New to VMWare - update Essentials cluster via CLI

[slk2k]

[ Newbie alert!! ]

Hello,

I have taken over a set-up of VMWare Essentials for 3 hosts with vCenter appliance.  The versions are as follow:

VCSA = 6.5.0.14000 (build 7515524)

ESXi = 6.5.0 Update 1 (build 5969305)

As much as i would like to move to 6.7U2, one of my hosts isn't supported on 6.7 stream, so, I need to stay on 6.5.  But, my running version of 6.5 is glitchy and now I have lost my ability to back up the VCSA appliance using Veeam.  What appears to happen is that the snapshot that Veeam makes stuns the appliance so badly that I am now getting a timeout in Veaam. I am hopeful that by going to U2, some of my issues will be gone (like, "migrate" is grayed out on the VCSA appliance).

So, I am looking for some guidance on how the update process works, My entire cluster of hosts are all on the inside (no external connections) so i will have to download and use offline bundles. I know I will need to update the VCSA appliance first, but do i actually "update" the appliance with the .zip or do I install a new one with the ISO? Also, I assume once the VCSA appliance is updated, then i can move onto updating the host using the offline bundle (.zip).

Thanks!!

[IRIX201110141 · Accepted solution]

Well.... you can upgrade vcsa from 6.5.x to 6.7u1 and stay on 6.5 for the ESXi Hosts or if you like to just upgrade both to 6.5u2 latest only.

Upgrade from vcsa 6.5 to 6.7u1* is a "upgrade" from the option menu

- Check if you at least have 3GB free space on / within the vcsa

- rename the VM to vmname_old

- Uninstall VMware Update Manager (VUM)

- Use the VCSA installer and perform a upgrade option to setup a new VCSA which later copy all needed data from the old to a new system an than shuts it down at the end of the upgrade process. You will get a new fresh VCSA with the content and identity of the old one!

- VCSA 6.7 now comes with inbuild VUM which than can upgrade your 6.5 Hosts to 6.5u2 latest

If you wanna stay on VCSA 6.5 but wanna upgrade to the 6.5 latest

- Check for free space

- Create a VM snapshot

- Login into VAMI under https://vcsa:5480 and start the inplace upgrade

- Delete VM snapshot

Regards

Joerg

* You need to upgrade Veeam to 9.5u4 first!

[slk2k]

I hadn't realized that the VCSA could be "ahead" of the cluster - it sure would be nice to be able to use the HTML version for full functionality!

When I use VAMI (to move to 6.5U2d), I assume I use the .zip (VMware-vCenter-Server-Appliance-6.5.0.23000-10964411-updaterepo.zip) and "Check CDROM"??  I would assume that normally would be a ISO.  How does that work with a ZIP file??  Check Repository seems to be checking a http repository (local or internet-based).

Many Thanks!!

Shawn

ps - oh yeah - moved my Veeam to 9.5U4 2 days after it came out. 🙂

[slk2k]

Oh, and for completeness sake, the Veeam backup of the current VCSA appliance fails with the following VIX error:

[27.02.2019 22:56:12] <44> Error Failed to end vddk access

[27.02.2019 22:56:12] <44> Error VDDK error: 30028 (Network operation timed out).

Which I see means:

30028 – VIX_E_NET_HTTP_OPERATION_TIMEDOUT Network operation timed out.

Which, happens during the creation of the Veeam-directed snapshot.  Other VMs on that same datastore isn't having this issue, but I am suspecting the snapshot stuns the VCSA appliance so badly that Veeam times out trying to talk to it. I am hopeful that a updated system (VCSA plus ESXi hosts) will help that. I have plenty of CPU (less than a 1:1 use of physical cores, let alone threads) left on the host and only using 30% of my memory on the host.  So, pinning my hopes there.

Thanks!

Shawn

[a_p_]

In this case it might be the best option, to upgrade to the latest vCSA version 6.7 U1b (VMware-VCSA-all-6.7.0-11726888.iso).

The upgrade procedure will deploy a new vCSA appliance, take over the configuration from the current one, and then shut down the old one. Please note that the upgrade will not be initiated from VAMI, but by attaching the ISO to Windows, and run the installation wizard (selecting the Upgrade option).

.. like, "migrate" is grayed out on the VCSA appliance

This is most likely cause by a flag in the vCenter Server database that has been set for the VM by the backup application, and couldn't be reset due to the failed backup. The flag should be cleared with another successful backup.

André

[IRIX201110141]

No,

if you would like to update your existing VCSA 6.5 trough VAMI and you cant use "URL" than you need to download the VMware-vCenter-Server-Appliance-6.5.0.23100-11347054-patch-FP.iso (VC-6.5.0U2e-Appliance-Patch) to use the "CDROM" feature. I might be wrong because i use the CDROM only once in my Lifetime (always can use URL).

You can find the patches when using https://my.vmware.com/group/vmware/patch#search and selecting "VC" as Product and 6.5 as version.

As always... extremly important is to check the space of all partitions inside the VCSA GuestOS and create a Snapshot befor starting the operation.

Regards

Joerg

[slk2k]

I was curios how an "update" (6.5->6.5.later) would work, but yeah, I believe that I need to fully move to 6.7u1 for the VCSA.  i think it might also solve my backup issue too. I did read elsewhere that one way to solve the "migrate" issue is to remove the VCSA VM from inventory (do not delete it), then re-add it back in. i would have to do all of that from ESXi as I would have to shut down the VCSA VM to remove and add it (I believe).

I need to find some off-hours to do this because 1) it's going to take awhile and 2) I don't want to impact other users on the box.

Thank you!!

Shawn

[slk2k]

So, upgrades using the full ISO.  Gotcha.  Will note that for next time.  As i stated in a follow-up, I am going to plow through with a full 6.7u1 upgrade now that i know that 6.7 VCSA is backward compatible!

Thank you everyone for you assistance!!

Shawn