In this post i will go over upgrading my 8.x Aria Operations appliance to 8.17.2 using Aria Suite Lifecycle. As a pre requirement we do need to have Aria Suite Lifecycle upgraded to 8.16. Instructions can be found here. The upgrade does not include the latest Product Support Pack. We can apply the latest Product Support Pack following the instructions here.

To get started we can go to Aria Suite Lifecycle -> Lifecycle Operations -> Settings -> Binary Mapping. (If you haven’t added your My VMware credentials you will need to do that first by going to Aria Suite Lifecycle -> Lifecycle Operations -> Settings -> My VMware)

Click on Add Binaries under Product Binaries

Select My VMware and click on Discover

We can see a list of binaries that have been discovered. Make sure we select the upgrade package not the install package. We can select what we need and click on Add

This will create a request and start downloading the package. To view the progress we can click on the Click Here hyperlink

Click on the in Progress button to view the details

We now have to wait for the download to complete

After the download is complete we can go to Environments -> View Details on the environment that includes Aria Operations

Click on Upgrade

An Inventory sync is recommended if the environment has changed since LCM performed the last sync. We trigger the sync from the UI or click on Proceed to continue

Select product Version 8.17.2 and click Next. We can also review the compatibility matrix to make sure the environment is compatible.

Run the Assessment tool to make sure the currently used dashboards, reports, metrics etc are still compatible with the new version

Once the report has finished running we can either Download or view the report. Once everything has been reviewed, we can click on the I have viewed the report and agree to proceed box and click next to proceed to the next step.

A new feature that was added was the capability to automatically create a snapshot prior to the upgrade and remove it after the upgrade. On this screen we also have the ability to chose if we want to keep the snapshots post upgrade for validation testing for example. Click next

Run the Precheck to make sure there are no errors or issues.

Once the check is complete we can review the checks that were performed and we can continue by clicking Next.

Review the upgrade details and click on Next and the Submit. We are taken to the progress screen where we can follow the progress.

The system will get rebooted and once its back up, we will be on 8.17.2

Since we are doing a major upgrade i strongly recommend to clean the cache before using the new Aria Operations version.

In this post i will go over upgrading my 8.x Aria Operations appliance to 8.17.1 using Aria Suite Lifecycle. As a pre requirement we do need to have Aria Suite Lifecycle upgraded to 8.16. Instructions can be found here. The upgrade does not include the latest Product Support Pack. We can apply the latest Product Support Pack following the instructions here.

To get started we can go to Aria Suite Lifecycle -> Lifecycle Operations -> Settings -> Binary Mapping. (If you haven’t added your My VMware credentials you will need to do that first by going to Aria Suite Lifecycle -> Lifecycle Operations -> Settings -> My VMware)

Click on Add Binaries under Product Binaries

Select My VMware and click on Discover

We can see a list of binaries that have been discovered. Make sure we select the upgrade package not the install package. We can select what we need and click on Add

This will create a request and start downloading the package. To view the progress we can click on the Click Here hyperlink

Click on the in Progress button to view the details

We now have to wait for the download to complete

After the download is complete we can go to Environments -> View Details on the environment that includes Aria Operations

Click on Upgrade

An Inventory sync is recommended if the environment has changed since LCM performed the last sync. We trigger the sync from the UI or click on Proceed to continue

Select product Version 8.17.1 and click Next. We can also review the compatibility matrix to make sure the environment is compatible.

Run the Assessment tool to make sure the currently used dashboards, reports, metrics etc are still compatible with the new version

Once the report has finished running we can either Download or view the report. Once everything has been reviewed, we can click on the I have viewed the report and agree to proceed box and click next to proceed to the next step.

A new feature that was added was the capability to automatically create a snapshot prior to the upgrade and remove it after the upgrade. On this screen we also have the ability to chose if we want to keep the snapshots post upgrade for validation testing for example. Click next

Run the Precheck to make sure there are no errors or issues.

Once the check is complete we can review the checks that were performed and we can continue by clicking Next.

Review the upgrade details and click on Next and the Submit. We are taken to the progress screen where we can follow the progress.

The system will get rebooted and once its back up, we will be on 8.17.1

Since we are doing a major upgrade i strongly recommend to clean the cache before using the new Aria Operations version.

Introduction
Automation in VMware environments enhances efficiency, reduces human error, and improves the consistency of operations. Aria Automation (formerly vRealize Automation) is a powerful tool designed to automate processes in your VMware infrastructure. However, to fully leverage its capabilities, Aria Automation requires specific permissions in vCenter. This blog post will guide you through creating a custom role in vCenter with all necessary permissions for the Aria Automation service account.

Prerequisites

• Access to vCenter with administrative privileges.
• VMware PowerCLI installed on your computer.
• Familiarity with VMware environments and basic scripting.

