Showing posts with label how to patch esxi host using update manager. Show all posts
Showing posts with label how to patch esxi host using update manager. Show all posts

Saturday 15 April 2017

How to use Update Manager for patch installation on ESXi servers?

Or, How to install patches on ESXi servers using VMware vSphere update manager?
Or, Using VMware vSphere update manager for patch installation on ESXi servers
Or, Patching ESXi hosts using Update Manager

Descriptions: Patching operating systems and software is one of the common and day to day task for every administrators, no matter if you are on Windows, VMware or any other platform. Here in this article we will explore VMware vSphere update manager for installing updates/patches on VMware ESXi servers.

Using update manager is for this kind of activities is really cool and easy. Just couple of click and that’s it..

Prerequisites:
1. Already synced updates in the patch repository of update manager or manually downloaded update file. In my case I have a manually downloaded patch file.
2. Good understanding of VMware features like vMotion, HA, Maintenance Mode, Baseline, Compliance check, remediation etc..
3. Administrative privileges for performing this activity.

Steps-1: Preparing patch repository or Importing patch file in update manager’s repository

Download the required patch file from VMware site, in my case it’s the below one:











Go to Update Manager console > Click on Patch Repository Tab > Click on Import Patches






Click on Browse > Select the patch file you downloaded > Click on Next















Click in Finish












Verify if the patch imported successfully, you can search for the patch ID in the search box.






Step-2: Preparing baseline image with the newly imported patch

On the Update Manager admin console, Click on Baselines and Groups > Click on Create > Fill in the Name and Descriptions > Select Host Path under Baseline Type > Click Next












Check on Fixed > Click Next



















Search for the patch ID in the search box > Select the Patch > Click on Down Arrow > Click Next
Here you can select one or multiple patches to club in the baseline you are creating.













Click on Finish













The baseline has been created. Now you are ready to go with patch deployment on all ESXi hosts one by one or all at once in sequence…your choice..

Step-3: Applying the patches remediation of each ESXi individually using baseline

Choose any one host > Put it in Maintenance Mode > Go to Update Manager tab > Click on Attach








Select the host patch Baseline and click on Attach




















Click on Scan to check if the host is compliant with the Baseline or not..










Click on Remediate, as the host is not yet compliant/patched













Click on Next



















Click Next



















Fill the required details > Select Immediately > Click on Next




















Choose the options as per your requirements and Click Next (in my case, I left these options to Default)














Click Next















Click on Finish to start the remediation

















Once the remediation is completed, you will see the compliant status as green… In addition, you may notice that the build version of ESXi host also changed.












You are done with remediation of the ESXi host with the patch baseline you created. To remediate other additional hosts, you need to follow the same process. No, No, No, not all the steps... You need to follow step-3 only for rest of the hosts.

Cheers, please write me back if you have any query of feedback on this.

Sunday 14 February 2016

How to Upgrade ESXi Hosts Using VMware vSphere Update Manager?

Or, How to use VMware Update Manager to upgrade ESXi Servers?

Imp Note: : I assume that you already have a baseline image created with latest ESXi package. If not, please create a baseline image first before proceeding with the steps given below.


Steps:

1. Login to your vSphere client from a machine where you have already installed the update manager plugins. If not sure about it, login to vSphere client from vCenter Server.

2. Enter ESXi host in maintenance mode















3Click on “Update Manager” as shown in below screenshot.















4.  Click on “Attach” > Select your ESXi upgrade base line under “Upgrade Baselines” option > Click on “Attach” to attach the base line image to ESXi host. Reference screenshot is given below.















5. After attaching the baseline image, the update manager windows should like below highlighted screenshot.
You can see that the ESXi host, for which you have selected the baseline image to upgrade, is appearing as unknown in right side “Host Compliance” section. It should either appear compliant or non-compliant.















6. Click on “Scan” > Check mark on “Upgrades” on the pop-up window > Click on “Scan” again as highlighted in below screenshot.















7. Now the “scan entity” process will be initiated to check the compliance status of the selected ESXi host. Please wait for this scan to be completed. You can monitor the “Recent Tasks” section on vSphere client for scan completion percentage as shown in below screenshot.

8. Once the scan is completed, your selected ESXi host will be appearing as “Non-Compliant” as highlighted in below screenshot. Please verify it and proceed to next step.


9. Now follow the Remediation process to initiate the ESXi server upgrade as shown in below screenshots (Please refer the steps highlighted in numbers 1,2,3 etc..)

10. Remediate task is going to take approx 20-40 minutes (can deffer), Once the Remediate task is completed, you can see the host status. Its now appearing as Compliant and the build version of ESXi host has also been changed.
Finally, you are done with upgrading your ESXi host using VMware update manager. You may verify your ESXi host health status before bringing it back to production cluster.

Cheers guys, please write me if you have any feedback or suggestion about this post..