vCenter cluster, and lifecycle manager shows hosts are unknown when checking compliance

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Customer using an HP vendor image that includes older drivers/vibs, and vLCM requires those drivers to be added to the cluster image to make the hosts compatible. 

Environment

vCenter server 8.0u3x

Cause

Custom/outdated components are required to be in the vCenter Depot in order for the compliance check to succeed. The HP vendor image attached to the cluster includes older driver which also need to be added to the cluster image in VLCM in order for compliance  to succeed

Resolution

Always Sync Full Vendor Depots: Make sure vCenter is syncing the complete vendor add-on depot, not just the newest one. The depot needs historical metadata to map upgrade paths from older installations.

Additional Information

The solution is to always update the vLCM image to match the new "golden standard" established by the vendor's customized ISO. 

see: Host Becomes Non-Compliant After Upgrade with a Vendor Custom ISO in vSphere Lifecycle Manager (vLCM)

 

A Compliance mismatch will occur if the vLCM image for the cluster was not updated to include the new and updated OEM driver components that were installed by the latest vendor customized ISO. Hardware vendors regularly release ISOs that bundle specific, certified drivers for their servers, always check with the vendor for latest drivers.