VMworld 2013 Kyle Gleed, VMware Josh Gray, VMware Learn more about VMworld and register at http://www.vmworld.com/index.jspa?src=socmed-vmworld-slideshare

1. vSphere Upgrade Series Part 2:
vSphere Hosts and Virtual Machines
Kyle Gleed, VMware
Josh Gray, VMware
VSVC4945
#VSVC4945

2. 22
Agenda
 vSphere Upgrade Overview
 Understanding VIBs and Image Profiles
 Patches vs. Updates vs. Upgrades
 ESXi Upgrade
 Post Upgrade Considerations

3. 33
Upgrade Overview
Tip #1: Understand the vSphere Upgrade Process

4. 44
vSphere Upgrade Overview
 Upgrading vSphere is a multistage process
• Plan your upgrade
• Order is important
• Always start with vCenter
• Don’t forget about plug-ins
• Rolling ESXi host upgrades are supported
• Know your VM upgrade requirements
• Don’t forget about VMFS and VDS
Step 3
ESXi
Step 4
VMs
Step 5
VMFS
Step 1
vCenter
Step 2
VUM
This session focuses on Steps 3 - 5

5. 55
vSphere Upgrade Resources
 vSphere Documentation Center
https://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/
 VMware Compatibility Guide
http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility
 Product Interoperability Matrix
http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/sim/interop_matrix.php

6. 66
VIBs and Image Profiles
Tip #2: Understand how ESXi is packaged and distributed

7. 77
ESXi Software Components
VIB
Software packaged into
vSphere Installation Bundles
ISO / Bundle / Depot
VIBs are distributed as ISOs
and bundles
Image Profiles
Image Profiles define the VIBs
to be installed
• ISO uses “standard”
• “no-tools” typically used
with Auto Deploy
• Image Builder CLI to
create custom Image
Profiles

8. 88
vSphere Installation Bundle (VIB)
 VMware packaging format
• VIB = payload + XML Descriptor + digital signature
• Acceptance levels
• VMware Certified
• VMware Supported
• Partner Supported
• Community Supported (unsigned)
 To view/manage VIBs installed on a host use ESXCLI:
• # esxcli software vib list
• # esxcli software vib –n tools-light

9. 99
ESXi Software Distribution
 ESXi Software distribution formats:
• ISOs
• Offline Bundles
• Online Depots
 Many 3rd Party Vendors maintain custom ISOs / Bundles / Depots
• Based on VMware’s ISO Image
• Includes additional drivers/ and tools provided by the vendor
• Using vendor provided images is recommended!
• May be some lag from VMware releases until available from vendor

10. 1010
ESXi Image Profile
 VIBs are combined to create Image Profiles
• Use Image Builder CLI (PowerCLI)
• VIB acceptance level must comply with the Image Profile acceptance level
• Two default Image Profiles:
• Standard
• No-tools
 To view/manage Image Profiles on an ESXi host use ESXCLI:
• # esxcli software profile get
• # esxcli software profile update –d <depot> -p <profile>

11. 1111
Patches, Updates and Upgrades
Tip #3: Understand patches vs. updates vs. upgrades

12. 1212
About ESXi Patches and Updates
 Hot Patch
• Fix specific customer issues
• Controlled through GSS
 Express Patches
• Unscheduled, high priority fixes
• Widely Distributed
 Scheduled Patches
• Focus on high priority bugs/fixes
• Typically 3 month intervals
 Update Releases
• Patch roll-ups w/ low priority fixes
• Typically 6-9 month intervals

13. 1313
Decide What Patches to Install?
 Patches typically broken into bug fixes and security fixes
• Evaluate fixes, determine your risk, and prioritize installation accordingly
 General Rule:
• Apply security fixes as soon as possible
• Have a plan/schedule for installing patches
• Stay current - don’t fall behind on patches!

14. 1414
ESXi Patch Example
1
2
3

15. 1515
Getting Notified of Patches
Sign up on the website for notifications:
https://www.vmware.com/go/patchsubscription

16. 1616
Are Patches Cumulative?
 Example:
• Patch “ESXi510-
201212001” updates VIBs:
“esx-base” and “tools-light”
• Patch “ESXi510-
201303001” updates VIB:
“esx-base”
 “esx-base” includes
earlier updates
 March patch does not
include VMware Tools
updates
 ESXi 5.1 Update01
• Roll-up patch, includes all
prior fixes
Dec 2012
esx-base
• Bug Fix 1
tools-light
• Driver
Update
Update 01
esx-base
• Bug Fix 1
• Bug Fix 2
tools-light
• Driver
Update
Mar 2013
esx-base
• Bug Fix 1
• Bug Fix 2
X
Timeline

17. 1717
Upgrading vSphere Hosts
Tip #4: Know the different upgrade methods

18. 1818
Upgrade vs. Fresh Install?
 When to upgrade…
• A lot of hosts
• Lowest administrative burden.
• Factors to consider:
• Manual re-configure can be repetitive, tedious and prone to errors
• Access to HA, DRS, vMotion Storage vMotion, Host Profiles.
 When to do a fresh Install…
• Small number of hosts
• Administrative burden not a concern
• Factors to consider:
• Complexity of the host configuration and effort to reconfigure

