Standalone ESXi 5 Host Upgrade
Have an ESXi host which is a standalone box? No VMware Update Manager? No vMA?
Well, they still require patches. Luckily enough, you can still use the stripped down version of the console which is included in ESXi to update it.
Start by heading out to the VMware Patches portal http://www.vmware.com/patchmgr/download.portal and download the neccessary patches for the server that needs patched.
Upload the patch zip file to a datastore that the server can talk to via either SCP or the datastore browser
Next, make sure the SSH service has been started.
To do this while in the vSphere Client, click on the desired host, and click on the "Configuration" tab followed by the "Security Profile" link in the "Software" box, then click on "Properties" in the top right side.
Highlight "SSH" and then click "Options", after the SSH Options screen pops up, click on "Start", then click "OK" twice to get back to the Configuration tab.
After getting connected to the ESXi host, run the command: esxcli software vib install -d *full path to uploaded zip*
Example: esxcli software vib install -d /vmfs/volumes/VMO-01 Datastore/Temp/update-from-esxi5.0-5.0_update01.zip
There should be a message showing that the update was completed successfully and that the system needs to be rebooted.
If ready to reboot, type in "reboot" and the system will reboot. Just remember to check to make sure that the SSH service has been stopped when it boots back up.
One error that I ran into, if you don't give the full path to the zip file containing the update, the patching will fail with a "MetadataDownloadError" reading:
Could not download from depot at zip:/var/log/vmware/*update name*.zip?index.xml, skipping (('zip:/var/log/vmware/*update name*.zip?index.xml', '', "Error extracting index.xml from :/var/log/vmware/*update name*.zip: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/var/log/vmware/*update name*.zip?index.xml'"))
url = zip:/var/log/vmware/*update name*.zip?index.xml
Please refer to the log file for more details.
Once I put in the full path, it worked just fine.
Upgrading vCenter from 4.1 to 5…
Finally, after months of waiting... vSphere 5 has been released. After upgrading one of my dev hosts to ESXi 5, it was time to address the Virtual Center.
Here's what I'm starting with:
Start by heading out the the VMware site and downloading the vCenter software: http://downloads.vmware.com/d/info/datacenter_cloud_infrastructure/vmware_vsphere/5_0
If you grabbed the zip, extract it and run the "autorun.exe". If you grabbed the ISO, either mount it in your VM (if your vCenter is virtualized) or burn it and toss it in the drive. You'll be met with this screen:
Click on the "vCenter Server" installer, select your preferred language and select "OK"
You should be greeted with a message that "An earlier version of vCenter Server is already installed on this computer and will be upgraded to vCenter Server 5.0", click "Next", click "Next" on the Patent Agreement screen, agree to the EULA and click "Next"
Enter the User Name, Org, and License Key (if you have one). You'll next receive a message about the new licensing keys for vSphere 5 and how using your old key won't work, either acknowledge or grab your new license key from the VMware License Portal.
I used SQL server on my previous install, verify the database information and click "Next"
With the new install of vCenter, a new version of vSphere Update Manager is required. You should now see a message about that reading: This vCenter Server is being used by the following registered extension(s). This essentially just says that you need to upgrade these programs as well.
Now it's time to upgrade the Database, make sure to backup the existing DB and the SSL certs associated with it
The vCenter Agent will need upgraded on each host the vCenter manages. Note: if you select "Manual", all of the hosts will disconnect and it will be up to you to reconnect them. I chose "Automatic".
Enter the password for the account that the service runs as and the fully qualified domain name
Verify the locations to install the vCenter Server and Inventory Service, verify the ports the vCenter uses, and verify the ports the Inventory Service uses
Set the Java VM Memory setting for the WebService to what fits your environment and click "Next", then click "Install", and sit back and watch it install.
Once it's done, you'll see a nice screen you can click "Finish" on
Pop open your vSphere client and connect to the vCenter and you should be greeted with it reading version 5.
