Installing latest ESX 3.5 Patches (build 169697)

[Omar_Muntslag]

Hello, after installing the latest ESX 3.5 Patches i can see that the host has been updated by typing 'vmware -v'

result : VMware ESX Server 3.5.0 build-169697

But in vCenter it still shows the old build number (163429)

Is this a know error ?

Regards,

Omar

[andreas_weber]

Same with our Servers. Build Number is still 163429.

The Patches have been applied succesfully.

Regards

Andi

[mail_vijayar]

Hi Omar,

Did u install the updates using update manager or esxupdate utility? try restarting vmware management services and it should show up in the VI client.

Regards,

Vijay

[Omar_Muntslag]

Vijay,

I used the esxupdate utility and rebooted the esx host.

I also did a restart of my vCenter server (just in case).

Still the same result.

Regards,

Omar

[dcolpitts]

Same here. I did a fresh load of ESX 35u4 this morning, patched, and saw it was still showing build 163429. I though I had screwed something up because I applied all the 2009.04.29, 2009.05.28, and 2009.06.30 patches at the same time from the same folder. I wiped the server, reinstalled 3.5u4, applied just the 2009.04.29 patches, reboot, applied just the 2009.05.28 patches, reboot, applied the 2009.06.30 patches, rebooted, and then checked again - build number 163429 still appears in the VI Client even though it should be 169697. I used ESXUPDATE.

dcc

[Omar_Muntslag]

do you see the correct build number when you do a "vmware -v" on your esx host ?

[dcolpitts]

Yes.

VMware ESX Server 3.5.0 build-169697

dcc

[dcolpitts]

According to the "Help / About" in my VI Client, my VMware Infrastructure Client is Version 2.5.0 Build 147704, and my VMware ESX Server is Version 3.5.0 Build 163429. I'm running it on Vista Enterprise x64. I just loaded the same VI Client into a fresh Windows XP SP3 (x86) VM under VMware Workstation on my machine and I am seeing the same thing.

dcc

[dilidolo]

Same here. patched with update manager.

[Omar_Muntslag]

has anyone fixed this problem yet ?

are there people that get the correct build number in vCenter ?

[alex555550]

Same here. Used the Update Manager, from VC. (2.5U4)

[jftwp]

Mine's an upgrade from 3.5 (with no U-anything, build 64607), to 3.5 U4 plus patches released since. I did an 'upgrade' installation to get from 3.5 U-nothing to U4, then esxupdate to patch with the post-U4 critical patches. Complete output of esxupdate query is below.

VIC client (whether via VirtualCenter or direct to the ESX host) shows the host running 163429.

vmware -v actually shows a LOWER build number! >>> 158874

Since U4 official build number (with no patches after) will report as 153875, I can only conclude that the particular critical patches I put on since then have brought it up to 163429... BUT I don't know why vmware -v would report a number that is about half-way between the 2. That's kinda weird. You'd think vmware -v would also report 163429.

Is any of this any cause for 'concern' or just an annoyance/bug that it's not reporting-consistently-the correct build number with patches, across the VIC, via VirtualCenter, or via vmware -v

**************

# vmware -v

VMware ESX Server 3.5.0 build-158874

# esxupdate query

Installed software bundles:

-

---

Name -

---

--- Install Date --- --- Summary ---

3.5.0-64607 11:48:43 11/07/08 Full bundle of ESX 3.5.0-64607

ESX350-200802303-SG 11:48:43 11/07/08 util-linux security update

ESX350-200802305-SG 11:48:43 11/07/08 openssl security update

ESX350-200802408-SG 11:48:44 11/07/08 Security Updates to the Python Package.

