VxRail: Fail to Install VIB Due to Insufficient Space in Bootbank on ESXi Host

Summary: This article explains why fails to install vSphere Installation Bundle (VIB) on an ESXi host and how to handle it.

This article applies to This article does not apply to This article is not tied to any specific product. Not all product versions are identified in this article.
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Symptoms

When a user attempts to install VIB on an ESXi host, it may fail.

Command output is similar to:

[root@exsi-host1:/tmp] esxcli software vib install -v /tmp/NVIDIA-VMware_ESXi_6.7_Host_Driver-430.46-1OEM.670.0.0.8169922.x86_64.vib
 [InstallationError]
 The pending transaction requires 240 MB free space, however the maximum supported size is 239 MB.
 Please refer to the log file for more details.

In /var/log/esxupdate.log file on the affected ESXi host, you see entries similar to:

2016-02-04T12:19:23Z esxupdate: BootBankInstaller.pyc: ERROR: The pending transaction requires xxx MB free space, however the maximum supported size is xxx MB.

 

Cause

/bootbank partition stores the hypervisor image. It is formatted with FAT format and 250 MB size. The image is extracted into the system memory during the boot process.
Stored hypervisor image in /bootbank partition

This issue occurs when the bootbank partition runs out of space.

 

Resolution

There is no resolution for adjusting the size of the bootbank partition. To work around this issue, free the space on the bootbank by uninstalling nonrequired VIBs on the ESXi host.

Note: If you are not sure about which VIB could be removed safely, contact Technical Support and quote this Knowledge Base article (541606) in the problem description.

To list all installed VIBs, use esxcli software vib list command.
esxcli software vib list command output

To get detailed information about a VIB, use esxcli software vib get -n <vib_name> command.
esxcli software vib get command output

To remove a VIB, use esxcli software vib remove -n <vib_name> command.
esxcli software vib remove command output

 

Affected Products

VxRail, VxRail 460 and 470 Nodes, VxRail Appliance Series, VxRail G Series Nodes, VxRail D Series Nodes, VxRail D560, VxRail D560F, VxRail E Series Nodes, VxRail E460, VxRail E560, VxRail E560F, VxRail E560N, VxRail E660, VxRail E660F, VxRail E660N , VxRail E665, VxRail E665F, VxRail E665N, VxRail G560, VxRail G560F, VxRail P Series Nodes, VxRail P470, VxRail P570, VxRail P570F, VxRail P580N, VxRail P670F, VxRail P670N, VxRail P675F, VxRail P675N, VxRail S Series Nodes, VxRail S470, VxRail S570, VxRail S670, VxRail Software, VxRail V Series Nodes, VxRail V470, VxRail V570, VxRail V570F, VXRAIL V670F, VxRail VD-4510C, VxRail VD-4520C, VxRail VD Series Nodes, VxRail VE-660, VxRail VE-6615, VxRail VP-760, VxRail VP-7625, VxRail VS-760 ...
Article Properties
Article Number: 000078400
Article Type: Solution
Last Modified: 30 Jul 2025
Version:  6
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