19. 1919
Before You Upgrade
 Hardware incompatibility is common cause of upgrade problems
• Don’t assume that just because it worked with 5.1 it will work with 5.5
• Always check the VMware Compatibility Guide:
• http://partnerweb.vmware.com/comp_guide2
 Pay attention to software version interoperability
• View, vCD, VCNS, VUM, VMware Tools, VM Compatibility, 3rd Party
• VMware Interoperability Matrix:
• http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/sim/interop_matrix.php
 Read the release notes
• Always read the release notes before upgrading
 Always upgrade vCenter first
• vCenter 5.5 can manage ESX/ESXi 4.x and above

20. 2020
Upgrade Methods
 ESXi Installer
• Boot host from ISO
• Run the installer
• Upgrade
 vSphere Update Manager
• Import ISO
• Create upgrade baseline
• Remediate
 ESXCLI
• Stage ZIP
• # esxcli system profile update
 Scripted Upgrades
• Update/customize upgrade script
• Reboot/Upgrade
VMware ESX VMware ESX
Resource Pool
Upgrade

21. 2121
Upgrading Stateless ESXi (i.e. Auto Deploy)
 Auto Deploy upgrade overview:
• Upload Image profile to Auto Deploy Server
• Update rules to assign the new image
• Update Auto Deploy cache
• Reboot host host
 To back-out:
• Revert the rule to assign the old Image Profile
• Update the Auto Deploy cache
• Reboot the host
 You cannot use Auto Deploy to patch hosts that do not use
Auto Deploy
• Does it makes sense to use Auto Deploy? Yes!
• Can I reconfigure existing hosts to use Auto Deploy? Yes!
• Does require some architecture, topic for a different breakout session

22. 2222
vSphere Upgrade Overview
Supported ESXi 5.5 Upgrade Paths
Direct upgrade from ESX/ESXi 4.0 and above!
ESX/ESXi 4.0.x
ESXi 5.1.x
ESX/ESXi 4.1.x
ESXi 5.0.x
ESXi
5.5

23. 2323
Optional Software Components Lost on Upgrade
 When upgrading from 4.x, 3rd party software components may not
carried forward
• VIBs on the host not included in the upgrade will be lost on upgrade
• Both ESXi Installer and VUM will provide a warning
• Option 1: Reinstall the VIB(s) after the upgrade
• Option 2: Add the VIB(s) to the Image Profile using the Image Builder CLI
• Option 3: Use vendor provided Image Profiles which include missing VIB(s)

24. 2424
vSphere Host Upgrade Tips
 Place hosts into a vSphere Cluster
• Rolling upgrades are supported / recommended
• Can mix ESX/ESXi 4.x and ESXi 5.x hosts in the same cluster
• Be careful with Virtual Machine compatibility while running in a mixed mode
 Leverage advanced vSphere features to avoid VM downtime
• HA, DRS, vMotion, Storage vMotion
 Use Host Profiles to avoid configuration drift
• Standardize host configuration and eliminate configuration errors
• Proactively identify configuration drift and automate remediation

25. 2525
Rolling Upgrades
 Leverage advanced vSphere
feature - HA, DRS, vMotion,
Storage vMotion
 Allows upgrades with no VM
downtime!
 Tips:
• ESX/ESXi 4.x and ESXi 5.x can
co-exist in the same cluster
• Don’t upgrade VM virtual hardware
until all hosts are running 5.1
vCenter
5.5
R
O
L
L
I
N
G
U
P
G
R
D
E
HA/DRS
vMotionvMotionvMotion

26. 2626
Upgrading ESXi Hosts…
 Boot disk is not repartitioned during the upgrade
• Upgrade overwrites contents
 Data on VMFS volume will be preserved
 Scratch partition preserved
scratch
M
B
storecoreBank 1 Bank 2
1GB
VMFS
Remainder4GB
5.0
5.5 Step 1: Save the Config (state.tgz)
Step 2: Replace VIBs
Step 3: Reboot
Step 4: Config re-applied on reboot

27. 2727
Virtual Machine Upgrades

28. 2828
Extended Support Matrix
 Updated for VMware Tools 5.5 and Virtual Hardware 10
 In Web Client Virtual Hardware now referred to as VM Compatibility
 Tools and Compatibility support matrix target is N–4 support
• This is the goal, Interoperability Matrix is the authority
vSphere 5.0 vHW 4
vHW 7
vHW 8
vSphere 5.1
Tools 5.1
Tools 4.x
Tools 5.0
vHW 9
Virtual HardwareSupported ToolsvSphere Release
ESX 3.5
and later
ESX 4.x
and later
ESX 5.0
and later
ESX 5.1
and later
upgrade
vSphere 5.5
Tools 5.5
vHW 10
ESX 5.5
and later
upgrade
Compatibility

