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Patching vCenter 4.0U1 in a VM
Hello, I recently upgraded my ESX infrastructure to vSphere 4.0U1. I run vCenter Server 4.0U1 with Update Manger. I am confused as to how I can keep my vCenter VM current with patches. When I try to scan the VM with Update Manager - I get the following error:
VM CK-VCENTER is a VM that has either VMWare vCenter Update Manager or VMWare vCenter installed. This VM would be ignored for scan/remediation.
I know running vCenter as a VM is officially supported by VMWare - so I am confused as to how I can keep this VM compliant. I have several tasks to complete such as upgrading the VM Hardware version to 7 from 4, keeping the Windows VM OS patched, etc. This must be a common situation for anyone with a similar setup as me. Please advise, I have so far not found any good info on Google or the VMWare Knowledge Base.
VM CK-VCENTER is a VM that has either VMWare vCenter Update Manager or VMWare vCenter installed. This VM would be ignored for scan/remediation.
I know running vCenter as a VM is officially supported by VMWare - so I am confused as to how I can keep this VM compliant. I have several tasks to complete such as upgrading the VM Hardware version to 7 from 4, keeping the Windows VM OS patched, etc. This must be a common situation for anyone with a similar setup as me. Please advise, I have so far not found any good info on Google or the VMWare Knowledge Base.
ASKER
Yes, scanning and remediating any other VM's works as expected.
I thought maybe I could connect to the ESX host directly with vSphere client and update that way, but the update manager tab is not available when you connect directly to the ESX host - only when you connect to the vCenter instance.
I thought maybe I could connect to the ESX host directly with vSphere client and update that way, but the update manager tab is not available when you connect directly to the ESX host - only when you connect to the vCenter instance.
I looked in the vCenter Update Mgr Admin Guide (http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vsp_vum_40_admin_guide.pdf) and found on pg. 89 that the VM housing vCenter or UM does indeed get excluded.
Yeah...you won't see that tab directly connecting to the host because UM is a vCenter plug-in. You could however use the Host Update Utility to do your updates. You have the option of installing HUU when you install the client from the vCenter autorun.exe. During the client install wizard, there is a checkbox to choose if you want to install update utility or not.
Regards,
~coolsport00
Yeah...you won't see that tab directly connecting to the host because UM is a vCenter plug-in. You could however use the Host Update Utility to do your updates. You have the option of installing HUU when you install the client from the vCenter autorun.exe. During the client install wizard, there is a checkbox to choose if you want to install update utility or not.
Regards,
~coolsport00
ASKER
Yes I found that in the error reference as well of the administration guide. I would have thought they would create a document to give strategy on patching your vCenter instance. I believe this must be new to 4.0 because I recall in vCenter 2.5 if you tried to remediate your vCenter VM with anything but trivial patches - it would often freeze the process when it tried to restart itself.
According to this KB article, I cannot patch ESX hosts with the Host Update Utility, only ESXi.
http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&externalId=1012467&sliceId=1&docTypeID=DT_KB_1_1&dialogID=72216604&stateId=1%200%2072218796
Also doesn't this only apply to patching the host itself, not the VMs residing on that host?
There must be some official method from VMWare on this, especially since they require vCenter to run on Windows...
According to this KB article, I cannot patch ESX hosts with the Host Update Utility, only ESXi.
http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&externalId=1012467&sliceId=1&docTypeID=DT_KB_1_1&dialogID=72216604&stateId=1%200%2072218796
Also doesn't this only apply to patching the host itself, not the VMs residing on that host?
There must be some official method from VMWare on this, especially since they require vCenter to run on Windows...
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ASKER
Yes, we currently use UM to update our OS-level patches. We are not currently running WSUS.
We may have to change that, or at least turn on Automatic Updates on the vCenter Windows VM.
I am just surprised that VMWare has not taken this 'conflict' into account with their Update Manager design.
We may have to change that, or at least turn on Automatic Updates on the vCenter Windows VM.
I am just surprised that VMWare has not taken this 'conflict' into account with their Update Manager design.
Agreed :(
ASKER
Question has been answered, workaround solution is not the commenter's fault!
~coolsport00