vmware.esximage.Errors.DatabaseIOError: "Database directory /vmfs/volumes/xxxxx/packages/var/db/locker does not exist"

[Jason Kearney]

This message was sent from someone inside the Miner's Inc. organization.

Upgrading VMware ESXI 7.0.3.23794027 to VMware ESXI 8.0.3.2428076 on HPE Gen11 server. Doing via ILO and attaching ISO. ISO is custom image for HPE Gen 10/11 servers.

Once Initiated and installer is Scanning System the error below is shown at the top of the screen.

*********An unexpected error occurred**************
See logs for details

Vmware.esximage.Errors.DatabaseIOError: (‘/vmfs/volumes/xxxxxxxxxxx/packages/var/db/locker’, “Database directory ‘/vmfs/volumes/xxxxxxxxx/packages/var/db/locker’ does not exist, “)

Our OS Volume Partition is 10gb and is only 57% in use.

Looking for help on how to fix and move forward with Upgrade rather than do clean reload. Not sure if I can repair or clean up the Lun to resolve. Error states directory does not exist but I does which makes me uncertain on fix.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated

Thank you,

Jason Kearney​​​​
IT Specialist

[M.Z.D.E]

Hi,

exactly same issue here: Upgrade via IPMI and attached ISO from 7.0.3, 2193050 to 8.0U3-24022510 (default ISO). Same error message is also shown with ISO 8.0U2b-23305546. Any idea how to fix this would be apreciated!

[David Munoz]

Same error here, the issue was storage capacity of the ESXi OS Disk, we use boot from SAN, disk of 20gb, the minimum Capacity required is 32gb for boot from SAN Disk (Link here), we increased the disk to 40gb and upgrade without problems.

[Jason Kearney]

Came to that conclusion as well and since i could not find any other options I created a separate volume and installed EXSI 8.0 and then migrated my environment.  Wish there was an easier way but this does look like the only path.

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Jason Kearney
IT Specialist
Miners Inc.
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