In this guide i will go over the steps of getting an existing 8.x vRSLCM appliance upgraded to the latest 8.8 release. The release notes can be found here
The first step is to lo in to vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager under the Lifecycle Operations section
Go to settings -> System Upgrade
Click on Check for Upgrade
We can see that the check found a new version available for 8.8
Click on Upgrade
Verify that a snapshot or backup exists in case the process fails. Check the check mark for I took a snapshot of the vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager before I performed this operation. Click Next
Click on Run Precheck
Verify that all check have passed and click on upgrade
This will fire up the upgrade process and start upgrading packages. The system will automatically reboot on 8.8 once completed. We can check the version by going to Settings -> System Details
If you get the below error clear the browser cache and try again
I`ve been having a hard time finding one article that covers the vRSLCM (vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager) API. The official documentation can be found here
As we can see we can leverage the swagger UI by going to https://$vRLCM/api/swagger-ui.html but… i wanted to leverage curl from the cli or postman and as per best practices i wanted to generate a Bearer token.
First step was to authenticate using the credentials. We can do so in Postman by completing the Authorization fields using basic auth and running an POST against https://$vRLCM/lcm/authzn/api/login Example:
If we want to run it via curl we need to generate the credentials via a base64 encoded format. Luckily there is an easy converter at https://www.base64encode.org/ The format should be username:password. Ex:
Now that we have the encoded version we can leverage a simple curl command. In my case i also added a -k at the end to ignore the invalid SSL certificate
If correct the command will return a simple Login succeessfully message.
Now we can use the Authorization to query different things like checking the health. Looking at the swagger UI we can see that we require a get to /lcm/health/api/vs2/status
This post we will be going over installing an vROPS management pack via vRSLCM. (If you haven’t added your My VMware credentials you will need to do that first by going to vRealize Lifecycle Manager -> Lifecycle Operations -> Settings -> My VMware)
Once logged on to vRSLCM click on the marketplace.
Alternatively we can also navigate to the marketplace by navigating to it via the side menu
In my case i want to install SDDC Health Monitoring Solution. Searching for sddc in the search box gives a number of results. In my case the latest version is 8.6.1
We can click directly on download or we can click on view details to show what the management pack provides
Once clicking on download we are presented with the EULA Agreement. Once reviewed we can click on next so we can enter some user information.
We can completed the required fields marked with an red asterisk and click on download to download the package.
Since the download was very small it completed relatively quickly in my environment. If we want to see the progress of the download we can navigate to Lifecycle Operations -> Requests. Once completed we can come back to the marketplace and we are presented with an install button. Click on install
Select which environment and datacenter we want to install the management pack in and lick on install.
We can view the progress by clicking on check request status on the bottom of the page
Once the installation reports as completed we can go to vROPS and verify that it was successfully installed
Navigating to the vROPS repository we can see that the management pack was successfully installed as well as configured
In this post i will go over upgrading my 8.x vROPS appliance to 8.6.2 using vRSLCM (vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager). As a pre requirement we do need to have vRSLCM (vRealize Lifecycle Manager) upgraded to 8.6.2 or 8.7 Instructions can be found here. The upgrade already includes the latest Product Support Pack so an update to the Product Support Pack is not required.
To get started we can go to vRealize Lifecycle Manager -> Lifecycle Operations -> Settings -> Binary Mapping. (If you haven’t added your My VMware credentials you will need to do that first by going to vRealize Lifecycle Manager -> 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 vROPS
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 8.6.2 and click Next. We can also review the compatibility matrix to make sure the environment is compatible.
Run the Upgrade 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 reviewing 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 8.6.2
Since we are doing a major upgrade i strongly recommend to clean the cache before using the new vROPS version.
In this post i will go over upgrading my 8.x vRLI appliance to 8.6.2 using vRSLCM (vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager). As a pre requirement we do need to have vRSLCM (vRealize Lifecycle Manager) upgraded to 8.6.2 or 8.7. Instructions can be found here. The upgrade already includes the latest Product Support Pack so an update to the Product Support Pack is not required.
To get started we can go to vRealize Lifecycle Manager -> Lifecycle Operations -> Settings -> Binary Mapping. (If you haven’t added your My VMware credentials you will need to do that first by going to vRealize Lifecycle Manager -> 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 vRLI
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 8.6.2 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 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 then Finish. 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 8.6.2
Since we are doing a major upgrade i strongly recommend to clean the cache before using the new vRLI version.
In this post i will go over upgrading my 3.3.5 vIDM appliance to 3.3.6 using vRSLCM (vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager). If you want to upgrade to LCM 8.6 instructions can be found here. The upgrade already includes the latest Product Support Pack so an update to the Product Support Pack is not required.