Step 1: Establish a Connection to Your vCenter Server
Begin by opening VMware PowerCLI and connecting to your vCenter server. Use the following script, substituting your actual credentials and server details:

$vcServer = 'vcenter.yourdomain.com'
$username = '[email protected]'
$password = 'yourPassword'
Connect-VIServer -Server $vcServer -User $username -Password $password

Step 2: Define the Role and Permissions
Next, specify the role’s name and the permissions necessary for Aria Automation. These permissions will allow Aria Automation to manage virtual machines and other resources effectively:

$roleName = "Aria Automation Custom Role"
$permissions = @(
    "System.Anonymous",
    "System.View",
    "System.Read",
    "Global.ManageCustomFields",
    "Global.SetCustomField",
    "Folder.Create",
    "Folder.Delete",
    "Datastore.Browse",
    "Datastore.FileManagement",
    "Datastore.AllocateSpace",
    "Network.Assign",
    "VirtualMachine.Inventory.Create",
    "VirtualMachine.Inventory.CreateFromExisting",
    "VirtualMachine.Inventory.Delete",
    "VirtualMachine.Inventory.Move",
    "VirtualMachine.Interact.PowerOn",
    "VirtualMachine.Interact.PowerOff",
    "VirtualMachine.Interact.Suspend",
    "VirtualMachine.Interact.Reset",
    "VirtualMachine.Interact.ConsoleInteract",
    "VirtualMachine.Interact.DeviceConnection",
    "VirtualMachine.Interact.SetCDMedia",
    "VirtualMachine.Interact.ToolsInstall",
    "VirtualMachine.Config.Rename",
    "VirtualMachine.Config.Annotation",
    "VirtualMachine.Config.AddExistingDisk",
    "VirtualMachine.Config.AddNewDisk",
    "VirtualMachine.Config.RemoveDisk",
    "VirtualMachine.Config.CPUCount",
    "VirtualMachine.Config.Memory",
    "VirtualMachine.Config.AddRemoveDevice",
    "VirtualMachine.Config.EditDevice",
    "VirtualMachine.Config.Settings",
    "VirtualMachine.Config.Resource",
    "VirtualMachine.Config.AdvancedConfig",
    "VirtualMachine.Config.SwapPlacement",
    "VirtualMachine.Config.DiskExtend",
    "VirtualMachine.Config.ChangeTracking",
    "VirtualMachine.State.CreateSnapshot",
    "VirtualMachine.State.RevertToSnapshot",
    "VirtualMachine.State.RemoveSnapshot",
    "VirtualMachine.Provisioning.Customize",
    "VirtualMachine.Provisioning.Clone",
    "VirtualMachine.Provisioning.DeployTemplate",
    "VirtualMachine.Provisioning.CloneTemplate",
    "VirtualMachine.Provisioning.ReadCustSpecs",
    "Resource.AssignVMToPool",
    "Resource.HotMigrate",
    "Resource.ColdMigrate",
    "Authorization.ModifyPermissions",
    "VApp.ApplicationConfig",
    "VApp.Import",
    "StoragePod.Config",
    "InventoryService.Tagging.AttachTag",
    "InventoryService.Tagging.ModifyUsedByForCategory",
    "ContentLibrary.EvictLibraryItem",
    "InventoryService.Tagging.DeleteCategory",
    "ContentLibrary.TypeIntrospection",
    "ContentLibrary.GetConfiguration",
    "InventoryService.Tagging.EditTag",
    "ContentLibrary.UpdateSession",
    "ContentLibrary.UpdateLibrary",
    "InventoryService.Tagging.ModifyUsedByForTag",
    "ContentLibrary.SyncLibraryItem",
    "ContentLibrary.UpdateSubscribedLibrary",
    "ContentLibrary.UpdateLibraryItem",
    "ContentLibrary.DeleteLibraryItem",
    "InventoryService.Tagging.CreateTag",
    "InventoryService.Tagging.DeleteTag",
    "ContentLibrary.SyncLibrary",
    "ContentLibrary.UpdateConfiguration",
    "ContentLibrary.DownloadSession",
    "ContentLibrary.DeleteLocalLibrary",
    "InventoryService.Tagging.ObjectAttachable",
    "ContentLibrary.EvictSubscribedLibrary",
    "ContentLibrary.DeleteSubscribedLibrary",
    "ContentLibrary.CreateSubscribedLibrary",
    "ContentLibrary.UpdateLocalLibrary",
    "InventoryService.Tagging.EditCategory",
    "InventoryService.Tagging.CreateCategory",
    "ContentLibrary.ProbeSubscription",
    "ContentLibrary.ReadStorage",
    "ContentLibrary.AddLibraryItem",
    "ContentLibrary.CreateLocalLibrary"
)

Step 3: Create the Custom Role
Create the role using the New-VIRole cmdlet. This step involves applying the previously defined permissions to the new role:

New-VIRole -Name $roleName -Privilege (Get-VIPrivilege -Id $permissions)
Write-Output "Role '$roleName' created successfully with necessary permissions."

