User`s guide

Deploying some patches might fail on AIX machines if the patch prerequisites cannot be resolved by VCM
using the downloaded patch bulletin content. This problem can arise with an AIX patch whose status is
"StatusNotPatched", and where the Bulletin Detail indicates a patch dependency on another set of patches
whose dependencies cannot be met.
Although dependencies may or may not appear the Bulletin Detail, one or more currently irresolvable
patch dependencies may actually exist. The missing patch prerequisites can occur when some patch
versions do not become applicable until after other patches are installed. In particular, Maintenance Level
(ML) or Technology Level (TL) packages and their corresponding bulletins that are intended to upgrade
between levels may not show as applicable until the ML/TL upgrade has been met or exceeded. For
example, if you are applying a patch that depends on an intermediate ML that has not yet been applied,
deploying the patch will fail since the prerequisite patch dependency has not been met.
To resolve the patch interdependencies on AIX machines, you must determine the patch strategy used for
the filesets/APARS/MLs/TLs that are being updated.
Default Location for UNIX/Linux Patches
If you do not define an alternate location for the patches using Machine Group Mapping, the default
location of /tmp is used. A temporary expansion of the patches occurs in the /tmp directory.
vCenter Software Content Repository Tool
To help you obtain UNIX patches for deployment, a deployment tool is available from VMware Technical
Support. For more information, contact VMware Technical Support.
Deploy Patches to Windows Machines
Deploy patches to Windows machines that are managed by VCM Patching. These machines appear in
Patching > VCM Patching Administration > Windows > Machines Manager > Licensed Machines.
Prerequisites
n
Follow the guidelines in "vCenter Software Content Repository Tool" on page 190 before you deploy a
patch.
n
Make sure the Windows Update service is running (set to something other than Disabled) before you
patch Windows 2008 servers and Windows 7 machines, or the patch deployment will fail.
Procedure
1. Click Patching.
2. Select Windows > Assessment Templates and select the template used for the assessment.
3. Make sure the data grid view is visible so that you can view the machines and bulletins.
4. Locate the rows that display the StatusNotPatched status.
To easily identify the machines that must be patched, group the Patch Status column.
5. Highlight the row containing the machine to be patched and select Deploy.
If you have VCM Service Desk Integration licensed, the Service Desk Connector dialog box appears
prior to the VCM Patching Deploy wizard.
If you licensed and activated VCM Service Desk Integration, VCM Orchestrator must approve the
deployment job before it can run.
6. (Optional) Although the Deploy wizard automatically selects the machine and the patch to be
deployed, you can select additional machine and patch combinations to include.
vCenter Configuration Manager Installation and Getting Started Guide
190 VMware, Inc.