If you can’t get past vCenter deployment during the VCF Installer and the some of these conditions are true for you:
- You’re running vSAN ESA with devices that aren’t on the vSAN HCL.
- You’re using a custom VIB, like William Lam’s nested-vsan-esa-mock-hw-vib to bypass vSAN HCL:
https://github.com/lamw/nested-vsan-esa-mock-hw-vib - You have and are seeing Host Seeding Failed errors in your vcsa-cli-installer.log on your VCF Installer.
- You’re deploying in a Home Lab or Test Environment.
Ran into this little error while running through my VCF install:
2025-08-17 22:34:49,819 - vCSACliInstallLogger - ERROR - Traceback (most recent call last):
File "main.py", line 412, in <module>
File "main.py", line 386, in main
File "/build/mts/release/bora-24623374/src/bora/install/vcsa-installer/vcsaCliInstaller/tasking/workflow.py", line 777, in execute
File "/build/mts/release/bora-24623374/src/bora/install/vcsa-installer/vcsaCliInstaller/tasking/workflow.py", line 765, in execute
File "/build/mts/release/bora-24623374/src/bora/install/vcsa-installer/vcsaCliInstaller/tasking/taskflow.py", line 1007, in execute
File "/build/mts/release/bora-24623374/src/bora/install/vcsa-installer/vcsaCliInstaller/tasking/taskflow.py", line 971, in _execute_single_threaded
tasking.taskflow.TaskExecutionFailureException: Host seeding failed:(vmodl.MethodFault) {
dynamicType = <unset>,
dynamicProperty = (vmodl.DynamicProperty) [],
msg = 'MethodFault.summary',
faultCause = <unset>,
faultMessage = (vmodl.LocalizableMessage) [
(vmodl.LocalizableMessage) {
dynamicType = <unset>,
dynamicProperty = (vmodl.DynamicProperty) [],
key = 'com.vmware.vcint.error_from_vlcm',
arg = (vmodl.KeyAnyValue) [
(vmodl.KeyAnyValue) {
dynamicType = <unset>,
dynamicProperty = (vmodl.DynamicProperty) [],
key = 'vlcm_error',
value = 'Error:\n com.vmware.vapi.std.errors.error\nMessages:\n com.vmware.vcIntegrity.lifecycle.EsxImage.SoftwareInfoExtractError<An error occurred while extracting image info on the host.>\n com.vmware.vcIntegrity.lifecycle.ExtractDepotTask.HostExtractDepotFailed<Extraction of image from host hlab01.varchitected.com failed.>\n'
}
],
message = "An internal error occurred: 'Error:\n com.vmware.vapi.std.errors.error\nMessages:\n com.vmware.vcIntegrity.lifecycle.EsxImage.SoftwareInfoExtractError<An error occurred while extracting image info on the host.>\n com.vmware.vcIntegrity.lifecycle.ExtractDepotTask.HostExtractDepotFailed<Extraction of image from host hlab01.varchitected.com failed.>\n'"
}
]
}
2025-08-17 22:34:49,819 - vCSACliInstallLogger - ERROR - Exception message: Host seeding failed:(vmodl.MethodFault) {
dynamicType = <unset>,
dynamicProperty = (vmodl.DynamicProperty) [],
msg = 'MethodFault.summary',
faultCause = <unset>,
faultMessage = (vmodl.LocalizableMessage) [
(vmodl.LocalizableMessage) {
dynamicType = <unset>,
dynamicProperty = (vmodl.DynamicProperty) [],
key = 'com.vmware.vcint.error_from_vlcm',
arg = (vmodl.KeyAnyValue) [
(vmodl.KeyAnyValue) {
dynamicType = <unset>,
dynamicProperty = (vmodl.DynamicProperty) [],
key = 'vlcm_error',
value = 'Error:\n com.vmware.vapi.std.errors.error\nMessages:\n com.vmware.vcIntegrity.lifecycle.EsxImage.SoftwareInfoExtractError<An error occurred while extracting image info on the host.>\n com.vmware.vcIntegrity.lifecycle.ExtractDepotTask.HostExtractDepotFailed<Extraction of image from host hlab01.varchitected.com failed.>\n'
}
],
message = "An internal error occurred: 'Error:\n com.vmware.vapi.std.errors.error\nMessages:\n com.vmware.vcIntegrity.lifecycle.EsxImage.SoftwareInfoExtractError<An error occurred while extracting image info on the host.>\n com.vmware.vcIntegrity.lifecycle.ExtractDepotTask.HostExtractDepotFailed<Extraction of image from host hlab01.varchitected.com failed.>\n'"
}
]Part of the fix was relatively easy and had to do with removing the VIB that I used to bypass the vSAN HCL from William Lam’s GitHub:
It appears you need this for the validation, I plan to import this into VLCM to redistribute to the rest of the cluster later.
