6.0.2
Table Of Contents
- vSphere Upgrade
- Contents
- About vSphere Upgrade
- Updated Information
- Introduction to vSphere Upgrade
- Upgrade Requirements
- vCenter Server Upgrade Compatibility
- vCenter Server for Windows Requirements
- vCenter Server Appliance Requirements
- Required Ports for vCenter Server and Platform Services Controller
- vCenter Server Database Configuration Notes
- ESXi Requirements
- vSphere DNS Requirements
- vSphere Web Client Software Requirements
- Client Integration Plug-In Software Requirements
- vSphere Client Requirements
- Required Free Space for System Logging
- Before Upgrading vCenter Server
- Verify Basic Compatibility Before Upgrading vCenter Server
- Preparing vCenter Server Databases
- Prepare Oracle Database Before Upgrading to vCenter Server 6.0
- Prepare Microsoft SQL Server Database Before Upgrading to vCenter Server 6.0
- Use a Script to Create and Apply a Microsoft SQL Server Database Schema and Roles
- Prepare PostgreSQL Database Before Upgrading to vCenter Server 6.0
- Database Permission Requirements for vCenter Server
- Verify That vCenter Server Can Communicate with the Local Database
- Verify Network Prerequisites Before Upgrading
- Verify Load Balancer Before Upgrading vCenter Server
- Prepare ESXi Hosts for vCenter Server Upgrade
- Verify Preparations Are Complete for Upgrading vCenter Server
- Required Information for Upgrading vCenter Server for Windows
- Required Information for Upgrading the vCenter Server Appliance
- Upgrading and Updating vCenter Server for Windows
- About the vCenter Server 6.0 for Windows Upgrade Process
- Migration of Distributed vCenter Server for Windows Services During Upgrade to vCenter Server 6.0
- Download the vCenter Server for Windows Installer
- Upgrade vCenter Single Sign-On 5.1 for External Deployment
- Upgrade vCenter Single Sign-On 5.5 for External Deployment
- Upgrade vCenter Server 5.0
- Upgrade vCenter Server 5.1 for Windows
- Upgrade vCenter Server 5.5 for Windows
- Update the Java Components and vCenter Server tc Server with VIMPatch
- Upgrading and Patching the vCenter Server Appliance and Platform Services Controller Appliance
- After Upgrading vCenter Server
- Complete vCenter Server Postupgrade Component Configuration
- Reconfigure Migrated vCenter Server Services After Upgrade
- Install or Upgrade vSphere Authentication Proxy
- Upgrade the vSphere Client
- Configuring VMware vCenter Server - tc Server Settings in vCenter Server
- Setting the vCenter Server Administrator User
- Authenticating to the vCenter Server Environment
- Identity Sources for vCenter Server with vCenter Single Sign-On
- Restore ESXi Certificate and Key Files
- Repoint the Connections Between vCenter Server and Platform Services Controller
- Reconfigure a Standalone vCenter Server with an Embedded Platform Services Controller to a vCenter Server with an External Platform Services Controller
- Reconfigure Multiple Joined Instances of vCenter Server with an Embedded Platform Services Controller to vCenter Server with an External Platform Services Controller
- Verify that the Services of the Embedded Platform Services Controller Instances are Running
- Configure Replication Agreement Between All External Platform Services Controller Instances
- Reconfigure Each vCenter Server Instance and Repoint It from an Embedded to External Platform Services Controller Instance
- Upgrading Update Manager
- Before Upgrading Hosts
- Best Practices for ESXi Upgrades
- Upgrade Options for ESXi 6.0
- Upgrading Hosts That Have Third-Party Custom VIBs
- Using Manually Assigned IP Addresses for Upgrades Performed with vSphere Update Manager
- Media Options for Booting the ESXi Installer
- Download and Burn the ESXi Installer ISO Image to a CD or DVD
- Format a USB Flash Drive to Boot the ESXi Installation or Upgrade
- Create a USB Flash Drive to Store the ESXi Installation Script or Upgrade Script
- Create an Installer ISO Image with a Custom Installation or Upgrade Script
- PXE Booting the ESXi Installer
- Installing and Booting ESXi with Software FCoE
- Using Remote Management Applications
- Download the ESXi Installer
- Upgrading Hosts
- Using vSphere Update Manager to Perform Orchestrated Host Upgrades
- Configuring Host and Cluster Settings
- Perform an Orchestrated Upgrade of Hosts Using vSphere Update Manager
- Configure Host Maintenance Mode Settings
- Configure Cluster Settings
- Enable Remediation of PXE Booted ESXi Hosts
- Import Host Upgrade Images and Create Host Upgrade Baselines
- Create a Host Baseline Group
- Attach Baselines and Baseline Groups to Objects
- Manually Initiate a Scan of ESXi Hosts