You're not quite done yet though, there's still the VMware vSphere Web Client (Server) to install. Which the installer indicates that "New improvements in license reporting require installation of hte VMware vSphere Web Client". So click on the link to the Web Client and then click "Install"
Select the preferred language, click "Next" to start the installer, click "Next" to agree to the Patent Agreement, and click "Next" to agree to the EULA
Enter the customer information, verify the port settings, verify the install folder, and click "Install"
The installer will start and then you'll reach a completed screen, click on "Finish"
Upon clicking finish, a webpage will pop up (which requires an install of Adobe Flash) going to the Web Client Admin Tool (https://localhost:9443/admin-app/)
The page should display a message: vSphere Web Client is not ready to use as there are no vCenter Server Systems registered with this vSphere Web Client. Under that message, click on the "Register vCenter Server". Enter the vCenter name or IP, a username & password to authenticate with, and the name or IP to the vCenter's Web Client server, then click "Register"
If you haven't already added an SSL cert, it will give you a warning. This can be ignored.
You'll return back to the Admin Tool's main page and be able to see that a new vCenter Server has been added
Now you can go to the Web Client page (https://localhost:9443/vsphere-client/), the drop down box should show the recently added vCenter Server, then enter a username/password for an account whom can authenticate to the vCenter Server and click "Login"
You'll be greeted with a page explaining where everything is click on the circular "X" button on the top right, and you'll see a rather comprehensive view of your environment in a web browser
Upgrading to ESXi 5 with Update Manager
So now with ESXi 5 and vSphere 5 dropping to the masses, it's time to get some hands on experience with it.
So first things first, upgrade your vSphere 4 server to vSphere 5 and make sure to update VMware Update Manager (VUM) as well. Personally, I did a new install, but will cover an upgrade at a later date. Next, you'll want to connect your ESXi 4 host to the vSphere 5 server's DC. You'll also want to download the ESXi ISO from VMware's website. Now that we're on the same page, here's how the upgrade process goes:
Here's an ESXi 4.1 host that I'll be upgrading.
Now you'll want to head over to the "Solutions and Applications" area, select "Update Manager" then click on the "ESXi Images" tab
You'll want to click on "Import ESXi Image", browse to where the ISO for ESXi 5 was downloaded and click "Next", the image will be uploaded and imported to the VUM repository, and once the upload is done it will display a success note.
Then check the "Create a baseline" and name it something appropriate, then click "Finish"
Here's how the ESXi Image looks once it's upgraded in VUM
Go back to the VUM tab for the individual host and attach the baseline, by clicking "Attach", then checkmark the Upgrade Baseline that was just created and click "Attach". The Baseline will now show up in the "Attached Baseline" along with having an upgrade notice in the bottom portion
Click on the "Scan" button and ensure that "Upgrades" is checkmarked then click "Scan"
In most cases, the host will show up as "Non-Compliant" however my host has an added plugin which won't work with ESXi 5 and will have to be removed during the VUM upgrade. The error I received in this case was: "Software modules oem-vmware-esx-drivers-net-vxge oem-vmware-esx-drives-scsi-3w-9xxx published by third party vendor(s) are installed on the host. Upgrading the host will remove these modules."
We're all set to proceed with the upgrade by clicking on "Remediate", selecting the "Upgrade Baselines" followed by the Baselines which was created (should show VMware ESXi 5.0.0 in the Upgrades column), accept the EULA, remove the software which will be incompatible with the upgrade, give the task a name and select a time to schedule the remediation, modify any maintenance mode options, verify the information and click "Finish"
Here's how the events went:
We have success!
My only problem with the whole process was after the host was upgraded, you have to physically push the "Enter" button to allow the machine to reboot. I was hoping for it to be a completely seamless and hands off experience, but a DRAC or iLO card makes up for it
Upgrading to EQL Firmware 5.1.1-H1
So if you were like me, you noticed that Dell pulled the v5.1 firmware upgrade for the Equallogics pretty quickly. Then v5.1.1 appeared, only to be taken down days later. Finally, this morning, v5.1.1-H1 appeared this morning!
After seeing all the benefits to the new firmware at the Dell Storage Forum, I've been a bit on the excited side to get this tossed on some hardware and see how much of a difference we're talking!
So to start your firmware upgrade, head out to the Equallogic Support site and download the new Firmware. Once downloaded, extract it. Should look similar to:
Log into the Group Manager. Here's what I'm working with at the moment:
Click on the "Group Configuration", then go to the "Advanced" tab, and click on the "Update firmware..." button:
Enter the administrative password for the group:
Browse to the extracted firmware location and select the file with a tgz extension:
The Firmware Update Manager will tell you the status of the member/s in the group and give you an action. In this case, the member is running an older version of firmware and there is and "Upgrade" action available.