The lifecycle.log also showed this was missing, apparently you also need to stage the VM Tools VIB on the host prior to adding it to VCF.
2025-08-17T23:41:02Z In(14) lifecycle[2101592]: imagemanagerctl:1174 Calling with arguments: software --getsoftwareinfo
2025-08-17T23:41:03Z In(14) lifecycle[2101592]: HostImage:269 Installers initiated are {'quickpatch': <esximage.Installer.QuickPatchInstaller.QuickPatchInstaller object at 0x812942b990>, 'live': <esximage.Installer.LiveImageInstaller.LiveImageInstaller object at 0x812fa281d0>, 'boot': <esximage.Installer.BootBankInstaller.BootBankInstaller object at 0x812f7f16d0>, 'locker': <esximage.Installer.LockerInstaller.LockerInstaller object at 0x812fc43290>}
2025-08-17T23:41:03Z Db(15) lifecycle[2101592]: HostSeeding:864 BaseImage details : 9.0.0.0.24755229, ESXi, 9.0.0.0.24755229, 2025-06-17 00:00:00.000001
2025-08-17T23:41:03Z Er(11) lifecycle[2101592]: HostSeeding:736 BaseImg Comps are removed: {'VMware-VM-Tools'}
2025-08-17T23:41:03Z Er(11) lifecycle[2101592]: HostSeeding:919 Software info extract errors: The following Components have been removed on the host: VMware-VM-Tools
2025-08-17T23:41:03Z Er(11) lifecycle[2101592]: imagemanagerctl:506 Get Software Info Failed: The following Components have been removed on the host: VMware-VM-ToolsAfter resolving that I ended up with these errors in /var/log/lifecycle.log on the ESXi host, eluding to VIBs that aren’t in the Reserved VIB Cache Storage which can be found at the /var/vmware/lifecycle/hostSeed/ folder:
2025-08-18T00:09:23Z Db(15) lifecycle[2104496]: HostSeeding:1068 Creating directory /var/vmware/lifecycle/hostSeed
2025-08-18T00:09:23Z Db(15) lifecycle[2104496]: HostSeeding:1102 List of esxio VIB Ids:
2025-08-18T00:09:23Z Db(15) lifecycle[2104496]: Misc:93 {'VMW_bootbank_penedac-esxio_0.1-1vmw.900.0.24755229', 'VMware_bootbank_loadesxio_9.0.0-0.24755229', 'VMware_bootbank_vmware-esx-esxcli-nvme-plugin-esxio_1.4.0.2-1vmw.900.0.24755229', 'VMW_bootbank_vmkusb-esxio_0.1-28vmw.900.0.24755229', 'VMW_bootbank_nmlxbf-gige-esxio_2.3-1vmw.900.0.24755229', 'VMW_bootbank_nmlx5-cc-esxio_4.24.0.7-16vmw.900.0.24755229', 'VMW_bootbank_nvme-pcie-esxio_1.4.0.2-1vmw.900.0.24755229', 'VMware_bootbank_nsx-proto2-libs-esxio_9.0.0.0-9.0.24733064', 'VMW_bootbank_nvmxnet3-esxio_2.0.0.31-16vmw.900.0.24755229', 'VMW_bootbank_nvmetcp-esxio_2.0.0.1-1vmw.900.0.24755229', 'VMW_bootbank_rd1173-esxio_0.1-1vmw.900.0.24755229', 'VMware_bootbank_native-misc-drivers-esxio_9.0.0-0.24755229', 'VMW_bootbank_mnet-esxio_0.1-1vmw.900.0.24755229',