- View Compliance Information for vSphere Objects
- Remediate Hosts Against an Upgrade Baseline
- Remediate Hosts Against Baseline Groups
- Installing or Upgrading Hosts by Using a Script
- Enter Boot Options to Start an Installation or Upgrade Script
- Boot Options
- About Installation and Upgrade Scripts
- Install or Upgrade ESXi from a CD or DVD by Using a Script
- Install or Upgrade ESXi from a USB Flash Drive by Using a Script
- Performing a Scripted Installation or Upgrade of ESXi by Using PXE to Boot the Installer
- Using vSphere Auto Deploy to Reprovision Hosts
- Upgrading Hosts by Using esxcli Commands
- VIBs, Image Profiles, and Software Depots
- Understanding Acceptance Levels for VIBS and Hosts
- Determine Whether an Update Requires the Host to Be in Maintenance Mode or to Be Rebooted
- Place a Host in Maintenance Mode
- Update a Host with Individual VIBs
- Upgrade or Update a Host with Image Profiles
- Update ESXi Hosts by Using Zip Files
- Remove VIBs from a Host
- Adding Third-Party Extensions to Hosts with an esxcli Command
- Perform a Dry Run of an esxcli Installation or Upgrade
- Display the Installed VIBs and Profiles That Will Be Active After the Next Host Reboot
- Display the Image Profile and Acceptance Level of the Host
- Upgrade Hosts Interactively
- Using vSphere Update Manager to Perform Orchestrated Host Upgrades
- After You Upgrade ESXi Hosts
- Upgrading Virtual Machines and VMware Tools
- Troubleshooting a vSphere Upgrade
- Collecting Logs for Troubleshooting a vCenter Server Installation or Upgrade
- Collect Logs to Troubleshoot ESXi Hosts
- Errors and Warnings Returned by the Installation and Upgrade Precheck Script
- Restore vCenter Server Services If Upgrade Fails
- VMware Component Manager Error During Startup After vCenter Server Appliance Upgrade
- Microsoft SQL Database Set to Unsupported Compatibility Mode Causes vCenter Server Installation or Upgrade to Fail
- Index
4 Copy the kickstart le to /esxi_cdrom.
cp ks_cust.cfg /esxi_cdrom
5 (Optional) Modify the boot.cfg le to specify the location of the installation or upgrade script by using
the kernelopt option.
You must use uppercase characters to provide the path of the script, for example,
kernelopt=runweasel ks=cdrom:/KS_CUST.CFG
The installation or upgrade becomes completely automatic, without the need to specify the kickstart le
during the installation or upgrade.
6 Recreate the ISO image:
mkisofs -relaxed-filenames -J -R -o custom_esxi.iso -b isolinux.bin -c boot.cat -no-emul-boot
-boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table /esxi_cdrom
The ISO image includes your custom installation or upgrade script.
What to do next
Install ESXi from the ISO image.
PXE Booting the ESXi Installer
You use the preboot execution environment (PXE) to boot a host and start the ESXi installer from a network
interface.
ESXi 6.0 is distributed in an ISO format that is designed to install to ash memory or to a local hard drive.
You can extract the les and boot by using PXE.
PXE uses Dynamic Host Conguration Protocol (DHCP) and Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) to boot an
operating system over a network.
PXE booting requires some network infrastructure and a machine with a PXE-capable network adapter.
Most machines that can run ESXi have network adapters that can PXE boot.
N Ensure that the vSphere Auto Deploy server has an IPv4 address. PXE booting is supported only
with IPv4.
About the TFTP Server, PXELINUX, and gPXE
Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) is similar to the FTP service, and is typically used only for network
booting systems or loading rmware on network devices such as routers.
Most Linux distributions include a copy of the tftp-hpa server. If you require a supported solution, purchase
a supported TFTP server from your vendor of choice.
If your TFTP server will run on a Microsoft Windows host, use tftpd32 version 2.11 or later. See
hp://tftpd32.jounin.net/. Earlier versions of tftpd32 were incompatible with PXELINUX and gPXE.
You can also acquire a TFTP server from one of the packaged appliances on the VMware Marketplace.
The PXELINUX and gPXE environments allow your target machine to boot the ESXi installer. PXELINUX is
part of the SYSLINUX package, which can be found at hp://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/boot/syslinux/,
although many Linux distributions include it. Many versions of PXELINUX also include gPXE. Some
distributions, such as Red Hat Enterprise Linux version 5.3, include earlier versions of PXELINUX that do
not include gPXE.
vSphere Upgrade
146 VMware, Inc.