The vSphere Update Manager configuration is the last step to perform in the VCSA 6.0 before applying patches or updates to ESXi hosts.
The configuration is made trough the vSphere Client that also in vSphere 6.0 has the duty to manage VUM.
Blog series
VCSA 6.0: setup vSphere Update Manager - pt. 1
VCSA 6.0: install vSphere Client and VUM plugin - pt. 2
VCSA 6.0: configure vSphere Update Manager - pt. 3
Attach Baselines
To scan hosts or VMs for compliance, Baselines have to be attached to the Update Manager to properly scan the system.
Open the vSphere Client and select the Update Manger tab. Click on Attach link to attach the desired baselines.
Select default Patch Baselines then click on Attach button.
Click the Scan link to scan the hosts for compliance.
Select the options to scan the host for and click on Scan button.
Hosts are being scanned.
If one or more hosts are not compliant, a red circle is displayed to warn new patches are available to install.
To proceed with updates, you can Stage and Remediate available patches:
- Stage: available patches from VMware are downloaded from the Update Manager server to the ESXi hosts without applying the patches and extensions immediately. Staging patches speed up the remediation process since they are already available locally on the hosts.
- Remediate: patches are downloaded and installed in the selected host. You can stage patches before remediation to reduce host downtime.
The vSphere Web Client currently offers the possibility to attach the baselines and scan the environment only.
The scan entity performed by vSphere Web Client.
Apply the patches
Once VUM scan has completed, click Stage to download patches to the selected hosts.
Select Baselines and Hosts to patch then click Next.
You can deselect patches you don't want to be staged. Click Next to continue.
When ready, click Finish to proceed.
Patches are staged to the selected hosts.
When the process has completed successfully, hosts is ready to be updated.
Click Remediate to install patches in the hosts.
Staged patches ready to be installed are displayed. Click Next.
Leave default selection then click Next to continue.
Type a Task Name, a Task Description and specify when to perform the Remediation. Click Next to continue.
Change default configuration if required then click Next.
Select options that match your environment to automate the update process and click Next.
Click Finish to apply patches.
The patches are applied to selected hosts. One ESXi at time is processed and hosted virtual machines are migrated to other hosts available in the cluster.
The patching takes several minutes and when the process is finished the column Status is marked as Completed.
Hosts are now fully compliant.
The patching procedure is complete.