2025-08-18T00:09:23Z Db(15) lifecycle[2104496]: Misc:93 'VMware_bootbank_gc-esxio_9.0.0-0.24755229', 'VMW_bootbank_bfedac-esxio_0.1-1vmw.900.0.24755229', 'VMW_bootbank_spidev-esxio_0.1-1vmw.900.0.24755229', 'VMware_bootbank_esxio-combiner-esxio_9.0.0-0.24755229', 'VMW_bootbank_ionic-en-esxio_24.9.0-11vmw.900.0.24755229', 'VMW_bootbank_nsxpensandoatlas_1.46.0.E.41.2.512-2vmw.900.0.24554284', 'VMW_bootbank_nmlx5-rdma-esxio_4.24.0.7-16vmw.900.0.24755229', 'VMW_bootbank_nmlx5-core-esxio_4.24.0.7-16vmw.900.0.24755229', 'VMware_bootbank_nsx-python-logging-esxio_9.0.0.0-9.0.24733064', 'VMware_bootbank_nsx-esx-datapath-esxio_9.0.0.0-9.0.24733064', 'VMware_bootbank_nsx-python-utils-esxio_9.0.0.0-9.0.24733064', 'VMware_bootbank_esxio-dvfilter-generic-fastpath_9.0.0-0.24755229', 'VMware_bootbank_nsx-context-mux-esxio_9.0.0.0-9.0.24733064',
2025-08-18T00:09:23Z Db(15) lifecycle[2104496]: Misc:93 'VMware_bootbank_nsx-exporter-esxio_9.0.0.0-9.0.24733064', 'VMW_bootbank_nvmxnet3-ens-esxio_2.0.0.23-24vmw.900.0.24755229', 'VMware_bootbank_nsx-shared-libs-esxio_9.0.0.0-9.0.24733064', 'VMware_bootbank_esxio_9.0.0-0.24755229', 'VMware_bootbank_nsx-cfgagent-esxio_9.0.0.0-9.0.24733064', 'VMware_bootbank_nsx-opsagent-esxio_9.0.0.0-9.0.24733064', 'VMW_bootbank_nmlxbf-pmc-esxio_0.1-6vmw.900.0.24755229', 'VMware_bootbank_nsx-python-protobuf-esxio_9.0.0.0-9.0.24499934', 'VMware_bootbank_nsx-proxy-esxio_9.0.0.0-9.0.24733064', 'VMW_bootbank_pengpio-esxio_0.1-1vmw.900.0.24755229', 'VMware_bootbank_nsx-host-esxio_9.0.0.0-9.0.24733064', 'VMware_bootbank_nsx-vdpi-esxio_9.0.0.0-9.0.24733064', 'VMW_bootbank_mlnx-bfbootctl-esxio_0.1-7vmw.900.0.24755229',
2025-08-18T00:09:23Z Db(15) lifecycle[2104496]: Misc:93 'VMware_bootbank_nsx-ids-esxio_9.0.0.0-9.0.24733064', 'VMware_bootbank_nsx-mpa-esxio_9.0.0.0-9.0.24733064', 'VMware_bootbank_nsx-adf-esxio_9.0.0.0-9.0.24733064', 'VMW_bootbank_pensandoatlas_1.46.0.E.41.1.334-2vmw.900.0.24579338', 'VMware_bootbank_vsipfwlib-esxio_9.0.0.0-9.0.24733064', 'VMware_bootbank_nsx-snproxy-esxio_9.0.0.0-9.0.24733064', 'VMW_bootbank_pvscsi-esxio_0.1-7vmw.900.0.24755229', 'VMware_bootbank_nsxcli-esxio_9.0.0.0-9.0.24733064', 'VMW_bootbank_dwi2c-esxio_0.1-7vmw.900.0.24755229', 'VMW_bootbank_penspi-esxio_0.1-1vmw.900.0.24755229', 'VMware_bootbank_nsx-nestdb-esxio_9.0.0.0-9.0.24733064', 'VMware_bootbank_esxio-update_9.0.0-0.24755229', 'VMware_bootbank_nsx-cpp-libs-esxio_9.0.0.0-9.0.24733064', 'VMware_bootbank_esxio-base_9.0.0-0.24755229',
2025-08-18T00:09:23Z Db(15) lifecycle[2104496]: Misc:93 'VMware_bootbank_bmcal-esxio_9.0.0-0.24755229', 'VMware_bootbank_nsx-monitoring-esxio_9.0.0.0-9.0.24733064', 'VMware_bootbank_nsx-platform-client-esxio_9.0.0.0-9.0.24733064', 'VMware_bootbank_nsx-netopa-esxio_9.0.0.0-9.0.24733064', 'VMW_bootbank_vmksdhci-esxio_1.0.3-7vmw.900.0.24755229'}
2025-08-18T00:09:23Z In(14) lifecycle[2104496]: Depot:913 Generating vib: VMware_bootbank_vmware-hbrsrv_9.0.0-0.24755229
2025-08-18T00:09:23Z Db(15) lifecycle[2104496]: HostSeeding:119 Calculated sha256 checksum of payload hbrsrv '9b539e373a3295d3d00cb5ca0d8a1b6310f0ef00e21900d8699338e528f48a28', expected '9b539e373a3295d3d00cb5ca0d8a1b6310f0ef00e21900d8699338e528f48a28'
