VMware vCenter Server 7 Update Failed

When vSphere 7 was released I decided to upgrade my VMware LAB Environment from vSphere 6.7 U3 to 7.0. As the first step, of course, I started with vCenter Server (VCSA) and after a successful upgrade, moved forward with ESXi hosts.

When patch VC-7.0U1d (build 17491101) was released, I log into the VAMI to perform an automatic upgrade. I selected it and started the upgrade.

After starting the upgrade, I received “Installation failed: Exception occurred in install precheck phrase” error:

Even when I resume it and pre-checks pass successfully, I received same error over and over.

Rebooting VCSA doesn't fix this. Even though VCSA was running fine, I tried looking for KBs from VMware site and trying to apply any workaround.

When I faced same issue, trying to upgrade to VMware vCenter Server 7.0 U2, I thought it would be good to share with you, the workaround that worked fine for me.

Step-by-Step Workaround

1.      SSH to your VCSA 7.x appliance with root username and password.

2.      Activate the BASH shell by typing “shell”

3.      First, we need to delete the file “software_update_state.conf”, to clear the update state:

rm /etc/applmgmt/appliance/software_update_state.conf

4.      If you try to update again from VAMI UI by using URL update, you will face the same error over and over again. To successfully install the patch, you need to download the ISO file of latest patch from https://my.vmware.com/group/vmware/patch, attach the ISO to VCSA Virtual Machine and then in the VAMI UI – Update section, check updates from CD-ROM. Now, you can stage and install updates.

5.      Wait some minutes for it to be installed. Enjoy your latest update with all new features and security improvements!

Thanks for reading it!

Adrian Bahja