Upgrading Aria Automation without Lifecycle Manager: A Step-by-Step Guide

Upgrading Aria Automation (formerly known as vRealize Automation, vRA) is crucial for maintaining the efficiency, security, and compatibility of your automation tasks. For environments without VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle, you can still perform the upgrade using the vracli command-line utility. This blog post will guide you through the process of upgrading Aria Automation using two different methods: from a mounted ISO (CD-ROM) and from an online update repository URL.

Prerequisites

  • SSH access to your Aria Automation appliance.
  • Sufficient backup of your Aria Automation environment.
  • Downloaded ISO for the Aria Automation upgrade, if using the CD-ROM method.
  • Access to the Aria Automation appliance with root privileges.

Method 1: Upgrading from a Mounted ISO (CD-ROM)

  1. Prepare the ISO Image: Before starting, ensure that the ISO image for the Aria Automation upgrade is downloaded and available.
  2. Mount the ISO to the Appliance: Mount the ISO image to your Aria Automation appliance. This step might require physical access to the server or through the management interface provided by your hypervisor (e.g., ESXi). To mount the CD-ROM we can use: 
mount /dev/sr0 /mnt/cdrom
  1. SSH into the Aria Automation Appliance: Access your appliance via SSH as the root user.
  2. Execute the Upgrade Command: Run the following command to start the upgrade process:
vracli upgrade exec -y --profile lcm --repo cdrom://
  1. This command will automatically start the upgrade process using the ISO mounted on the CD-ROM drive. The -y flag automates the acceptance of the upgrade process, and --profile lcm specifies the use of the lifecycle manager upgrade profile, even though the Lifecycle Manager itself is not being used.
  2. Monitor the Upgrade Process: The upgrade process will provide output to the console. Monitor this output for any errors or prompts that require manual intervention.
  3. Use 'vracli upgrade status --follow' to monitor the progress.
  4. Finalize the Upgrade: Once the upgrade completes, follow any on-screen instructions to finalize the upgrade. This may include rebooting the Aria Automation appliance.

Method 2: Upgrading from an Online Update Repository URL

  1. SSH into the Aria Automation Appliance: Ensure you have SSH access to the appliance as the root user.
  2. Determine the Repository URL: Identify the URL of the update repository you intend to use for the upgrade. This URL should point to the VMware online repository or an internally hosted repository mirror.
  3. Execute the Upgrade Command: Use the following command to initiate the upgrade from the online repository:
vracli upgrade exec --profile lcm -r <url>
  1. Replace <url> with the actual URL of your update repository. Similar to the CD-ROM method, --profile lcm indicates the lifecycle manager upgrade profile.
  2. Monitor the Upgrade Process: As with the ISO method, keep an eye on the console output for any actions required on your part.
  3. Use 'vracli upgrade status --follow' to monitor the progress.
  4. Complete the Upgrade: After the upgrade process finishes, perform any additional steps prompted by the system, which may include system reboots.

Post-Upgrade Steps

  • Verify the Upgrade: Log in to the Aria Automation user interface to verify that the upgrade was successful and all services are running correctly.
  • Review Logs: Check the upgrade logs for any warnings or errors that might need attention.
  • Test Deployments: Execute a few test deployments to ensure that all functionalities are working as expected.

Conclusion

Upgrading Aria Automation without the Lifecycle Manager is straightforward with the vracli utility. Whether you’re upgrading from a mounted ISO or an online repository, the process is designed to be seamless. Always ensure that you have backups and a rollback plan in case of any issues.


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