Updating host running VCSA

[meijoe]

I currently have two ESXi 6.5 hosts with local storage. I am unable to update the host running the VCSA with the update manager, which makes sense. I have a vSphere essentials license which does not include vmotion. I also don't have shared storage available at the moment.

What would be the best way to update the host running VCSA? I'd prefer to use the update manager and not update via the command line if possible. From what I read running dual VCSA's in this configuration is not recommended.

What if I do add shared storage? Could I migrate the VCSA between hosts when doing upgrades? It's okay if vcenter is offline for a bit.

[daphnissov]

In your situation, your only option is to use CLI to update your host. With an Essentials license you don't have entitlement to vMotion or svMotion. You'll have to download the packages to your local ESXi host that's running vCSA, shutdown the vCSA and any other VMs, patch the host, reboot, and bring everything up again. Shared storage would help here somewhat, and that's probably something you need regardless.

[meijoe]

Okay, I'm comfortable with using the CLI as I'm am *nix admin. I'm just concerned about choosing the right patches and installing them properly. Do I need to worry about drivers being replaced/disabled? How do I determine which patches that I need? Could I have the update manager scan the machine and tell me which patches are needed to comply with the baseline?

Is this tutorial sufficient? VMware Knowledge Base

[daphnissov]

Yes, that's the right KB to follow. Get the latest available bundle for the 6.5 build and follow the guide. As with any update/upgrade (especially with local storage, in your case), ensure you have a solid backup of the workloads before beginning.