Tag Archives: update manager

Upgrade to ESXi 7.0: Missing dependencies VIBs Error

This posting is ~2 years years old. You should keep this in mind. IT is a short living business. This information might be outdated.

This error gets me from time to time, regardless which server vendor, mostly on hosts that were upgraded a couple of times. In this case it was a ESXi host currently running a pretty old build of ESXi 6.7 U3 and my job was the upgrade to 7.0 Update 3c.

If you add a upgrade baseline to the cluster or host, and you try to remediate the host, the task fails with a dependency error. When taking a closer look into the taks details, you were getting told that the task has failed because of a failed dependency, but not which VIB it caused.

You can find the name if the causing VIB on the update manager tab of the host which you tried to update. The status of the baseline is “incompatible”, and not “non-compliant”.

To resolve this issue you have to remove the causing VIB. This is no big deal and can be done with esxcli. Enable SSH and open a SSH connection to the host. Then remove the VIB.

[root@esx-01:~] esxcli software vib list | grep -i ssacli
ssacli                         4.17.6.0-6.7.0.7535516.hpe          HPE        PartnerSupported  2020-06-18
[root@esx-01:~] esxcli software vib remove -n ssacli
Removal Result
   Message: The update completed successfully, but the system needs to be rebooted for the changes to be effective.
   Reboot Required: true
   VIBs Installed:
   VIBs Removed: HPE_bootbank_ssacli_4.17.6.0-6.7.0.7535516.hpe
   VIBs Skipped:
[root@esx-01:~]

You need to reboot the host after the removal of the VIB. Then you can proceed with the update. The status of the upgrade baseline should be now “not-compliant”.

VMware ESXi 5.5.0 U2 patches break Citrix NetScaler network connectivity

This posting is ~9 years years old. You should keep this in mind. IT is a short living business. This information might be outdated.

This is not a brand new issue and it’s well discussed in the VMTN. After applying the ESXi 5.5.0 U2 patches from 15. October 2014, you may notice the following symptoms:

  • Some Citrix NetScaler VMs with e1000 vNICs loses network connectivity
  • You can’t access the VM console after applying the patches

VMware has released a couple of patches in October:

  • ESXi550-201410101-SG (esx-base)
  • ESXi550-201410401-BG (esx-base)
  • ESXi550-201410402-BG (misc-drivers)
  • ESXi550-201410403-BG (sata-ahci)
  • ESXi550-201410404-BG (xhci-xhci)
  • ESXi550-201410405-BG (tools-light)
  • ESXi550-201410406-BG (net-vmxnet3)

More specifically, it’s the patch ESXi550-201410401-BG that is causing the problem. It is reported that the patch ESXi510-201410401-BG is also cause problems. VMware has published a KB article under the the KB2092809. Citrix has also published a KB article under the ID CTX200278. The VMware KB2092809 includes a workaround. You have to add the line

hw.em.txd=512

 in the loader.conf. Check the KB for a detailed procedure. I recommend to exclude the patches from the VMware Update Manager baselines. Open the “Admin View” and double click the “Critical Host Patches (Predefined)” baseline.

vum_exclude_patch_1

Patrick Terlisten/ www.vcloudnine.de/ Creative Commons CC0

Click “Next” until you hit the “Patches to exclude” page. Exclude patch ESXi550-201410401-BG and click “Next” until you can finish the wizard.

vum_exclude_patch_2

Patrick Terlisten/ www.vcloudnine.de/ Creative Commons CC0

Now open the “Non-Critical Host Patches (Predefined)” baseline. Repeat the steps above and exclude the other 6 patches.

vum_exclude_patch_3

Patrick Terlisten/ www.vcloudnine.de/ Creative Commons CC0

That’s it. Now the patches are excluded. New patches will be added automatically to the baselines, because both baselines are dynamic baselines. If you wish to install the patches, repeat the steps above and remove the patches from the exclude list using the up arrow button.