Installation guide

Perform an Orchestrated Upgrade of Virtual Machines with vSphere
Update Manager
An orchestrated upgrade of virtual machines allows you to upgrade VMware Tools and the virtual hardware
for the virtual machines in your vSphere inventory at the same time. You can perform an orchestrated upgrade
of virtual machines at the folder or datacenter level.
Update Manager makes the process of upgrading the virtual machines convenient by providing baseline
groups. When you remediate a virtual machine against a baseline group containing the
VMware Tools Upgrade to Match Host baseline and the VM Hardware Upgrade to Match Host baseline,
Update Manager sequences the upgrade operations in the correct order. As a result, the guest operating system
is in a consistent state at the end of the upgrade.
This workflow describes the overall process to perform an orchestrated upgrade of the virtual machines in
your vSphere inventory.
Procedure
1 Create a Virtual Appliance Upgrade Baseline on page 145
You upgrade virtual appliances by using a virtual appliance upgrade baseline. You can either use the
predefined virtual appliance upgrade baseline, or create custom virtual appliance upgrade baselines.
2 Create a Virtual Machine and Virtual Appliance Baseline Group on page 146
You can combine upgrade baselines in a virtual machine and virtual appliance baseline group.
3 Attach Baselines and Baseline Groups to Objects on page 147
To view compliance information and remediate objects in the inventory against specific baselines and
baseline groups, you must first attach existing baselines and baseline groups to these objects.
4 Manually Initiate a Scan of Virtual Machines and Virtual Appliances on page 148
To scan virtual machines and virtual appliances in the vSphere inventory immediately, you can manually
initiate a scan against attached baselines and baseline groups.
5 View Compliance Information for vSphere Objects on page 148
You can review compliance information for the virtual machines, virtual appliances, and hosts against
baselines and baseline groups that you attach.
6 Remediate Virtual Machines and Virtual Appliances on page 149
You can manually remediate virtual machines and virtual appliances immediately, or can schedule a
remediation at a time that is convenient for you.
Create a Virtual Appliance Upgrade Baseline
You upgrade virtual appliances by using a virtual appliance upgrade baseline. You can either use the
predefined virtual appliance upgrade baseline, or create custom virtual appliance upgrade baselines.
Prerequisites
Connect the vSphere Client to a vCenter Server system with which Update Manager is registered, and on the
Home page, click Update Manager under Solutions and Applications. If your vCenter Server system is part
of a connected group in vCenter Linked Mode, you must specify the Update Manager instance to use, by
selecting the name of the corresponding vCenter Server system in the navigation bar.
Procedure
1 On the Baselines and Groups tab, click Create above the Baselines pane.
2 Type a name, and optionally, a description of the baseline.
Chapter 7 Upgrading Virtual Machines
VMware, Inc. 145