2025-08-18T00:09:23Z Db(15) lifecycle[2104496]: Vib:3519 Skip truncating since the payload 'hbrsrv' is unsigned.
2025-08-18T00:09:23Z Db(15) lifecycle[2104496]: Vib:3519 Skip truncating since the payload 'hbrsrv' is unsigned.
2025-08-18T00:09:23Z Db(15) lifecycle[2104496]: Vib:3519 Skip truncating since the payload 'hbrsrv' is unsigned.
2025-08-18T00:09:24Z In(14) lifecycle[2104496]: Depot:1186 VIB VMware_bootbank_vmware-hbrsrv_9.0.0-0.24755229 downloaded to /var/vmware/lifecycle/hostSeed/recreateVibs/vib20/vmware-hbrsrv/VMware_bootbank_vmware-hbrsrv_9.0.0-0.24755229.vib
2025-08-18T00:09:24Z In(14) lifecycle[2104496]: Depot:913 Generating vib: VMW_bootbank_penedac-esxio_0.1-1vmw.900.0.24755229
2025-08-18T00:09:24Z Er(11) lifecycle[2104496]: HostSeeding:1136 Extract depot failed: ('VMW_bootbank_penedac-esxio_0.1-1vmw.900.0.24755229', 'Failed to add reserved VIB VMW_bootbank_penedac-esxio_0.1-1vmw.900.0.24755229: not found in the reserved VIB cache storage')
2025-08-18T00:09:24Z Er(11) lifecycle[2104496]: imagemanagerctl:399 Extract depot failed.
2025-08-18T00:09:24Z Er(11) lifecycle[2104496]: imagemanagerctl:122 [ReservedVibExtractError]
2025-08-18T00:09:24Z Er(11)[+] lifecycle[2104496]: ('VMW_bootbank_penedac-esxio_0.1-1vmw.900.0.24755229', 'Failed to add reserved VIB VMW_bootbank_penedac-esxio_0.1-1vmw.900.0.24755229: not found in the reserved VIB cache storage')
2025-08-18T00:09:24Z Er(11) lifecycle[2104496]: imagemanagerctl:127 Traceback (most recent call last):
2025-08-18T00:09:24Z Er(11) lifecycle[2104496]: imagemanagerctl:127 File "/lib64/python3.11/site-packages/vmware/esximage/Depot.py", line 931, in GenerateVib
2025-08-18T00:09:24Z Er(11) lifecycle[2104496]: imagemanagerctl:127 resVibPath = resVibCache.getVibLocation(vibobj.id)
2025-08-18T00:09:24Z Er(11) lifecycle[2104496]: imagemanagerctl:127 File "/lib64/python3.11/site-packages/vmware/esximage/ImageManager/HostSeeding.py", line 1271, in getVibLocation
2025-08-18T00:09:24Z Er(11) lifecycle[2104496]: imagemanagerctl:127 raise VibNotInCacheError('VIB %s is not available in cached locations'
2025-08-18T00:09:24Z Er(11) lifecycle[2104496]: imagemanagerctl:127 esximage.ImageManager.HostSeeding.VibNotInCacheError: VIB VMW_bootbank_penedac-esxio_0.1-1vmw.900.0.24755229 is not available in cached locations
2025-08-18T00:09:24Z Er(11) lifecycle[2104496]: imagemanagerctl:127
2025-08-18T00:09:24Z Er(11) lifecycle[2104496]: imagemanagerctl:127 During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:
2025-08-18T00:09:24Z Er(11) lifecycle[2104496]: imagemanagerctl:127
2025-08-18T00:09:24Z Er(11) lifecycle[2104496]: imagemanagerctl:127 Traceback (most recent call last):