ESX350-200803212-UG 11:48:44 11/07/08 Update VMware qla4010/qla4022 drivers

ESX350-200803213-UG 11:48:44 11/07/08 Driver Versioning Method Changes

ESX350-200803214-UG 11:48:44 11/07/08 Update to Third Party Code Libraries

ESX350-200804405-BG 11:48:45 11/07/08 Update to VMware-esx-drivers-scsi-megara

ESX350-200805504-SG 11:48:45 11/07/08 Security Update to Cyrus SASL

ESX350-200805505-SG 11:48:45 11/07/08 Security Update to unzip

ESX350-200805506-SG 11:48:45 11/07/08 Security Update to Tcl/Tk

ESX350-200805507-SG 11:48:46 11/07/08 Security Update to krb5

ESX350-200808206-UG 11:48:46 11/07/08 Update to vmware-hwdata

ESX350-200808218-UG 11:48:47 11/07/08 Security Update to Samba

ESX350-200808406-SG 11:48:48 11/07/08 Security Update to Perl

ESX350-200808407-BG 11:48:48 11/07/08 Updates Software QLogic FC Driver

ESX350-200808409-SG 11:48:48 11/07/08 Security Update to BIND

ESX350-200810201-UG 11:48:49 11/07/08 Updates VMkernel, Service Console, hostd

ESX350-200810214-UG 11:48:51 11/07/08 Updated Time Zone Rules

ESX350-200811406-SG 16:58:08 07/10/09 Security Update to bzip2

ESX350-200903201-UG 16:58:09 07/10/09 Updates VMkernel, Service Console, hostd

ESX350-200903203-UG 16:58:09 07/10/09 Updates RPM Components

ESX350-200903204-UG 16:58:10 07/10/09 Updates CIM and Pegasus

ESX350-200903206-UG 16:58:10 07/10/09 Updates bnx2x Driver for Broadcom

ESX350-200903209-UG 16:58:10 07/10/09 Updates SATA SCSI Drivers

ESX350-200903210-UG 16:58:10 07/10/09 Updates Driver for HP SAS and CISS

ESX350-200903211-UG 16:58:11 07/10/09 Updates SCSI Driver for Emulex FC HBAs

ESX350-200903212-UG 16:58:11 07/10/09 Updates SCSI Driver for QLogic FC HBAs

ESX350-200903213-UG 16:58:11 07/10/09 Updates Hardware Detection Utility

ESX350-200903216-UG 16:58:12 07/10/09 Updates Performance Tools

ESX350-200903217-UG 16:58:12 07/10/09 Updates tg3 Driver for Broadcom

ESX350-200903218-UG 16:58:12 07/10/09 Updates Driver for NetXen UNM NICs

ESX350-200903219-UG 16:58:12 07/10/09 Updates e1000e Driver

ESX350-200903220-UG 16:58:13 07/10/09 Updates ixgbe Driver

ESX350-200903221-UG 16:58:13 07/10/09 Updates Driver for e1000 Intel NICs

ESX350-200903223-UG 16:58:13 07/10/09 Updates Web Access

ESX350-200903224-UG 16:58:13 07/10/09 Updates VMware-esx-lnxcfg

ESX350-200903225-UG 16:58:14 07/10/09 Updates VMware-esx

ESX350-200903226-UG 16:58:14 07/10/09 Updates MegaRAID and LSI MPT SAS Drivers

ESX350-200903227-UG 16:58:14 07/10/09 Updates Libxml2

ESX350-200903228-UG 16:58:14 07/10/09 Updates Net-SNMP

ESX350-200903229-UG 16:58:15 07/10/09 Updates VMware-esx-forcedeth

ESX350-200903230-UG 16:58:15 07/10/09 Updates VMkernel iSCSI Driver

ESX350-200903232-UG 16:58:15 07/10/09 Updates VMware-esx documentation

ESX350-Update04 16:58:15 07/10/09 ESX Server 3.5.0 Update 4

ESX350-200904401-BG 07:30:54 07/11/09 Updates vmkernel, vmx, hostd etc

ESX350-200904402-SG 07:30:54 07/11/09 Updates ESX Scripts

ESX350-200904403-BG 07:30:54 07/11/09 Updates bnx2 Driver for Broadcom

ESX350-200904404-BG 07:30:54 07/11/09 Updates VMkernel iSCSI Driver

ESX350-200905401-BG 07:30:54 07/11/09 Updates vmkernel and hostd RPMs

ESX350-200905403-BG 07:30:54 07/11/09 Updates aacraid driver for Adaptec

ESX350-200905405-BG 07:30:54 07/11/09 Updates Kernel Source and VMNIX

[timmp]

I just opened a support case with VMware on this. I did a scripted install from scratch of ESX 3.5 U4 base then did a depot install of all post U4 patches using the esxupdate -d update command against the patch folder location. It appears that running the rpm -qa | grep hostd and the rpm -qa | grep vmkernel explain what is going here. The hostd is patched per:

ESX350-200905401-BG Updates vmkernel and hostd RPMs

The vmkernel is patched per:

ESX350-200906401-BG Updates vmkctl and vmkernel RPMs

Just for S & G, i did perform an update manager query against the patched server and update manager shows it as being updated with the 169697 patches.

I am not sure if this is by design or what. I sent logs to VMware engineers. They will review.

UPDATE:

Been involved in production upgrade so have not had a chance to update here.

Yes what is happening is by design per VMware. It is what I suspected as well. Remember that the hostd service and vmkernel are different things. The hostd updates what we see in the vi client BUT the vmkernel will show us something different with a vmware -v.

That said, I was updating BL460's and noticed some high cpu that I didn't like with the latest patches up to 6/30. I actually decided to back rev to 163429 (5/30/2009) until I can test further in the lab.

You do NOT need to open a case with VMware.

[jweinshe]

Rather than me opening a support ticket, I was wondering if in the 13+ days since you last updated if you've heard back from VMWare support. I'm upgrading (via update manager) blades in one of our clusters and seeing the exact same behavior.

[kjb007]

The difference between the esxupdate or vmware -v output and the build in the vi client, is that the vi client only shows the last major update of the product, and not the minor releases. 163429 represents Update 4, so your ESX is build Update 4. The minor revision is evident through the other method to see which additional patches have been applied after Update 4.

-KjB

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