To get started we can go to vRealize Lifecycle Manager -> Lifecycle Operations -> Settings -> Binary Mapping. (If you haven’t added your My VMware credentials you will need to do that first by going to vRealize Lifecycle Manager -> 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 vIDM
Click on Upgrade
An Inventory sync is required when performing vIDM upgrades. We trigger the sync from the UI and click on Proceed once completed to continue
Select product Version 3.3.6 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 or issues.
There`s a list of Manual Validations. Once verified click on I took care of the manual steps above and am ready to proceed check box 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 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 3.3.6
Since we are doing a major upgrade i strongly recommend to clean the cache before using the new vIDM version.
With the release of of VCF 4.4 i wanted to get my lab upgraded. The release blog can be found here and the release notes are here
In order to get to 4.3.1.0 in the past we had to upgrade to each version incrementally. As per the documentation found here we can now upgrade from any release past 4.1.0.1 directly to 4.4 skipping the releases in between. We can do so by going to Repository -> Bundle management -> Download now.
The next step is to upgrade VCF by going to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the workload domain -> Update/Patches -> Select the cloud foundation version were upgrading to and click on Update Now for the VMware Cloud Foundation Update 4.4.0.0
Next we are taken to the Upgrade page where we can follow the upgrade for each one of the components
Once the upgrade is complete we can click Finish to be returned back to the main screen
Because we are changing the SDDC-Manager versions i would strongly recommend to clear cache and log back in before going forward.
Next step is to download and install the configuration drift package. We can find it under Lifecycle management -> Bundle management or Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select workload domain -> Update/Patches -> Under the drop down select Cloud Foundation 4.4.0.0 -> Download Now
Once the download is complete in the same location click on update now
We can view the upgrade process by clicking on view status
Next step is to upgrade NSX-T installation to NSX-T 3.1.3.5. The release notes can be found here. We can go to inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the workload domain -> Update/Patches -> Under Available updates click on the drop down and select Cloud Foundation 4.4.0.0 -> Download now.
Once the download is complete we can proceed with updating the NSX component by clicking on the update now
The upgrade will go thought upgrading the NSX managers as well as the edges. We can view the upgrade status by clicking on view status
Once the upgrade is complete we can proceed with the vCenter Upgrade. VCF 4.4 comes with vCenter Server 7.0 Updated 3c. The release notes can be found here. We can go to inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the workload domain -> Update/Patches -> Under Available updates click on the drop down and select Cloud Foundation 4.4 -> Download now.
Once the download is complete we can click on Update now
We can follow the status of the upgrade by clicking on the view status tab
Here we can see the different components that are getting upgraded
Once the upgrade is complete we are taken back to the previous page where we can see that the ESXi servers are next. The release notes can be found here. Click on Download Now
Once the download is complete we can click on Update now
If we have multiple clusters we can enable Cluster-level selection and select the specific cluster(s) we want to upgrade.
We can also enable sequential cluster upgrade as well as quick boot
We get to review the options once again before we click finish to to submit the task
Once submitted we can view the status by clicking on View Status
And with that we are finished with the workload domain. We can follow the same steps for the other domains
In this post i will go over upgrading my 8.x vRA appliance to 8.7. As a pre requirement we do need to have vRSLCM (vRealize Lifecycle Manager) upgraded to 8.7. Instructions can be found here. The upgrade already includes the latest Product Support Pack so an update to the Product Support Pack is not required.
To get started we can go to vRealize Lifecycle Manager -> Lifecycle Operations -> Settings -> Binary Mapping. (If you haven’t added your My VMware credentials you will need to do that first by going to vRealize Lifecycle Manager -> 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 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 8.7.0 and click Next. We can also review the compatibility matrix to make sure the environment is compatible.
Anew 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 and vIDM which can be checked here for vRA 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 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 8.7
Since we are doing a major upgrade i strongly recommend to clean the cache before using the new vRA version.
In this post i will go over upgrading my 6.x vRNI appliance to 6.5.1 using vRSLCM (vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager). As a pre requirement we do need to have vRSLCM (vRealize Lifecycle Manager) upgraded to 8.7. Instructions can be found here. The upgrade already includes the latest Product Support Pack so an update to the Product Support Pack is not required.
To get started we can go to vRealize Lifecycle Manager -> Lifecycle Operations -> Settings -> Binary Mapping. (If you haven’t added your My VMware credentials you will need to do that first by going to vRealize Lifecycle Manager -> 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 vRNI
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 6.5.1 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 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. 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 6.5
Since we are doing a major upgrade i strongly recommend to clean the cache before using the new vRNI version.