2025-08-18T00:09:24Z Er(11) lifecycle[2104496]: imagemanagerctl:127 File "/usr/lib/vmware/lifecycle/bin/imagemanagerctl.py", line 397, in depots
2025-08-18T00:09:24Z Er(11) lifecycle[2104496]: imagemanagerctl:127 HostSeeding.InstalledImageInfo().extractDepot(task)
2025-08-18T00:09:24Z Er(11) lifecycle[2104496]: imagemanagerctl:127 File "/lib64/python3.11/site-packages/vmware/esximage/ImageManager/HostSeeding.py", line 1120, in extractDepot
2025-08-18T00:09:24Z Er(11) lifecycle[2104496]: imagemanagerctl:127 Depot.DepotFromImageProfile(newProfile, depotDir,
2025-08-18T00:09:24Z Er(11) lifecycle[2104496]: imagemanagerctl:127 File "/lib64/python3.11/site-packages/vmware/esximage/Depot.py", line 1341, in DepotFromImageProfile
2025-08-18T00:09:24Z Er(11) lifecycle[2104496]: imagemanagerctl:127 return DepotFromImageProfiles(imgprofiles, depotdir, vibdownloadfn, vendor,
2025-08-18T00:09:24Z Er(11) lifecycle[2104496]: imagemanagerctl:127 File "/lib64/python3.11/site-packages/vmware/esximage/Depot.py", line 1184, in DepotFromImageProfiles
2025-08-18T00:09:24Z Er(11) lifecycle[2104496]: imagemanagerctl:127 vibdownloadfn(localfn, allRelatedVibs[vibid],
2025-08-18T00:09:24Z Er(11) lifecycle[2104496]: imagemanagerctl:127 File "/lib64/python3.11/site-packages/vmware/esximage/Depot.py", line 934, in GenerateVib
2025-08-18T00:09:24Z Er(11) lifecycle[2104496]: imagemanagerctl:127 raise Errors.ReservedVibExtractError(vibobj.id,
2025-08-18T00:09:24Z Er(11) lifecycle[2104496]: imagemanagerctl:127 esximage.Errors.ReservedVibExtractError: ('VMW_bootbank_penedac-esxio_0.1-1vmw.900.0.24755229', 'Failed to add reserved VIB VMW_bootbank_penedac-esxio_0.1-1vmw.900.0.24755229: not found in the reserved VIB cache storage')Additional evidence from vCenter Recent Tasks pane:
This happened through trial and error, I then figured I needed to split the io VIBs to the correct directories in the Reserved VIB Cache Storage. Errors started to resolve until…
And now I made sure that the tools-light was the correct version in the Reserved VIB Cache Storage, the Offline Depot (VMware-ESXi-9.0.0.0100.24813472-depot.zip) had an outdated version.
Okay, it never ends… I’m trying to get this going before I run out of day light… On the bright side I get enough time inside of vCenter before the deployment Workflow kills the VM to get a glimpse of the error from the Recent Tasks pane.
There’s some official guidance to this on the in KB 402817 on the Broadcom site:
https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article/402817/failed-to-extract-image-from-the-host-no.html
After a little bit of patience, we got through the errors in the workflows…
Now we have a SDDC Manager, vCenter, NSX, Fleet Management, and VCF Operations kicking off.
And this is what a 3-node MS-A2 with vSAN and (2) 4TB Samsung 990 EVO Plus NVMe Drives looks like this:
