VCSA 6 Patching
This post covers the patching process for VCSA 6, the vCenter Appliance. The procedure has changed in that you've to attach the patch ISO to the appliance and get command line dirty! No web interface this time around!! The old way was SO easy, check updates, install updates:
Your mission - To Patch with: VMware-vCenter-Server-Appliance-6.0.0.5120-2800573-patch-TP.iso
Upload to the ISO folder on your desired Datastore and attach to the VCSA VM. No, I won't show you how.....
I enabled SSH during deployment so I'm going straight to Putty for this. Log in as root:
login as: root
VMware vCenter Server Appliance 6.0.0
Type: vCenter Server with an embedded Platform Services Controller
Using keyboard-interactive authentication.
Password: XXXXXXXX
Last login: Thu Aug 27 14:03:53 2015 from 192.168.10.199
Connected to service
* List APIs: "help api list"
* List Plugins: "help pi list"
* Enable BASH access: "shell.set --enabled True"
* Launch BASH: "shell"
Command> software-packages stage --iso
[2015-08-27T14:04:53.239] : Staging software update packages from ISO
[2015-08-27T14:04:53.239] : ISO mounted successfully
[2015-08-27 14:04:53,465] : Running pre-stage script.....
[2015-08-27T14:04:54.239] : Verifying staging area
[2015-08-27T14:04:54.239] : Validating software update payload
[2015-08-27T14:04:54.239] : Validation successful
VMWARE END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT
----Blah----Blah----Blah----Blah----Blah----50 pages later----Blah----Blah----Blah----Blah----Blah
Attention: Legal Department.Do you accept the terms and conditions? [yes/no]
[2015-08-27 14:05:32,653] : Processing software packages in update payload 21/21
[2015-08-27T14:05:33.239] : ISO unmounted successfully
[2015-08-27T14:05:33.239] : (19) packages staged successfully
[2015-08-27T14:05:33.239] : Staging process completed successfully
Command> software-packages list --staged
[2015-08-27T14:07:13.239] :
category: security
kb: http://kb.vmware.com/2115251
vendor: VMware, Inc.
name: VC-6.0.0b-Appliance-TP
tags: [u'']
productname: VMware vCenter Server Appliance
releasedate: June 16, 2015
version: 6.0.0.5120
buildnumber: 2800573
rebootrequired: True
summary: NTP patch for VMware vCenter Server 6.0
severity: critical
Command> software-packages install --staged
[2015-08-27 14:07:45,693] : Running test transaction ....
[2015-08-27 14:07:46,697] : Running pre-install script.....
[2015-08-27T14:08:53.239] : Services stopped.
[2015-08-27 14:08:53,824] : Upgrading software packages ....
[2015-08-27 14:09:36,889] : Running post-install script.....
[2015-08-27T14:09:37.239] : Packages upgraded successfully, Reboot is required to complete the installation.
Command> shutdown reboot -r patchingisboring
Took a few minutes all in all, but that was just a 72MB patch. Don't forget to disconnect the ISO!
The next patch was over 1GB !!
login as: root
VMware vCenter Server Appliance 6.0.0
Type: vCenter Server with an embedded Platform Services Controller
Using keyboard-interactive authentication.
Password: XXXX
Last login: Thu Aug 27 14:12:26 2015 from 192.168.10.199
Connected to service
* List APIs: "help api list"
* List Plugins: "help pi list"
* Enable BASH access: "shell.set --enabled True"
* Launch BASH: "shell"
Command> software-packages stage --iso
[2015-08-27T14:14:06.239] : Staging software update packages from ISO
[2015-08-27T14:14:06.239] : ISO mounted successfully
[2015-08-27 14:14:06,927] : Running pre-stage script.....
[2015-08-27T14:14:07.239] : Verifying staging area
[2015-08-27T14:14:07.239] : Validating software update payload
[2015-08-27T14:14:07.239] : Validation successful
VMWARE END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT
----Blah----Blah----Blah----Blah----Blah----Mr Grey will see you now----Blah----Blah----Blah
Do you accept the terms and conditions? [yes/no] yes
[2015-08-27 14:14:26,435] : Processing software packages in update payload 53/53
[2015-08-27T14:14:35.239] : ISO unmounted successfully
[2015-08-27T14:14:35.239] : (52) packages staged successfully
[2015-08-27T14:14:35.239] : Staging process completed successfully
Command> software-packages list --staged
[2015-08-27T14:14:43.239] :
category: security
kb: http://kb.vmware.com/2115252
vendor: VMware, Inc.
name: VC-6.0.0b-Appliance-FP
tags: [u'']
productname: VMware vCenter Server Appliance
releasedate: June 16, 2015
version: 6.0.0.5120
buildnumber: 2800573
rebootrequired: True
summary: Patch for VMware vCenter Server Appliance 6.0
severity: critical
Command> software-packages install --staged
[2015-08-27 14:14:54,797] : Running test transaction ....
[2015-08-27 14:14:56,804] : Running pre-install script.....
[2015-08-27T14:16:09.239] : Services stopped.
[2015-08-27 14:16:09,937] : Upgrading software packages ....
[2015-08-27 14:17:10,034] : Running post-install script.....
[2015-08-27T14:17:11.239] : Packages upgraded successfully, Reboot is required to complete the installation.
Command> shutdown reboot -r ambush
