How to update/patch a Host that has vCenter Server Appliances installed and running on it?

[jamesnb1]

Hello everyone,

I have host A and B, both running ESXi 7.0.3 (latest update). On host A, I installed vCenter Server Appliances to manage this host and host B. I use LifeCycle Manager in the vCenter to check and see that there are 4 updates available for the host A and host B

Here is my challenge:

I am using the LifeCycle Manager in vCenter to install the patches/updates for both of the hosts. As far as I know, in order to patch/update, the host must be in Maintenance Mode. This is fine with host B (no vCenter) but not with host A because I have to shutdown the vCenter Server Appliances as well. And if I shut vCenter Server down, I cannot access/use the LifeCycle Manager to update it!!! What a trouble!

How can I update host A while the vCenter is running on it then?

Thank you

[fabio1975]

Ciao 

you can use the esxcli command after downloaded on ESXi the offline bundle

Upgrading Hosts by Using ESXCLI Commands (vmware.com)

Obviously, you have to turn off all the VMs hosted on the host including the vcenter and put the host in Maintenance Mode

[jamesnb1]

Hi Fabio,

Thank you for your instruction

I just want to verify one thing. With the LifeCycle manager, it automatically scan and show me the applicable patches/updates available for my host.

If I go to the vmware website, how could I find out the bundle of updates/patches that are applicable for my ESXi host?

Again, thanks for your helps

[berndweyand]

unless you have vsphere essentials license you can vmotion the vcsa appliance to the other host

[jamesnb1]

Hi berndweyand

I could do that with our vCenter license, however, host A is a Dell server (2 CPU, 96GB RAM, 2.4TB SAS) while host B is just a regular Dell desktop 4th Gen i7, limited RAM (16Gb) and only 250GB HDD which we use for testing purpose. I personally don't think host B is capable of running vCenter...

What's are other options that I could do?
Thank you again

[fabio1975]

Ciao

you have multiple hosts you can move the vCenter to another one. 

Otherwise

The patches can be found here:
Product Patches - VMware Customer Connect

as a choice select ESXi.

For compatibility, you have the possibility to check with the following VMware links and depending on the Vendor of the HW the vendor has matrices to verify

https://interopmatrix.vmware.com/#/Interoperability

https://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/search.php

However, the updates are cumulative and if you stay in the same release (for example 7.0.3) .... the risks are usually low.

[berndweyand]

depends on your license and your configuration. if you have vcenter standard license and esxi standard license or essesntials plus license you can vmotion between the hosts.

but it also depends if you can configure an evc cluster to make the cpu compatible for vmotion.

but the quickest way is to shutdown all vms (including vcsa) and patch manually with esxcli

[jamesnb1]

Hi fabio,

Thank you very much for your detailed instructions. If I please verify with you the two things:

1/ I am currently using DellEMC image ESXi for both hosts, which is a custom ISO which I download from here:

https://customerconnect.vmware.com/downloads/info/slug/datacenter_cloud_infrastructure/vmware_vspher...

The Product Patches in the website you provided, would it be applicable to the DellEMC custom ISO ESXi?

2/ Regarding to moving vCenter to another host, do the 2 hosts have to have the similar spec?

My host A is full feature Dell server while host B is just a regular dell desktop with only 16GB RAM and 250 GB HDD

Thank you again

[berndweyand]

if your vcsa fits on the desktop (less than 16gb ram) and the storage is shared to both hosts then you can migrate.

to enable evc (means make the cpu compatible) it depends what cpu you have

[fabio1975]

Ciao 

As mentioned by @berndweyand  it is necessary to check in detail the CPU model, etc.

from what he described the + quick way as said earlier by both me and @berndweyand  is to shut down all VMs and update individual hosts with esxcli

Fabio 

[jamesnb1]

Hey Fabio,

Thanks again for your helps. If I could ask you for one more time:

1/  I am currently using DellEMC image ESXi for both hosts, which is a custom ISO which I download from here:

https://customerconnect.vmware.com/downloads/details?downloadGroup=OEM-ESXI70U3-DELLEMC&productId=97...

Build number is 18644231. Size: 405.24 MB

2/ The Product Patches in the website you provided, there is a depot named "VMware-ESXi-7.0U3-18644231-depot" with the same build number of "18644231". but smaller in size, only 395.70 MB

Is the number 2 an update to number 1??

I am confused...

Thank you again

[berndweyand]

the first is an ISO which you have to boot for installation/update

the second is a ZIP which you can install via esxcli

but the content is the same

[fabio1975]

Ciao 

you can use both
the difference is the presence of any customizations (drivers) made by DELL and present in the DELL specific ISO, and that with the ISO you must have access to the server console

Here is a detail of the two types of updates:

Upgrading ESXi 6.7 to 7.0 without vCenter | StarWind Blog (starwindsoftware.com)

[berndweyand]

thats wrong - both (iso and zip) have the dell customized content

[fabio1975]

Hello
The custom ISO dell downloaded from this link:

https://customerconnect.vmware.com/downloads/info/slug/datacenter_cloud_infrastructure/vmware_vspher...

and the upgrade depot:

Product Patches - VMware Customer Connect

Mumble ....

They definitely have the same version of ESXi (Driver etc ...) but they might have some ESXi specific tools or drivers from DELL (in this case)

But as we said the main difference is the type of installation (console or command line)

[jamesnb1]

Hello Fabio and Berndweyand,

So I have just done the following

1/ Download the patches zip file from here

https://customerconnect.vmware.com/patch/

which is build number 18644231, renamed it to "7u3.zip" and save in the datastore folder name "patches"

2/ Shutdown all VMs in host A, including vCenter. Then enable SSH to host A

3/ ssh to host A, run the following command:

esxcli software vib update --depot=/vmfs/volumes/patches/7u3.zip

4/ Installation Result:

Message: Host is not changed

Reboot required: false

VIBs Installed:

VIBs Removed:

VIBs Skipped:

bunch of file names listed here...

So apparently, using the command line to update with the zip file downloaded from the patch, did not make any change (no new updates/patches)

BUT, supprisingly, the vCenter LifeCycle manager was able to find and install 1 ciritcal update and 1 security update for host B (no vCenter)

How did this happen? Am I using the wrong patch/update file?

Thank you again for both of your helps....

[berndweyand]

because the dell version and vmware version are the same build number i would recommend to use the dell version.

if the vmware version is newer i would first install the newest dell version and then the vmware version in a second step

[berndweyand]

what buildnumbers are running on both hosts ?

[jamesnb1]

I installed DellEMC image on both host

Version: 7.0.3

Build number: 18644231

[berndweyand]

so you are running the newest version on both hosts - no need to update anything