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
Host Upgrades and Certificates
If you upgrade an ESXi host to ESXi 6.0 or later, the upgrade process replaces self-signed certicates with
VMCA-signed certicates. The process retains custom certicates even if those certicates are expired or
invalid.
The recommended upgrade workow depends on the current certicates.
Host Provisioned with
Thumbprint Certificates
If your host is currently using thumbprint certicates, it is automatically
assigned VMCA certicates as part of the upgrade process.
N You cannot provision legacy hosts with VMCA certicates. You must
upgrade to ESXi 6.0 or later.
Host Provisioned with
Custom Certificates
If your host is provisioned with custom certicates, usually third-party CA-
signed certicates, those certicates remain in place. Change the certicate
mode to Custom to ensure that the certicates are not replaced accidentally.
N If your environment is in VMCA mode, and you refresh the
certicates from the vSphere Web Client, any existing certicates are
replaced with certicates that are signed by VMCA.
Going forward, vCenter Server monitors the certicates and displays
information, for example, about certicate expiration, in the
vSphere Web Client.
If you decide not to upgrade your hosts to vSphere 6.0 or later, the hosts retain the certicates that they are
currently using even if the host is managed by a vCenter Server system that uses VMCA certicates.
Hosts that are being provisioned by Auto Deploy are always assigned new certicates when they are rst
booted with ESXi 6.0 software. When you upgrade a host that is provisioned by Auto Deploy, the Auto
Deploy server generates a certicate signing request (CSR) for the host and submits it to VMCA. VMCA
stores the signed certicate for the host. When the Auto Deploy server provisions the host, it retrieves the
certicate from VMCA and includes it as part of the provisioning process.
You can use Auto Deploy with custom certicates.
Change the Certificate Mode
In most cases, using VMCA to provision the ESXi hosts in your environment is the best solution. If corporate
policy requires that you use custom certicates with a dierent root CA, you can edit the vCenter Server
advanced options so that the hosts are not automatically provisioned with VMCA certicates when you
refresh certicates. You are then responsible for the certicate management in your environment.
You can use the vCenter Server advanced seings to change to thumbprint mode or to custom CA mode.
Use thumbprint mode only as a fallback option.
Procedure
1 Select the vCenter Server that manages the hosts and click .
2 Click Advanced , and click Edit.
3 In the Filter box, enter certmgmt to display only certicate management keys.
4 Change the value of vpxd.certmgmt.mode to custom if you intend to manage your own certicates, and
to thumbprint if you temporarily want to use thumbprint mode, and click OK.
5 Restart the vCenter Server service.
Chapter 3 Before Upgrading vCenter Server
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