I wanted to upgrade my 6.0u1b Windows vCenters to 6.0u2 to start off the QA process, but unfortunately I hit a 1603 error. The TSE I worked with saw a few errors from VMware Syslog Collector and some internal PRs. The following is what he saw in my logs:

./VMware-VCS-logs-20160328151544/vminst.log 2016-03-28 15:12:20.292-05:00| vcsInstUtil-3634789| I: StartStopVCSServices: Running command '"C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe" /S > /C ""E:\Program Files\VMware\vCenter Server\bin\service-control.bat"" --start --all'... 2016-03-28 15:12:20.292-05:00| vcsInstUtil-3634789| I: StartStopVCSServices: Waiting for VC services to start... 2016-03-28 15:15:44.773-05:00| vcsInstUtil-3634789| E: StartStopVCSServices: Unable to start VC services 2016-03-28 15:15:44.773-05:00| vcsInstUtil-3634789| I: Leaving function: VM_StartVcsServices 2016-03-28 15:15:44.788-05:00| vcsInstUtil-3634789| E: LaunchPkgMgr: Overall operation has failed 2016-03-28 15:15:44.819-05:00| vcsInstUtil-3634789| I: Entering function: VM_FinishInstallWithError ./VMware-VCS-logs-20160328151544/vcs_logs/firstboot/run-updateboot-scripts.log 2016-03-28T20:05:05.929Z Successfully started service vdcs Service: vmsyslogcollector, Action: start 2016-03-28T20:05:05.943Z State for service vmsyslogcollector: STOPPED Unable to start service vmsyslogcollector, Exception: { "resolution": null, "detail": [ { "args": [ "vmsyslogcollector" ], "id": "install.ciscommon.service.failstart", "localized": "An error occurred while starting service 'vmsyslogcollector'", "translatable": "An error occurred while starting service '%(0)s'" } ], "componentKey": null, "problemId": null } 2016-03-28T20:05:11.302Z ERROR run-updateboot-scripts Failed to start all services. RC=1. Details: INFO:root:Service: vmware-cis-config, Action: start . . . INFO:root:Service: vdcs, Action: start INFO:root:Service: vmsyslogcollector, Action: start 2016-03-28T20:05:11.160Z Error waiting for service vmsyslogcollector start. Exit code: 0 Current State: 1 ERROR:root:Unable to start service vmsyslogcollector, Exception: { "resolution": null, "detail": [ { "args": [ "vmsyslogcollector" ], "id": "install.ciscommon.service.failstart", "localized": "An error occurred while starting service 'vmsyslogcollector'", "translatable": "An error occurred while starting service '%(0)s'" } ], "componentKey": null, "problemId": null } 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 . / VMware - VCS - logs - 20160328151544 / vminst . log 2016 - 03 - 28 15 : 12 : 20.292 - 05 : 00 | vcsInstUtil - 3634789 | I : StartStopVCSServices : Running command '"C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe" /S > /C ""E:\Program Files\VMware\vCenter Server\bin\service-control.bat"" --start --all' . . . 2016 - 03 - 28 15 : 12 : 20.292 - 05 : 00 | vcsInstUtil - 3634789 | I : StartStopVCSServices : Waiting for VC services to start . . . 2016 - 03 - 28 15 : 15 : 44.773 - 05 : 00 | vcsInstUtil - 3634789 | E : StartStopVCSServices : Unable to start VC services 2016 - 03 - 28 15 : 15 : 44.773 - 05 : 00 | vcsInstUtil - 3634789 | I : Leaving function : VM _ StartVcsServices 2016 - 03 - 28 15 : 15 : 44.788 - 05 : 00 | vcsInstUtil - 3634789 | E : LaunchPkgMgr : Overall operation has failed 2016 - 03 - 28 15 : 15 : 44.819 - 05 : 00 | vcsInstUtil - 3634789 | I : Entering function : VM _ FinishInstallWithError . / VMware - VCS - logs - 20160328151544 / vcs_logs / firstboot / run - updateboot - scripts . log 2016 - 03 - 28T20 : 05 : 05.929Z Successfully started service vdcs Service : vmsyslogcollector , Action : start 2016 - 03 - 28T20 : 05 : 05.943Z State for service vmsyslogcollector : STOPPED Unable to start service vmsyslogcollector , Exception : { "resolution" : null , "detail" : [ { "args" : [ "vmsyslogcollector" ] , "id" : "install.ciscommon.service.failstart" , "localized" : "An error occurred while starting service 'vmsyslogcollector'" , "translatable" : "An error occurred while starting service '%(0)s'" } ] , "componentKey" : null , "problemId" : null } 2016 - 03 - 28T20 : 05 : 11.302Z ERROR run - updateboot - scripts Failed to start all services . RC = 1. Details : INFO : root : Service : vmware - cis - config , Action : start . . . INFO : root : Service : vdcs , Action : start INFO : root : Service : vmsyslogcollector , Action : start 2016 - 03 - 28T20 : 05 : 11.160Z Error waiting for service vmsyslogcollector start . Exit code : 0 Current State : 1 ERROR : root : Unable to start service vmsyslogcollector , Exception : { "resolution" : null , "detail" : [ { "args" : [ "vmsyslogcollector" ] , "id" : "install.ciscommon.service.failstart" , "localized" : "An error occurred while starting service 'vmsyslogcollector'" , "translatable" : "An error occurred while starting service '%(0)s'" } ] , "componentKey" : null , "problemId" : null }

