Instead of accessing the vSphere Lifecycle Manager depot in vCenter Server, clusters or hosts in Remote Office and Branch Office (ROBO) deployments can download data from a depot that is local for them. You can configure vSphere Lifecycle Manager to use local depots for any cluster or standalone host that uses images.

A ROBO cluster or a ROBO standalone host has limited or no access to the Internet or limited connectivity to vCenter Server. As a result, clusters and standalone hosts in ROBO deployments might have limited access to the vSphere Lifecycle Manager depot during the compliance check, remediation pre-check, and remediation operations.

With vSphere Lifecycle Manager images, you can use a local depot for ROBO clusters and hosts, and configure vSphere Lifecycle Manager to use the local depot during the compliance check, remediation pre-check, and the remediation tasks. The local depot overrides the vSphere Lifecycle Manager depot. Using local depots with ROBO clusters and ROBO standalone hosts saves time and network bandwidth.

Starting with vSphere 8.0 Update 1, you can manage local depot overrides for ROBO standalone hosts in the vSphere Client and by using the vSphere Automation API.

For each cluster or standalone host that you manage with a single image, you can add and use multiple local depots instead of the default vSphere Lifecycle Manager depot. You can also delete the depot overrides that you configure. If depot overrides are not active for a cluster or a standalone host, the cluster or the host uses the general vSphere Lifecycle Manager depot in vCenter Server.

Prerequisites

  • Set up an online depot to which the cluster or host can connect.

  • Export an offline bundle with components from a vSphere Lifecycle Manager image and import the offline bundle to the target local depot.

  • Verify that you have the proper privileges. See vSphere Lifecycle Manager Privileges For Using Images.

Procedure

  1. In the vSphere Client, navigate to a cluster or a standalone host that you manage with a single image.
  2. On the Updates tab, select Hosts > Image.
  3. In the Image Compliance card, click the horizontal ellipsis icon and select Manage depot overrides.

    The Manage depot overrides dialog box appears.

  4. Select your task.
    Option Description

    Add depot overrides

    Enter a URL or a file path to a local depot and click Add.

    The depot is added to the Depot override URL list.

    Delete a depot override

    Click the horizontal ellipsis icon for a depot override from the list and click Delete.

    The depot is removed from the Depot override URL list.
  5. Click Close.

Results

In the Image Compliance pane, you see a notification if depot overrides are active for the cluster or the standalone host.