Patching the PSC 6.0 Appliance using the AMI?

[AndyDodsworth]

Hey there,

I can't seem to find a definitive answer in the support section so I'm throwing this out there...

I need to patch our PSC 6.0 appliance (and vCenter appliance accordingly) from 6.0.0 U1 to 6.0.0 U2 and I was wondering if I can perform this installation upgrade using the Appliance Management Interface (AMI)?

I can log in to the PSC using the AMI and I see the upgrade available, but nowhere does it say I can use this to perform the upgrade - only via the Shell from what I've read.

As a side note: When it comes to upgrading the vCenter 6.0 appliance, the documentation states you can use the AMI for this.

[vijayrana968]

Here we go :

vSphere 6.0 Documentation Center  - Patching the vCenter Server Appliance by Using the Appliance Management Interface

Log In to the vCenter Server Appliance Management Interface

Configure the Repository for URL-Based Patching

Check for and Install vCenter Server Appliance Patches

Enable Automatic Checks for vCenter Server Appliance Patches

[AndyDodsworth]

Thanks for the reply vijayrana968‌.

I had already reviewed that documentation but all installation steps relate to the vCenter Server Appliance and not the PSC specifically - I'm going to assume that the two are interchangeable at this point - although I do appreciate that the PSC has be upgraded first. Thanks again.

[vijayrana968]

Yes, I also didn't find it through AMI.

I assume you have gone through below information : https://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=21131... Questions

When do I Patch (Appliance) or Update (Windows) a PSC 6.0?

The Platform Services Controller and the vSphere Domain sit above the vCenter Server and the rest of the VMware Product stack. When planning an update for your vSphere environment, the Platform Services Controller(s) are the first system that needs to be patched or updated. At this time, updating the Platform Services Controllers must be performed in a serial fashion where each PSC is updated one by one. Parallel installation of patches or updates on PSCs is not supported.

When patching your vSphere Domain environment, VMware recommends to always patch all of the PSCs at the same time to bring them to the same version.

For more information on the sequence of updating your vSphere environment, see https://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&docTypeID=DT_KB_1_1&externalId=...Update sequence for vSphere 6.0 and its compatible VMware products (2109760).

How do I check the current vSphere version or build number that my PSC 6.0 is running?

• Checking the Platform Services Controller Appliance:

1. SSH to the appliance and log in with root.
2. Run the command:
   
   com.vmware.appliance.version1.system.version.get
   
   You see output with the build number, the release date of the build, and type of the Appliance.
   
   For example:
   
   Version:
   Product: VMware vCenter Server Appliance
   Summary: Patch for VMware vCenter Server Appliance 6.0
   Releasedate: June 16, 2015
   Version: 6.0.0.5120
   Build: 2800573
   Type: VMware Platform Services Controller

• Checking the Platform Services Controller for Windows:

1. Remote desktop to the Windows Server
2. Open an administrative command prompt
3. Run this command to get the build number:
   
   reg query "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\VMware, Inc.\vCenter Server" /v BuildNumber
   
   For example:
   
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\VMware, Inc.\vCenter Server
   BuildNumber REG_SZ 2800572
   
   
4. Run this command to get the type of deployment:
   
   reg query "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\VMware, Inc.\vCenter Server" /v INSTALL_TYPE
   
   For example:
   
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\VMware, Inc.\vCenter Server
   INSTALL_TYPE REG_SZ infrastructure
   
   There are two types that can be displayed here:
   • Embedded indicates the PSC is embedded with the vCenter Server.
   • Infrastructure indicated that the PSC was deployed separate from the vCenter Server

How do I Patch (Appliance) or Update (Windows) a PSC 6.0?The Platform Services Controller Appliance and the Platform Services Controller for Windows use different update mechanisms to patch the software. This includes using the software-packages for the Appliance and running the autorun executable from Windows. Due to the differences, when using the appliance, it is often referred to as Patching; when using the Windows equivalent, it is referred to as Updating. The below operations results in updating your PSC(s) to the latest versions of vSphere 6.0.

• Patching the Platform Services Controller Appliance:
  
  The Patches for the Platform Services Controller Appliance are located on the https://my.vmware.com/group/vmware/patch#searchMyVMware Patch Repository.

1. Download the Patch ISO for the the Platform Services Controller Appliance.
2. Mount the ISO to the Appliance using the vSphere Client or vSphere Web Client
3. SSH to the appliance and log in with root.
4. Ensure you are running the Platform Services Controller appliance under the Appliance Shell. For more information, seehttps://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&docTypeID=DT_KB_1_1&externalId=...Toggling the vCenter Server Appliance 6.x default shell (2100508).
5. Stage the patches from the mounted ISO by running the command:
   
   software-packages stage --iso --acceptEulas
   
   
6. Install the staged patches by running the command:
   
   software-packages install --staged
   
7. If prompted, reboot the Platform Services Controller Appliance:
   
   1. Run this command to enable the Bash shell:
      
      shell.set --enabled True
      
      
   2. Run this command to access the Bash shell:
      
      shell
      
      
   3. Run this command to reboot the PSC:
      
      reboot
      
8. After completion, repeat this process on any additional Platform Services Controllers.

• Updating the Platform Services Controller for Windows:
  
  The Updates for the Platform Services Controller for Windows are located on the MyVMware Downloads.

1. Download the latest ISO for the Windows vCenter Server 6.0
2. Mount the ISO to the Platform Services Controller
3. In the software installer, double-click the autorun.exe file to start the update.
   The installer will run to identify which versions of Platform Services Controller you are using and will identify if it needs to be upgraded.
4. Click Next, Accept the EULA
5. Click Next
6. Click Update
7. If prompted, reboot the Platform Services Controller system.
8. After completion, repeat this process on any additional Platform Services Controllers.

[AndyDodsworth · Accepted solution]

Yes, I read that too.

Just to confirm - I did indeed use the AMI to update my PSC first, then the VCSA, from 6.0 U1 to 6.0 U2.

Access the AMI's via the URLs:

https://[PSC IP]:5480

https://[VCSA IP]:5480

Using 'root' as the username and your corresponding password.

All is good!

[vijayrana968]

Cool.