Upgrade VM

[PKKR]

How to ugrade VM? Can someone please tell the detailed steps? If it is through update manager, please tell the detailed steps.

How to upgrade VM without using update manager?

Thanks,

Prashant

[LucD · Accepted solution]

Thread moved to the ESXi community

[aravinds3107]

You mean upgraing Virtual hardware version on a VM

Which version of host and vCenter are you running?

[Virtualinfra]

1. You need to update the vmare tool of the VM, whenever a esxi host is updated with latest version and you need to upgrade the virtual machine hardware when ever you upgrade the esxi host.

refer the below KB for more information on how to upgrade the hardware version of virtual machine

http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1010675

[UmeshAhuja]

Hi,

You can upgrade the hardware version of virtual machines to the latest version of ESXi in use. For virtual machines that are running on ESXi 5.x, VMware recommends that you upgrade the virtual hardware to version 8.

When upgrading virtual hardware, consider these points:

• When you upgrade from virtual hardware version 4 to version 8, the upgrade is reversible if you take a virtual machine backup or snapshot before performing the upgrade.
  
• Upgraded virtual machines cannot be powered on by an ESX 2.x host, even if relocated to a VMFS2 datastore.
  
• To automate this process, consider using Update Manager for virtual machine upgrades. For more information, see the VMware vCenter Update Manager Installation and Administration Guide.
  
• Update Manager takes automatic snapshots before performing virtual machine upgrades. For more information, see Perform an Orchestrated Upgrade of Virtual Machines with vSphere Update Manager in the vSphere Upgrade Guide.
  
• When you upgrade virtual hardware, no downtime is required for vCenter Server or ESX/ESXi hosts. For virtual machines, the only significant downtime is the time to shutdown and restart the guest operating systems.
  

Before you upgrade the virtual hardware:

2. Create a backup or snapshot of the virtual machine. See the Virtual Machine Administration Guide.
   
3. Upgrade VMware Tools. On Microsoft Windows virtual machines, if you upgrade the virtual hardware before you upgrade VMware Tools, the virtual machine might lose its network settings.
   
4. Verify that all .vmdk files are available to the ESX/ESXi host on a VMFS3, VMFS5, or NFS datastore.
   
5. Verify that the virtual machines are stored on VMFS3, VMFS5 or NFS datastores.
   
6. Determine the version of the virtual hardware by selecting the virtual machine from the vSphere Client or vSphere Web Client and clicking the Summary tab. The VM Version label displays the virtual hardware version.
   

Upgrading virtual hardware on a single virtual machine

To upgrade the virtual hardware of a single virtual machine:

1. Start the vSphere Client or vSphere Web Client and log in to the vCenter Server.
   
2. Power off the virtual machine.
   
3. Right-click the virtual machine and select the menu option to upgrade virtual hardware.
   • In vSphere Client, the option is Upgrade Virtual Hardware.
     
   • In vSphere Web Client, the option is Configuration > Upgrade Virtual Hardware
     
     The software upgrades the virtual hardware to the latest supported version.
     
     Note: The Upgrade Virtual Hardware option appears if the virtual hardware on the virtual machine is not the latest supported version.
     
     
     
4. Click Yes to continue with the virtual hardware upgrade.
   
5. Power on the virtual machine.
   
   Note: If the virtual machine has a Microsoft Windows guest operating system, the operating system detects a new device, configures the device, and prompts you to reboot the guest operating system. If any unknown devices are recognized, the operating system prompts you to configure the device manually.
   
   
   
6. For Windows guest operating systems, reboot the guest operating system to make the changes take effect.
   

Above process is refferable from http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=101067...

[PKKR]

Yes i asked about how to upgrade hardware version on a VM., got the answer from other guy., Thank You.

-Prashant

[PKKR]

I have simplified those steps:

To upgrade the virtual hardware of a single virtual machine:

1. Log in to the VCenter Server.
2. Power off the virtual machine.
3. Right-click the virtual machine and select the menu      option to upgrade virtual hardware.
4. The option is ‘Upgrade Virtual Hardware’
5. Power on the VM.
6. Reboot the guest operating system for the changes to      take effect.

If the above is through update manager., how can we do it without updare manager.

Thanks,

Prashant

[rickardnobel]

Prashant wrote:

To upgrade the virtual hardware of a single virtual machine:

1. Log in to the VCenter Server.
2. Power off the virtual machine.
3. Right-click the virtual machine and select the menu option to upgrade virtual hardware.
4. The option is ‘Upgrade Virtual Hardware’
5. Power on the VM.
6. Reboot the guest operating system for the changes to take effect.

If the above is through update manager., how can we do it without update manager.

The above steps are in fact without Update Manager.

[PKKR]

ohh., okay., then could you please tell me how to do with update manager.

Thanks,

Prashant

[rickardnobel]

Prashant wrote:

ohh., okay., then could you please tell me how to do with update manager.

The Update Manager is extra product you have to install and configure before use. Have you done the install and setup the system to work with vCenter server?

[PKKR]

Yes., we have the vcenter setup ready., what is the difference between these two types of updates.

Thanks,

Prashant

[rickardnobel]

Prashant wrote:

Yes., we have the vcenter setup ready., what is the difference between these two types of updates.

You would have to also install the Update Manager software (also on the vCenter CD) and configure it.

With Update Manager you could use centralized patching of ESXi hosts and also upgrade VMware tools on VMs as well as upgrading the virtual hardware versions.

[PKKR]

After we install the update manager software on V.C, can someone please tell the steps to upgrade the virtual hardware and vmware tools.

Thanks,

Prashant

[Troy_Clavell]

from vCenter, o to Home--Update Manager

there are built in VMware Tools and virtual hardware baselines.  These baselines get attached to the "blue" folder in the Inventory view "VMs and Templates"

All guests in the blue folder where you set the baseline, will get the update

For more information see, http://pubs.vmware.com/vsphere-50/topic/com.vmware.ICbase/PDF/vsphere-update-manager-501-install-adm...