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Stan J
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Update ESXi while using vSAN?

We have a vSphere 6.7 deployment with three ESXi Servers using an eval of vSAN Enterprise.

I did not configure vSAN

I need to apply the most recent security updates to the ESXi Servers and VCSA.

I have used update manager in the past on thes servers when we has a NAS configured.

Since vSAN is using local disk drives on the ESXi Servers, is there a certain process that needs to be followed or can Update Manager be used as it will migrate VMs off the ESXi host reboot as needed?

thanks
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Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)

8/22/2022 - Mon
Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)

Update Manager can be used, it will migrate VMs off the host, but you have to be mindful of the vSAN requirements and also check your hardware is on the HCL, or the update could break your vSAN. (and also the redundancy, when a Host goes down, or enters maintenance mode!)

see here for full guidance

https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphere/6.7/com.vmware.vsphere.virtualsan.doc/GUID-0B331151-7CE4-4D18-9A36-638CEEDEF2CC.html
Stan J

ASKER
ok,,,

I am not trusting the vSAN setup as i do not think it was built with HCL in mind.
The servers have a lot of RAM and CPU, but are not on the HCL.

The link is about upgrading vSAN.  

I am not looking to upgrade vSAN, only the ESXi servers.
Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)

vSAN is included in ESXi, so you upgrade ESXi, you also upgrade vSAN.


vSAN is built into the ESXi Hypervisor.
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Stan J

ASKER
ok,

I have to check into this,,,with the hardware not on HCL, I am kind of hesitant to upgrade when vSAN is involved.

It may be a long process, but since there are only 10 to 20 VMs running and this is not production, it may be wise just to shut down the few VMs and use CLI to update individual ESXi host
Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)

It would take about the same time using CLI as Update Manager, time savings only come into it, when you have many many hosts!
Stan J

ASKER
if i update via cli the esxi servers individually after shutting down the VMs, is there less likely an issue with vSAN after reboot of the ESXi Servers ?
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Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)

It's really just the same as Update Manager, but manual and not automated.

You really need to check if vSAN is fault tolerant when you shutdown a host, otherwise you could lose access to other VMs and the vSAN datastore may become available.

see here for full guidance

https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphere/6.7/com.vmware.vsphere.virtualsan.doc/GUID-0B331151-7CE4-4D18-9A36-638CEEDEF2CC.html
Stan J

ASKER
The doc has several Prerequisites, one being Backups which i do not think we are running even though i recommended going to one of the many solutions

I did not see mention of fault tolerance

If you mean will the vSAN fail over to another host, i am not sure this is set up.
Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)

Well in that case just upgrade and hope for the best!
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Stan J

ASKER
can you define how i can
   "check if vSAN is fault tolerant when you shutdown a host"
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Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)

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