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
2 Verify that DNS reverse lookup returns a fully qualied domain name when queried with the IP
address of the vCenter Server.
When you upgrade vCenter Server, the installation of the web server component that supports the
vSphere Web Client fails if the installer cannot look up the fully qualied domain name of the
vCenter Server from its IP address.
Reverse lookup is implemented by using PTR records.
3 If you use DHCP instead of a manually assigned (static) IP address for vCenter Server, make sure that
the vCenter Server computer name is updated in the domain name service (DNS). Test the update by
pinging the computer name.
For example, if the computer name is host-1.company.com, run the following command at the Windows
command prompt:
ping host-1.company.com
If you can ping the computer name, the name is updated in DNS.
4 Ensure that the ESXi host management interface has a valid DNS resolution from the vCenter Server
and all instances of vSphere Web Client. Ensure that the vCenter Server has a valid DNS resolution
from all ESXi hosts and all instances of vSphere Web Client.
5 If you intend to use Active Directory as an identity source, verify that it is set up correctly. The DNS of
the vCenter Single Sign-On Server host machine must contain both lookup and reverse lookup entries
for the domain controller of the Active Directory.
For example, pinging mycompany.com should return the domain controller IP address for mycompany.
Similarly, the ping -a command for that IP address should return the domain controller host name.
Avoid trying to correct name resolution issues by editing the hosts le. Instead, make sure that the DNS
server is correctly set up.
6 Before the upgrade, select the domain user to use for upgrading vCenter Server. Give that domain user
exclusive administrator permission for vCenter Server, not as part of a Windows Administrators group.
Your network is ready for vCenter Server upgrade.
What to do next
Prepare other components of your environment.
Verify Load Balancer Before Upgrading vCenter Server
If you are using a load balancer for high availability for vCenter Single Sign-On, you must verify that it is
supported and congured correctly before upgrading to vCenter Server 6.0.
In environments with less than four vCenter Server systems, VMware typically recommends a single
Platform Services Controller instance and the associated vCenter Single Sign-On service. In larger
environments, consider using multiple Platform Services Controller instances, protected by a network load
balancer. The white paper vCenter Server 6.0 Deployment Guide on the VMware website discusses this setup.
For current information on maximums, see the Conguration Maximums.
See the VMware Knowledge Base article hp://kb.vmware.com/kb/2112736 for a vCenter Single Sign-On
and Platform Services Controller high availability compatibility matrix.
Prerequisites
Procedure
1 Review the vCenter Server 6.0 Deployment Guide documentation for load balancing information.
2 If your load balancer is not supported, replace it with a supported load balancer.
Chapter 3 Before Upgrading vCenter Server
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