This article covers the first component in a Generic Nutanix Environment Upgrade cycle - NCC. This is the first installation of the component-wise Upgrade guides series. Check out this article for a quick walk-through of the overview for a cluster-wide upgrade cycle.
Nutanix Cluster Check (NCC) is a framework of scripts that can help diagnose cluster health. NCC runs on clusters and on Prism central. The workings of NCC on PC and the cluster are pretty much the same except the checks involved in the respective modules are different. NCC also includes the Logbay plug-in. Logbay is the utility used to collect logs from Controller VMs and hosts that are useful for troubleshooting issues.
NCC Guide for the latest version (as of 7th of July, 2020) can be found here. To check for the release notes or Guides, navigate to Nutanix Support Portal > Menu> Documentation > NCC and filter out the NCC version from the top right section of the dropdown.
Note: NCC upgrades are done on the fly and does not require any downtime. This upgrade does NOT reboot the Prism Central VM, CVM or host.
NCC upgrades can be done through the Upgrade Software option on Prism Central and Prism Element(cluster) respectively. NCC upgrades can also be done from LCM.
Upgrading NCC on Prism central:
You can upgrade NCC on Prism central using the 1-click Upgrade Software option in Prism Central Settings. This covers scenarios where the Prism central does and does not have internet connectivity.
Upgrading NCC on Prism Element:
Similarly, you can upgrade NCC on Prism central using the 1-click Upgrade Software option in Prism Element Settings. This document covers both the scenarios - upgrades on clusters with internet connectivity and for those without.
Note: If you are not able to find the target version in the Upgrade Software panel despite having internet connectivity to the cluster/Prism Central, the target NCC version might not have been qualified for 1-click Upgrade yet. You can use the alternative method of downloading the target binary and metadata files from the Downloads > Tools and Firmware section in Support Portal and then upload it to the cluster using the upload the NCC binary link. Refer the NCC upgrade guide for further details.
Upgrading NCC using LCM:
One can also upgrade NCC through Life Cycle management option on the Prism UI. Guide to Upgrade NCC through LCM.
Note: When performing any upgrade activity using LCM, always perform inventory operations first. Inventory operations is a non-disruptive activity and does not impact production, whereas the upgrade activity depends on the component being upgraded. NCC upgrade does NOT cause any CVM/Host reboots.
Upgrading NCC through command line:
In some instances, one would need to upgrade NCC through an installer file through command line. Here is the reference link for such scenarios. One such situation is when all the nodes do not have the same latest NCC version when adding new nodes to a cluster.
Pro-Tip: It is always recommended to run NCC checks and look for critical failures before upgrading any components.
RELATED QUICK LINKS:
- Running NCC on Prism Element(cluster) and Prism Central.
- NCC Guide (3.9.x)
- NCC Logbay
- Quick Start Guide to Nutanix Upgrades