Step 4: Verify and Disconnect
After creating the role, it’s good practice to verify that the role has been created with the correct permissions. Then, ensure you disconnect from your vCenter server securely:

Disconnect-VIServer -Server $vcServer -Confirm:$false

Step 5: Put it all together

$vcServer = 'vcenter.yourdomain.com'
$username = '[email protected]'
$password = 'yourPassword'
Connect-VIServer -Server $vcServer -User $username -Password $password
$roleName = "Aria Automation Custom Role"
$permissions = @(
    "System.Anonymous",
    "System.View",
    "System.Read",
    "Global.ManageCustomFields",
    "Global.SetCustomField",
    "Folder.Create",
    "Folder.Delete",
    "Datastore.Browse",
    "Datastore.FileManagement",
    "Datastore.AllocateSpace",
    "Network.Assign",
    "VirtualMachine.Inventory.Create",
    "VirtualMachine.Inventory.CreateFromExisting",
    "VirtualMachine.Inventory.Delete",
    "VirtualMachine.Inventory.Move",
    "VirtualMachine.Interact.PowerOn",
    "VirtualMachine.Interact.PowerOff",
    "VirtualMachine.Interact.Suspend",
    "VirtualMachine.Interact.Reset",
    "VirtualMachine.Interact.ConsoleInteract",
    "VirtualMachine.Interact.DeviceConnection",
    "VirtualMachine.Interact.SetCDMedia",
    "VirtualMachine.Interact.ToolsInstall",
    "VirtualMachine.Config.Rename",
    "VirtualMachine.Config.Annotation",
    "VirtualMachine.Config.AddExistingDisk",
    "VirtualMachine.Config.AddNewDisk",
    "VirtualMachine.Config.RemoveDisk",
    "VirtualMachine.Config.CPUCount",
    "VirtualMachine.Config.Memory",
    "VirtualMachine.Config.AddRemoveDevice",
    "VirtualMachine.Config.EditDevice",
    "VirtualMachine.Config.Settings",
    "VirtualMachine.Config.Resource",
    "VirtualMachine.Config.AdvancedConfig",
    "VirtualMachine.Config.SwapPlacement",
    "VirtualMachine.Config.DiskExtend",
    "VirtualMachine.Config.ChangeTracking",
    "VirtualMachine.State.CreateSnapshot",
    "VirtualMachine.State.RevertToSnapshot",
    "VirtualMachine.State.RemoveSnapshot",
    "VirtualMachine.Provisioning.Customize",
    "VirtualMachine.Provisioning.Clone",
    "VirtualMachine.Provisioning.DeployTemplate",
    "VirtualMachine.Provisioning.CloneTemplate",
    "VirtualMachine.Provisioning.ReadCustSpecs",
    "Resource.AssignVMToPool",
    "Resource.HotMigrate",
    "Resource.ColdMigrate",
    "Authorization.ModifyPermissions",
    "VApp.ApplicationConfig",
    "VApp.Import",
    "StoragePod.Config",
    "InventoryService.Tagging.AttachTag",
    "InventoryService.Tagging.ModifyUsedByForCategory",
    "ContentLibrary.EvictLibraryItem",
    "InventoryService.Tagging.DeleteCategory",
    "ContentLibrary.TypeIntrospection",
    "ContentLibrary.GetConfiguration",
    "InventoryService.Tagging.EditTag",
    "ContentLibrary.UpdateSession",
    "ContentLibrary.UpdateLibrary",
    "InventoryService.Tagging.ModifyUsedByForTag",
    "ContentLibrary.SyncLibraryItem",
    "ContentLibrary.UpdateSubscribedLibrary",
    "ContentLibrary.UpdateLibraryItem",
    "ContentLibrary.DeleteLibraryItem",
    "InventoryService.Tagging.CreateTag",
    "InventoryService.Tagging.DeleteTag",
    "ContentLibrary.SyncLibrary",
    "ContentLibrary.UpdateConfiguration",
    "ContentLibrary.DownloadSession",
    "ContentLibrary.DeleteLocalLibrary",
    "InventoryService.Tagging.ObjectAttachable",
    "ContentLibrary.EvictSubscribedLibrary",
    "ContentLibrary.DeleteSubscribedLibrary",
    "ContentLibrary.CreateSubscribedLibrary",
    "ContentLibrary.UpdateLocalLibrary",
    "InventoryService.Tagging.EditCategory",
    "InventoryService.Tagging.CreateCategory",
    "ContentLibrary.ProbeSubscription",
    "ContentLibrary.ReadStorage",
    "ContentLibrary.AddLibraryItem",
    "ContentLibrary.CreateLocalLibrary")
New-VIRole -Name $roleName -Privilege (Get-VIPrivilege -Id $permissions)
Write-Output "Role '$roleName' created successfully with necessary permissions."
Disconnect-VIServer -Server $vcServer -Confirm:$false