29. 2929
VMware Tools
Tip #5: Stay Current on VMware Tools

30. 3030
Always Upgrading VMware Tools
 Upgrade is technically optional, but always highly recommended
 Tools are both forward and backwards compatible
• VMware Tools 4.x is supported on ESXi 5.x.
• VMware Tools 5.x is supported on ESX/ESXi 4.x.
VMware Tools
Upgrade Path
VMware Tools
3.x
Incompatible
Must
Upgrade
VMware Tools
4.x
Compatible with
4.0, 4.1, 5.0, 5.1, 5.5
Upgrade
Recommended
VMware Tools
5.x
Compatible with
4.0, 4.1, 5.0, 5.1, 5.5
Backward
Compatible

31. 3131
VM Compatibility
(i.e. Virtual Machine Hardware)
Tip #6: Upgrade Compatibility when needed

32. 3232
Upgrade Virtual Machine Compatibility When Required
 Always upgrade VMware Tools first
 ESXi 5.5 supports Compatibility 3.x, 4.x, 5.0, 5.1 and 5.5
• Virtual Hardware versions 4, 7, 8, 9, 10
 Unlike VM Tools, Compatibility is not Backwards Compatible
• VM with newer compatibility cannot run on older ESX/ESXi hosts
Virtual Hardware
Upgrade Path
Compatibility
3.x
Compatible
Upgrade
Optional
Compatibility
4.x
Compatible
Upgrade
Optional
Compatibility
5.0
Compatible
Upgrade
Optional
Compatibility
5.1
Compatible
Upgrade
Optional

33. 3333
Post Upgrade Considerations
Tip #7: Remember VMFS Volumes

34. 3434
Upgrade VMFS Volumes
 ESXi 5.x supports VMFS-3 & VMFS-5
 Non-disruptive upgrade
• Done while volume is online & VMs are active
 Once upgraded, volume no longer accessible from 4.x host
VMFS Volume
Upgrade Path
VMFS 3
Upgrade Optional /
Recommended
VMFS 5
Cannot be accessed
by 4.x hosts

35. 3535
VMFS-3 to VMFS-5 Non-Disruptive Upgrade
• Upgrade to VMFS-5 using the vSphere Client

36. 3636
VMFS-5 vs VMFS-3 Feature Comparison
Feature VMFS-3 VMFS-5
64TB VMFS Volumes
Yes
(Requires 32 extents)
Yes
(Single extent)
Support for more files 30720 130689
Support for 64TB Physical
RDMs
No Yes
Unified Block size (1MB) No Yes
Atomic Test & Set (ATS) Usage
(VAAI locking mechanism)
Limited Complete
Sub-blocks for space efficiency
64KB
(maximum ~3k)
8KB
(maximum ~30k)
Small file support No 1KB

37. 3737
VMFS Upgrade Considerations
Best Practice: If you have the luxury of doing so, create a brand new
VMFS-5 datastore, and use Storage vMotion to move your VMs to it
Feature Upgraded VMFS-5 New VMFS-5
Maximum files 30720 130689
File Block Size 1, 2, 4 or 8MB 1MB (Unified)
Sub-Blocks 64KB 8KB
Partition Format
MBR
(seamless switch to GPT if
VMFS grows > 2TB)
GPT
Starting sector 128 2048

38. 3838
VMFS Upgrade Considerations
 Upgrade all hosts to 5.x before upgrading VMFS-5.
• Upgrade not allowed if 4.x hosts are accessing VMFS
 There is no “undo”
• VMFS upgrade is one-way operation
 To fully benefit from latest VMFS 5 features consider creating new
VMFS volume and using Storage vMotion to migrate VMs
• Upgraded volume retains VMFS-3 layout
• Missing unified block size, 8k sub-block allocation, small file support, max # files, etc.
• Schedule data migrations for non-peak hours
• Can take a while to migrate large data files

39. 3939
Key Takeaways:
 Tip #1: Understand the vSphere Upgrade Process
• Have a plan, understand the components and interdependencies
 Tip #2: Understand how ESXi is packaged and distributed
• Know how to work with VIBs, Acceptance Levels, and Image Profiles
 Tip #3: Understand patches vs. updates vs. upgrades
• Express, Scheduled, Roll-up patches, stay current
 Tip #4: Know the different upgrade methods
• Installer, VUM, ESXCLI. Rolling upgrades are supported
 Tip #5: Stay Current on VMware Tools
• Upgrade Tool as soon as possible – both forward and backward compatible
 Tip #6: Upgrade VM Compatibility when needed
• Upgrade VM Compatibility (Hardware Version) when required
 Tip #7: Remember VMFS Volumes
• Upgrade VMFS-3 volumes, understand limitations

40. 4040
http://blogs.vmware.com/vsphere/esxi
@Kyle_Gleed
@jasper9

41. 4141
Other VMware Activities Related to This Session
 HOL:
HOL-SDC-1310
vSOM 101
 Group Discussions:
VSVC1003-GD
vSphere Core Upgrades with Kyle Gleed

42. THANK YOU

44. vSphere Upgrade Series Part 2:
vSphere Hosts and Virtual Machines
Kyle Gleed, VMware
Josh Gray, VMware
VSVC4945
#VSVC4945