####: esxupdate: ERROR: vmware.esximage.Errors.InstallationError: Upgrade VIB(s) "loadesx" is required for the transaction. Please use a depot with a complete set of ESXi VIBs. 

 

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 

Cause

An interrupted update can cause the host's metadata to mismatch the installed ESXi version, causing the HA agent installation to crash while looking for a missing dependency (the loadesx VIB).

Resolution

To resolve this issue, you must temporarily bypass the loadesx validation check, apply a complete offline bundle to correct the host's metadata, and then reconfigure HA.

Bypass the loadesx validation check

1. Log in to the ESXi host via SSH as root.
2. Allow modifications to the ESXi filesystem by running: vsish -e set /config/VisorFS/intOpts/VisorFSPristineTardisk 0
3. Open the transaction Python script in a text editor (such as vi): vi /lib64/python3.8/site-packages/vmware/esximage/Transaction.py
4. Locate the section handling the loadesx validation (approximately around line 2559).
5. Comment out the line that raises the installation error by adding a # at the beginning of the line:
   # raise Errors.InstallationError(None, None, msg)
6. Save and exit the file.

Align the image profile

1. Update the host using the complete offline bundle or image profile to correct the metadata and install any missing VIBs. For more information refer: Upgrading, updating or applying a patch to ESXi host using esxcli command and Upgrade or Update a Host with Image Profiles. Once the update completes, the host's metadata will be rewritten and correctly aligned with the OS.

Reconfigure vSphere HA

1. Restart management agents on host: /etc/init.d/hostd restart && /etc/init.d/vpxa restart
2. Disconnect and reconnect the host in the vCenter inventory.
3. Right-click the host and select Reconfigure for vSphere HA.
4. Once HA is configured, return to ESXi host SSH and run vsish -e set /config/VisorFS/intOpts/VisorFSPristineTardisk 1 to disable the modifications to ESXi filesystem. 

Additional Information

If the VIB installation continues to fail after bypassing the loadesx check, ensure your alternate bootbank is healthy. If the /var/log/esxupdate.log reports Error in loading boot.cfg from bootbank /altbootbank: [Errno 2] No such file or directory, refer to KB 448724.