Cannot put host in maintenance mode if vm is on = can't patch host

[Sharantyr]

Hi,

In esxi3.5 I had my vclient on a vm and I could successfully use the patch program to patch my host for security updates such as firmware / tools upgrade.

N ow in vsphere it ask to put hostin maintenance mode and maintenance mode is not working because VMs are running on it.

How can I patch since my vsphere client and host patcher programs are on a VM inside the ESXi I'm trying to patch ?!

[AntonVZhbankov]

Install vSphere client and Host update utility on your desktop or any other Windows machine.

---

VMware vExpert '2009

http://blog.vadmin.ru

[Joshua_Mally]

You can vmotion the vm to a different host and then put the host in maintance mode and do the update.

If you found this information useful, please consider awarding points for "Correct" or "Helpful". Thanks!!!

-Josh

Trying to learn

[Sharantyr]

I'm not idiot, I know installing on a dedicated machine would solve the problem.

I'm saying that in 3.5 it was not a problem, now it IS a problem.

Why change this? Any way I can get ride of this? Etc.

[bulletprooffool]

If your host is not in a DRS/HA cluster, it can not vMotion your VMs off, so won't go into maintenance mode until you shut / suspend the VMs

[AntonVZhbankov]

IMHO it was a problem with 3.5 that it allowed user to patch host with running VMs. So that just depends on point of view.

Actually it's a kinda bit weird to manage ESXi from VM running on the same ESXi.

---

VMware vExpert '2009

http://blog.vadmin.ru

[Sharantyr]

Yes I know, but it was very handy to have all the servers in one box in one place.

This makes mandatory for me to have 1 esxi box + 1 box to manage it.

Is there any way to remove the new behavior or it's hard coded and can't be changed?

[J1mbo]

> This makes mandatory for me to have 1 esxi box + 1 box to manage it.

Not really, just use the physical machine you're sitting at for the two components instead of a VM, as said above.

[dab]

This makes mandatory for me to have 1 esxi box + 1 box to manage it.

Not really, just use the physical machine you're sitting at for the two components instead of a VM, as said above.

Then you have the next problem if your internet connection only works if the VMs are up, since it's impossible to really download the patches trough VIHostUpdateUtility. You only download the Meta-Files, during patching you need the internet connection to download them.

The solution for me was the download to fixes manually, copying them to the esx /scratch volume, shutdown all VMs, patch the esx from console or SSH by using esxupdate ...

Daniel

---

If you find this or any other answer useful please consider awarding points by marking the answer correct or helpful

[Sharantyr]

Not really handy

I have the same problem for you (how download patches when your routing machine is a vm) but in addition I don't have a physical machine "avaible. I'm working in several distant places and I need to be abble to remotly patch ESXi hosts without shutting down all the VMs.