How to I resolve an issue with the WindowsOsUpdateextension in a "Creating" state after an attempted upgrade of the extension?

Question

I've recently started having Windows computers failing with update assessments and patching in Azure Update Manager. I did some investigation, and I see that the "WindowsOsUpdateextension" for the servers is in a "Creating" state. The version was going from 1.18.0 to 1.19.0. I do not see any files for the new version on the computer in the "C:\Packages" folder. And the error I can see in one of the logs is below. I have not made any firewall changes that should affect the ability for the files to download/install. Any help you can offer will be appreciated! This is happening to about half of my computers now.

Answer 1

Hello Alan Kozarian,

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A and thank you for posting your questions here.

Problem

Sequel to your questions, I understand that you are having an issue with the WindowsOsUpdateextension in Azure Update Manager, where it's stuck in a "Creating" state after attempting to upgrade from version 1.18.0 to 1.19.0.

Scenario

Alan Kozarian, who manages Azure services, is having trouble with Windows computers not updating properly through Azure Update Manager. After looking into it, he finds that when trying to upgrade the WindowsOsUpdateextension from version 1.18.0 to 1.19.0, it gets stuck in a "Creating" state. Strangely, even though he hasn't changed any firewall settings, the new version files are missing from the computers' "C:\Packages" folder. The logs show errors during the update process. This issue is affecting about half of Alan's computers, making it hard for them to get important updates and stay secure.

Solution

This prescribed solution was based on the scenario given and your questions, while focusing on the problem statement.

1. This issue can occur when an update fails or times out. One possible solution is to restart the services on the affected machine and wait for the extension to fail, then remove it. If the VM is still in this state after 8 hours, restart the VM from the Azure portal. If the problem persists, you might need to completely stop the VM to a stopped (deallocated) status, then boot it back up.
2. About the missing Version Files, the package directory for the extension is C:\Packages\Plugins\Microsoft.CPlat.Core.WindowsPatchExtension<version>. If the new version files are missing from this directory, it could be due to a conflict with other VM extensions or a problem with the VM agent5. You might need to temporarily disable or remove the extensions, restart the VMs, and observe if the status updates correctly.
3. The logs related to all actions performed by the extension can be found in C:\WindowsAzure\Logs\Plugins\Microsoft.CPlat.Core.WindowsPatchExtension<version>. These logs contain information related to the patch actions and any problems encountered in the process4. If there are errors during the update process, you might need to review these logs for more detailed information.

Finally

The solution provided are based on your unique scenario. However, the actual solution may vary depending on the specific errors and the environment you might discover in the log as mentioned above. If these steps do not resolve the issue, I recommend reaching out to Azure Support for further assistance via your Azure Portal.

References

Source: Troubleshoot issues with Azure Update Manager. Accessed, 5/9/2024.

You can also read more from additional resources, available by the right side of this page.

Accept Answer

I hope this is helpful! Do not hesitate to let me know if you have any other questions.

Please remember to "Accept Answer" if answer helped, so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution.

Best Regards,

Sina Salam

Answer 2

This issue is resolved. On one of the affected Windows Computers, the WindowsOSUpdateExtension install eventually showed as "Failed" in the Azure Arc Portal. I was then able to choose "Uninstall Extension". After a few minutes, it uninstalled. I then went back to the Azure Update Manager Portal for the device, and initiated a manual assessment (Check for Updates). Once I did this, the WindowsOSUpdateExtension install was automatically started, and completed successfully per the Azure Arc Portal. I did this for the remaining Windows Computers that had the same issue, and the are all working now. I am thinking that the "Fix" was that the download locations used for the Extension Install were updated to include all of the needed/correct files. Thanks for your help on this!

Answer 3

Answer is Above

Answer 4

The solution for us after a number of VM's ended up with broken OS Patch extensions was to;

1. Run azcmagent extension list from each machine, ensuring the extensions show...
2. Run azcmagent extension remove --name <ExtensionName> which does sometimes fail, but can be ran again for a success removal
3. Check the extensions tab on the Arc server and ensure its "Failed"
4. In Azure Update Manager, run an assessment where the extension is then redeployed.