Right now we about to push ESXi 5.5 u3b so we can move on up to AOS 4.7.3.2.
Since Nutanix doesn't support pushing out patches, we planned to do that with VUM which is fine. At least saving time from having to bring down each node manually for upgrading to u3b. On top of patching, we're also installing NFS VAAI VIB. In our lab, we do it via command line, but has anyone found a zip, or package that VUM can support pushing out that way we can just package our baseline with updates and the VIB file? We can't find anywhere that has a zip file or anything we can leverage thus far.
Since we have two data centers a good number of nodes in the cluster at each, We'd love to save time if at all possible, so any advice is greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
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Hey, we actually do support pushing out patches like these since ~4.5 or 4.6 (can't recall the exact one).
Seriously, you just upload the patch bundle into the upgrade software for Hypervisor, give it the Md5 from VMware, and it does it all for you. easy stuff.
Seriously, you just upload the patch bundle into the upgrade software for Hypervisor, give it the Md5 from VMware, and it does it all for you. easy stuff.
That's fantastic to hear, thank you for the swift respone.
Do you know if you can do the same for VIB files in some capacity?
Do you know if you can do the same for VIB files in some capacity?
So, for VIB's that we manage internally, yes, it just does it, and you dont tell it to, it just "does". Meaning you dont have to mess with the NFS VAAI VIB or anything.
For 3rd party VIBs, the use case for the amount of times people A) actually use them and 😎 actually update them is super rare (from our conversations with customers and empirical observations and so on).
Its important to note (and this is a long conversation, I'll keep it short) that ESXi patches are just a whole update of the entire ESXi image every time. VUM makes it look like you need 900 patches, but really its giving you the option to do individual items inside of a single bundle as a one off, which very very very rarely someone actually does. Usually they "just apply all of them", which even if you literally have 50 patches outstanding, it only applies ONE (i.e the latest one).
You can get the patch for what you're looking for from the patch manager website, here: https://www.vmware.com/patchmgr/findPatchByReleaseName.portal
Almost all ESXi patches are ~300-350mb, which is the size of the ESXi image. Some are ~700MB because they really contain two images, 300 each.
You upload that to Prism, and give it the Md5, and Prism will connect to vCenter, do the DRS / Maintenance mode dance for you, and you sit back sipping coffee
For 3rd party VIBs, the use case for the amount of times people A) actually use them and 😎 actually update them is super rare (from our conversations with customers and empirical observations and so on).
Its important to note (and this is a long conversation, I'll keep it short) that ESXi patches are just a whole update of the entire ESXi image every time. VUM makes it look like you need 900 patches, but really its giving you the option to do individual items inside of a single bundle as a one off, which very very very rarely someone actually does. Usually they "just apply all of them", which even if you literally have 50 patches outstanding, it only applies ONE (i.e the latest one).
You can get the patch for what you're looking for from the patch manager website, here: https://www.vmware.com/patchmgr/findPatchByReleaseName.portal
Almost all ESXi patches are ~300-350mb, which is the size of the ESXi image. Some are ~700MB because they really contain two images, 300 each.
You upload that to Prism, and give it the Md5, and Prism will connect to vCenter, do the DRS / Maintenance mode dance for you, and you sit back sipping coffee
I appreciate that advice. that's what we intend to do. Push ESXi u3b, then push the entire bundle for u3b patches. Just as if in VUM we were to remediate a host with a baseline that contains the u3b host upgrade, and also the patch bundle.
So from what you're saying this seem much more simplfied using nutanix. I'll have two pushes to accomplish. One with the u3b host upgrade, and then push the patch bundle after in the same manner. (Please tell me if I'm misinterpreting.)
Much appreciated again!
So from what you're saying this seem much more simplfied using nutanix. I'll have two pushes to accomplish. One with the u3b host upgrade, and then push the patch bundle after in the same manner. (Please tell me if I'm misinterpreting.)
Much appreciated again!
Literally it's just one file. VUM makes you think there is more to do, but if you just throw the latest patch, it will go to the latest
In the traditional world, VUM makes you think you have to go to u3b, then apply all of the patches to "get up to" Patch 9, but in reality, if you just apply patch 9, it goes directly to patch 9, which includes all of the goodness of u3b, and the patches that have come between u3b and patch 9
Meaning there is no "patch stacking" inside of actual ESXi.
Diving one level deeper, check out this page: https://kb.vmware.com/kb/2143832
This lists all build numbers. If you apply the patch with build ID 4345813, and you then see in vCenter where the version says 5.5 Build 4345813, it will be running patch 9, and include all of the code from all patches previous released, without actually downloading and applying any previous patches. Pretty neat when you think about it.
In the traditional world, VUM makes you think you have to go to u3b, then apply all of the patches to "get up to" Patch 9, but in reality, if you just apply patch 9, it goes directly to patch 9, which includes all of the goodness of u3b, and the patches that have come between u3b and patch 9
Meaning there is no "patch stacking" inside of actual ESXi.
Diving one level deeper, check out this page: https://kb.vmware.com/kb/2143832
This lists all build numbers. If you apply the patch with build ID 4345813, and you then see in vCenter where the version says 5.5 Build 4345813, it will be running patch 9, and include all of the code from all patches previous released, without actually downloading and applying any previous patches. Pretty neat when you think about it.
Jon,
Thank you for the detailed explanation. I'll review the information and pass it along and pass it along to my colleague. that approach seems simple. Thanks!
Thank you for the detailed explanation. I'll review the information and pass it along and pass it along to my colleague. that approach seems simple. Thanks!
You mentioned that 4.6.x might be supported. Do you think just 4.6 is supported?
We started supporting ad-hoc patches like these in Prism in 4.6.1. To be fully transparent, the 4.6.1 hypervisor patch upgrade process worked, but there were a few spots that it was rough around the edges (e.g. not having guard rails for some one off edge cases, and so on)
Subsequent releases have polished off those rough edges, and now it works really well. It's not all doom and gloom, just being transparent as we always are.
Feel free to open a support ticket if you'd like help the first time through the process to make sure everything goes smoothly.
If you go to Upgrade Software > Hypervisor, you should see spots to upload it there.
Subsequent releases have polished off those rough edges, and now it works really well. It's not all doom and gloom, just being transparent as we always are.
Feel free to open a support ticket if you'd like help the first time through the process to make sure everything goes smoothly.
If you go to Upgrade Software > Hypervisor, you should see spots to upload it there.
We may end up doing so, but my confusion lies with these patch bundles. They don't include the image files inside of them ( Lets say we wanted to use express patch 9.) How would I push that? Do I upload just the zip file?
When you get the patches from the patch manager portal, you'll know which one you're downloading, and usually the file name indicates what build is contained in there. You can then use the other link I posted to correlate builds to the "common" name (i.e patch 9, etc). Not nearly as scary as it sounds, once you do it once, it will be a breeze
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