Click on the "Upgrade" button and it will start a 3 step process, starting with the FTP transfer of the firmware, then having the member process the firmware update, and finally a restart of each controller:
From my experience, the reboot is ONLY of each controller and not at the same time. The inactive controller reboots, then it is changed to the active controller, then the newly inactive controller is rebooted.
There was a little noticeable lag during the reboot, nothing major. Certainly wouldn't do this during the middle of a busy or even moderately busy day. VMware reported roughly 2.25 seconds of latency during the process:
Finally, after the reboot of each controller. They're both reporting as v5.1.1-H1 firmware!
Installing the VMware vDR Appliance…
Go to VMware's website, go to the "Downloads" section, click on "vSphere 4" and scroll down until you see "VMware Data Recovery", click on the "Download" button.
Accept the EULA and download the ISO. Once downloaded, extract the ISO (I use 7zip)
Go into your vCenter and go to "File" then "Deploy OVF Template..."
Browse out to where the ISO was extracted to and select the ovf file in the VMwareDataRecovery-ovf-i386 folder, then click "Next"
Verify the information, then click "Next"
Select the name and add it to where it should go (the cluster in this case)
Select the cluster and then the individual host
Select the Datastore to store the files and the format of the disk
Select the Network it should be on
Select the Timezone
Verify the information and click "Finish"
Wait for the system to be successfully deployed
With the appliance installed, the plugin for vCenter will now be needed. To install it go back to the extracted ISO folder, run the "VMwareDataRecoveryPlugin.msi"
Click "Next", "Next", "Next", choose "I Agree" and "Next", "Next", "Close"
Once installed, by clicking on the "Plug-ins" through vCenter and then "Manage Plug-ins", the Plug-in Manager should look similar to this:
Initializing an Equallogic – the GUI way
Personally, I rather enjoy getting on the serial cable and setting it up that way. However, a recent experience forced me to have to set up an Equallogic PS6000E sight-unseen. Someone else had already done the dirty work of racking and networking it all together. So we are assuming that the Windows system we're using has at least one NIC on the same switch and/or VLAN as the EQL was plugged in to.
Start off by installing the HIT kit for Windows
Run the "Remote Setup Wizard"
Choose to initialize the PS Series array, click "Next" and wait for the system to find the array
With a bit of good luck, it should show up
Give the newly found array a name, IP, subnet, and gateway. If this is the first one, create a new group or you can even join an existing group. In this case, this is the first one.
Since this is the first one for the group, create a new group with the necessary information
Once everything is entered, allow the array some time to initialize
Upon completion, click "Finish" to exit from the program. The array has been successfully created.
Testing out EQL 6510Es & PC 8024Fs
Had to wait for rack space, but... I couldn't wait!
Check this out! (And yes, those chairs are there for structural support)
EQL 6510E #1 filled up and connected
EQL 6510E #2 filled up and connected
Closer shot of 96TB raw running on a cube desk
Upcoming Events
Recent Posts
- PowerCLI – Copying PortGroups from a Standard vSwitch to a Distributed vSwitch
- PowerCLI – Rescan HBAs for a Cluster on a Host by Host Basis
- PowerCLI – Analyze a Cluster to Move VMs to a Resource Pool
- Fusion-IO Caching Tests…
- Updating the Fusion-IO firmware…
Certifications
My Home Lab vMetrics
10 GHz Total CPU 
16 GB Total RAM 
7,578 GB Total Disk
1 Host(s)
1 RPs
8 VMs
0 vMotions
(4) 
(4) 
(0)
3 Physical NICs
3 Virtual PGs
Tags
5.1.1 2008 R2 2008R2 6510E 8024F Data Recovery Dell EQL Equallogic ESXi ESXi 5 firmware Fusion-IO HIT HIT/VE HIT Kit install iSCSI MEM Microsoft Multipathing OVA OVF plugin PowerCLI PowerConnect Round Robin Server snapshot Update Manager Upgrade vCenter vDR VirtualCenter Virtual Center vMotion VMUG VMware VMworld vSphere vSphere 5 VSS vSwitch VUM Windows
WP Cumulus Flash tag cloud by Roy Tanck requires Flash Player 9 or better.