If you go to services.msc, you may see the VMware Syslog Collector NOT started even though it’s set to start automatically

Open C:\ProgramData\VMware\vCenterServer\cfg\vmsyslogcollector\

make a copy of config.xml

Open config.xml in Notepad, you may see something like this with a lot of variables:

Replace the contents with the following. Adjust the install path and the vCenter name as needed:

<Config> <defaultInstallPath>C:\Program Files\VMware\vCenter Server\vmsyslogcollector\</defaultInstallPath> <defaultConfigPath>C:\ProgramData\VMware\vCenterServer\cfg\vmsyslogcollector\</defaultConfigPath> <defaultLogPath>C:\ProgramData\VMware\vCenterServer\logs\vmsyslogcollector\</defaultLogPath> <defaultDataPath>C:\ProgramData\VMware\vCenterServer\data\vmsyslogcollector</defaultDataPath> <serviceAddress>ENTER YOUR VCENTER FQDN HERE</serviceAddress> <defaultWebPort>8109</defaultWebPort> <defaultValues> <maxSize>2</maxSize> <rotate>8</rotate> <port>514</port> <protocol>tcp,udp</protocol> <sslPort>1514</sslPort> </defaultValues> <ssl> <defaultSSLPath>C:\ProgramData\VMware\vCenterServer\cfg\vmsyslogcollector\ssl</defaultSSLPath> <privateKey>vmsyslogcollector.key</privateKey> <certificate>vmsyslogcollector.crt</certificate> </ssl> <vCenterServer> <address>ENTER YOUR VCENTER FQDN HERE</address> <port>80</port> <user>Administrator@vsphere.local</user> </vCenterServer> <messageFormat> <hostnamePosition>1</hostnamePosition> </messageFormat> <events> <start>C:\Program Files\VMware\vCenter Server\vmsyslogcollector\bin\vecsync.bat</start> <stop></stop> </events> <debug> <level>1</level> </debug> </Config> 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 < Config > < defaultInstallPath > C : \ Program Files \ VMware \ vCenter Server \ vmsyslogcollector \ < / defaultInstallPath > < defaultConfigPath > C : \ ProgramData \ VMware \ vCenterServer \ cfg \ vmsyslogcollector \ < / defaultConfigPath > < defaultLogPath > C : \ ProgramData \ VMware \ vCenterServer \ logs \ vmsyslogcollector \ < / defaultLogPath > < defaultDataPath > C : \ ProgramData \ VMware \ vCenterServer \ data \ vmsyslogcollector < / defaultDataPath > < serviceAddress > ENTER YOUR VCENTER FQDN HERE < / serviceAddress > < defaultWebPort > 8109 < / defaultWebPort > < defaultValues > < maxSize > 2 < / maxSize > < rotate > 8 < / rotate > < port > 514 < / port > < protocol > tcp , udp < / protocol > < sslPort > 1514 < / sslPort > < / defaultValues > < ssl > < defaultSSLPath > C : \ ProgramData \ VMware \ vCenterServer \ cfg \ vmsyslogcollector \ ssl < / defaultSSLPath > < privateKey > vmsyslogcollector . key < / privateKey > < certificate > vmsyslogcollector . crt < / certificate > < / ssl > < vCenterServer > < address > ENTER YOUR VCENTER FQDN HERE < / address > < port > 80 < / port > < user > Administrator @ vsphere . local < / user > < / vCenterServer > < messageFormat > < hostnamePosition > 1 < / hostnamePosition > < / messageFormat > < events > < start > C : \ Program Files \ VMware \ vCenter Server \ vmsyslogcollector \ bin \ vecsync . bat < / start > < stop > < / stop > < / events > < debug > < level > 1 < / level > < / debug > < / Config >

Open a command prompt to C:\Program Files\VMware\vCenter Server\bin (adjust the install path as needed)

Run the following

service-control –start –all

Validate that Syslog Collector is running, retry the upgrade