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MikeOD
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VCSA upgrade sequence with multiple VCSA & External PSC

We have two sites, each site has a VCenter appliance with an external PSC.  The PSC’s are in the same domain and the VCenter's are running in linked mode.  Everything is running VCSA 6.0 update2

When applying an update to the VCSA environment (such as update 2a or 6.5), what is the proper sequence to update them?

I'm assuming the process is to both PSC's, then go back in and update each vcenter, but I just wanted to make sure.

Any comments are appreciated.

Thanks.

Mike O.

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Mattallford
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Hi Mike,

You need to apply updates to all PSC nodes in the SSO domain before updating vCenter.

Before you update a vCenter Server Appliance with an external Platform Services Controller, you must apply the patches to the Platform Services Controller and its replicating partners, if any in the vCenter Single Sign-On domain.

vSphere 6.0 Documentation Center

Cheers, Matt.

VCP6-DCV | VCAP6-DCV Deploy @mattallford If you found my answers useful, please help me by marking them as Helpful or Correct!

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Mattallford
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‌Hi Mike,

Yep, upgrade PSCs first and then VC. See the following KB article for additional information:

https://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=21472...

Cheers, Matt.

VCP6-DCV | VCAP6-DCV Deploy @mattallford If you found my answers useful, please help me by marking them as Helpful or Correct!
MikeOD
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Thank you.  Now that I see it, I remember using a chart like that years ago around the 4.x to 5.x upgrades.  Don't know how I missed it this time...

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MikeOD
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I originally marked the answer as correct, but actaully it's not exactly what I was looking for. 

I understand about updating the PSC before VCenter, but my question is when I have two PSC appliances (in the same SSO domain), each with a VCenter appliance under it.

When I want to update all four appliances, can I update one PSC, then the VCenter under it before updating the PSC in the other location?

Our configuration has two sites.  Each site has an external PSC and VCenter appliance.  The PSC's are in the same SSO domain, and the "local" VCenter appliance is tied to the local PSC.

Usually when we apply updates, we apply them to the secondary site, then the primary one a few days later. 

Following that process, I would update PSC in site2, then the VCSA in site2.  Then later, I would update the PSC in site1 and the VCSA in site 1.

My concern is that for a time, the two PSC's would not have the same updates same version.  Is this a problem if this runs this way for several days?

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msripada
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Hello Mike,

Are you referring to the Upgrade sequence. KB for Update Sequence

Thanks,

MS

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MikeOD
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I've seen the update sequence (it was also referenced in an earlier message).

My question is about when there are two external platform controllers, linked together.  Can I update one of the PSC's, and the VCSA under that PSC, without updating the other PSC/VCSA; will having the two PSC's on different updates cause any issues?

Here's the scenario:

PSC1  -------   PSC2

   |                      |

VCSA1          VCSA2

I want to update PSC2 then VCSA2 and leave PSC1/VCSA1 untouched for a while (week or so), before updating them.

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Mattallford
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Hi Mike,

You need to apply updates to all PSC nodes in the SSO domain before updating vCenter.

Before you update a vCenter Server Appliance with an external Platform Services Controller, you must apply the patches to the Platform Services Controller and its replicating partners, if any in the vCenter Single Sign-On domain.

vSphere 6.0 Documentation Center

Cheers, Matt.

VCP6-DCV | VCAP6-DCV Deploy @mattallford If you found my answers useful, please help me by marking them as Helpful or Correct!
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msripada
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Hello Matt,

Great question..

Guess this answers your question https://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=21476...

Staged upgrade across multiple maintenance Windows

If you have a complex vSphere 5.x or 6.0 environment, you may prefer to upgrade your vSphere environment over the course of several maintenance windows. It is possible to upgrade the vSphere environment in stages.

These are the general order of the upgrades:

  1. Upgrade each vCenter Single Sign-On or Platform Services Controller one at a time.

    Note: For 5.5, only if vCenter Single Sign-On is installed on a separate machine than vCenter Server.
  2. Upgrade each vCenter Server one at a time.
  3. Upgrade each ESXi host one at a time.

For more information about each transition step including diagrams, see the Upgrade or Migration Order and Mixed-Version Transitional Behavior for Multiple vCenter Server Instance Deployments section in the vSphere Upgrade Guide.

Thanks,

MS

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MikeOD
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Thanks, that was the info I was looking for.

I figured I had to update the external PSC first, but I was hoping I could update the VCSA that's talking to that PSC before doing anything to the other site.

I'll go ahead and update PSC2, PSC1, VCSA2, then VCSA1

On a related note, I know this is the process for 6.0 to 6.5, does it also apply when going from 6.0 upudate 2 to update 2a?

oldschoola41
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Adding to this, what about the VUM migration? is this suppose to be run post all PSC upgrades? but before the vcsa upgrades

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