Reconfiguring vSphere HA fails with the error "Setting desired image spec for cluster failed"

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Below errors could be seen while configuring the vSphere HA :-

• Cannot complete the configuration of vSphere HA agent on the host "Setting desired image spec for cluster failed. Set solution: General System error occurred: Image is not valid."
• Cannot find vSphere HA master agent.

Upon checking the /var/log/vmware/vmware-updatemgr/vum-server/vmware-vum-server.log on the vCenter

error vmware-vum-server[53632] [Originator@6876 sub=com.vmware.vcIntegrity.lifecycle.SetSolutionTask] [SetSolutionTask 274]  Set solution failed. entityId: domain-c8 Problems found while validating the new software spec: {
-->     "errors": [
-->         {
-->             "id": "com.vmware.vcIntegrity.lifecycle.EsxImage.AddonNotFound",
-->             "message": {
-->                 "args": [
-->                     "ESXi-####",
-->                     "18644231-A00"
-->                 ],
-->                 "default_message": "Addon <Patch name with version xxxxxxxxx cannot be found in depot.",
-->                 "id": "com.vmware.vcIntegrity.lifecycle.EsxImage.AddonNotFound",
-->                 "localized": null,
-->                 "params": null
-->             },
-->             "originator": null,
-->             "resolution": null,
-->             "retriable": null,
-->             "time": "xxxxxx",
-->             "type": null
-->         },
-->         {
-->             "id": "com.vmware.vcIntegrity.lifecycle.EsxImage.BaseImageNotFound",
-->             "message": {
-->                 "args": [
-->                     "7.0.3-0.0.xxxxxxx"
-->                 ],
-->                 "default_message": "The Base Image with version 7.0.3-0.0.####### cannot be found in depot.",
-->                 "id": "com.vmware.vcIntegrity.lifecycle.EsxImage.BaseImageNotFound",
-->                 "localized": null,
-->                 "params": null
-->             },
-->             "originator": null,
-->             "resolution": null,
-->             "retriable": null,
-->             "time": "xxxxxxx",
-->             "type": null
-->         },
-->         {
 info vmware-vum-server[08695] [Originator@6876 sub=ServiceProvider] [EmbeddedPyServiceProvider 1307] Starting drafts validate, spec: {
-->     "add_on": {
-->         "name": "yyyyyy",
-->         "version": "xxxxxx"
-->     },
-->     "base_image": {
-->         "version": "7.0.3-0.0.#######"
-->     },
-->     "components": null,
-->     "hardware_support": null,
-->     "solutions": {
-->         "com.vmware.vsphere-ha": {
-->             "components": [
-->                 {
-->                     "component": "vsphere-fdm"
-->                 }
-->             ],
-->             "version": "########"
-->         }
-->     }
--> }

Environment

• VMware vCenter Server 7.0.x
• VMware vCenter Server 8.0.x

Cause

Missing Baseline images.

Resolution

• Login to vCenter Server SSH with root credentials.
  
  
• Enter 'shell'
  
  
• Use the following command to check the status of the Update Manager service on the vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA):
  service-control --status vmware-updatemgr
  
  
• If the service is stopped, start it manually using:
  service-control --start vmware-updatemgr
  
  
• If the service is running, proceed to the next step in your workflow.

• Note down the db_password from the below command.
  cat /usr/lib/vmware-updatemgr/bin/configvalues.txt

• Switch to vumuser using the below command
  #su - updatemgr -s /bin/bash

• Run the below command and enter the password from previous step.
  /opt/vmware/vpostgres/current/bin/psql -d VCDB -U vumuser

• Run the command
  VCDB=> select * from pm_software_desired_states;

• Identify the ID of the desired state whose name and version match in the log snippets given above.
  
  
• Remove those IDs:
  VCDB=delete from pm_software_desired_states where desired_state_id=[number];

• Reset VUM DB using the article Reset VUM Database

Additional Information

Impact/Risks:

• Configuration change
• Make sure snapshots and VCDB backup is taken
• VUM DB will reset