Conclusion
Creating a custom role for the Aria Automation service account in vCenter is an essential step for securing and optimizing your automation tasks. By assigning precise permissions tailored to your needs, you can maintain a secure and efficient VMware environment.

Happy Automating!

This blog post offers a practical walkthrough for VMware professionals looking to customize and secure their VMware automation tools, ensuring a robust setup for extensive and complex automation tasks.

In this post i will go over upgrading my 8.x SSC appliance to 8.16.2. As a pre requirement we do need to have VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle upgraded to 8.16. Instructions can be found here. The upgrade does not include the latest PSPACK that contains the 8.16.2 Aria Automation Config release. Instructions to get the PSPACK can be found on my other blog post here.

To get started we can go to VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle -> Lifecycle Operations -> Settings -> Binary Mapping. (If you haven’t added your My VMware credentials you will need to do that first by going to VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle -> Lifecycle Operations -> Settings -> My VMware)

Click on Add Binaries under Product Binaries

Select My VMware and click on Discover

We can see a list of binaries that have been discovered. We can select what we need and click on Add

This will create a request and start downloading the package. To view the progress we can click on the Click Here hyperlink

Click on the in Progress button to view the details

We now have to wait for the download to complete

After the download is complete we can go to Environments -> View Details on the environment that includes the VMware Aria Automation Config

Under VMware Automation Config tab Click on Upgrade

An Inventory sync is recommended if the environment has changed since Aria Suite Lifecycle performed the last sync. We trigger the sync from the UI or click on Proceed to continue

Select product Version 8.16.2 and click Next. We can also review the compatibility matrix to make sure the environment is compatible.

We can automatically create and delete a snapshot part of the upgrade process

Run the Precheck to make sure there are no errors

Once the check is complete, click on Next. Review the upgrade details and click on Next. We are taken to the progress screen where we can follow the progress.

The system will get rebooted and once its back up we will be on 8.16.2

Here are a few additional blogs that might be useful post upgrade:

Error Code: LCMVSSC10018

SSC 8.8 sseapi_rpc_queue: could not connect to SSE server

SSC 8.8 urllib3 (1.25.11) or chardet (4.0.0) doesn’t match a supported version

Authentication failed: no Authorization header

In this post i will go over upgrading my 8.x vRA appliance to 8.16.2. As a pre requirement we do need to have VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle upgraded to 8.16. Instructions can be found here. The upgrade does not include the latest PSPACK that contains the 8.16.2 VMware Aria Automation release. Instructions to get the PSPACK can be found on my other blog post here.

To get started we can go to VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle -> Lifecycle Operations -> Settings -> Binary Mapping. (If you haven’t added your My VMware credentials you will need to do that first by going to VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle -> Lifecycle Operations -> Settings -> My VMware)

Click on Add Binaries under Product Binaries

Select My VMware and click on Discover

We can see a list of binaries that have been discovered. We can select what we need and click on Add

This will create a request and start downloading the package. To view the progress we can click on the Click Here hyperlink

Click on the in Progress button to view the details ex:

We now have to wait for the download to complete

After the download is complete we can go to Environments -> View Details on the environment that includes vRA

Click on Upgrade

An Inventory sync is recommended if the environment has changed since LCM performed the last sync. We trigger the sync from the UI or click on Proceed to continue

Select product Version 8.16.2 and click Next. We can also review the compatibility matrix to make sure the environment is compatible.

A new feature that was added was the capability to automatically create a snapshot prior to the upgrade and remove it after the upgrade. On this screen we also have the ability to chose if we want to keep the snapshots post upgrade for validation testing for example. Click next

Run the Precheck to make sure there are no errors

The next screen remind us of hardware requirements for vRA which can be checked here and vIDM which can be checked here. As far as i can tell they haven’t changed since the 8.3 release. Check the I took care of the manual steps above and am ready to proceed check mark and click on Run Precheck

Once the check is complete we can review the checks that were performed and we can continue by clicking Next.

Review the upgrade details and click on Submit. We are taken to the progress screen where we can follow the progress.

The system will get rebooted and once its back up we will be on 8.16.2

Since we are doing a major upgrade i strongly recommend to clean the cache before using the new vRA version.

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.