Category: vSphere

Adding Async VMware Tools versions to Update Manager

/Update Manager, VMware Tools, vSphere

Why aren’t VMware Tools at the right version on patched hosts?

A customer called with a question about updating VMware Tools as part of a recent security patch (https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2019-0009.html).    The patch resolves an address out-of-bounds vulnerability in VMware Tools that was present in certain versions of the software (10.2.x and 10.3.x prior to 10.3.10).  He wanted to install the new version; but the VMware Tools installations on his VMs indicated they were current; but still were running an affected version.  His hosts were patched and up-to-date.  He knew he could manually update VMware Tools on each of his VMs; but was hoping there was an easier way – and there is!

The status of VMware Tools on a virtual machine is relative to the the host.  Typically VMware Tools updates are delivered through an ESXi patch.  In this case, the VMware Tools 10.3.10 release hasn’t been rolled into an ESXi patch yet.  It will be shortly.  The amount of testing that goes into an ESXi patch requires a good amount of time.  When VMware patches VMware Tools like they did in the case of this vulnerability, they release it to customers so they can deploy the fix sooner if they choose.  VMware calls this an Async release.

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vCenter Server Appliance 6.7 Update function may not list available patches

/VCSA, vSphere

As you probably are aware, Intel disclosed a CPU Speculative-Execution vulnerability (called L1 Terminal Fault) on August 14, 2018.  Like many others who work with VMware vSphere environments, I read up on the remediation steps (KB 55683) so I could patch my small lab environment.  For my vCenter, I was excited to use the VAMI Update functionality for the first time!

I logged into the Virtual Appliance Management Interface (or VAMI) by pointing my web browser at the IP of my vCenter Server Appliance using port 5480 (for example: https://myvcenter.lab.net:5480) and navigated to the Update tab.  I hit the Check Updates button with the option to check the CD ROM and URL; but to my confusion no updates appeared in the list.

I double-checked KB 2143838 which is the list of vCenter Server build numbers to ensure a new release was available.  Sure enough – vCenter Server 6.7.0d was released on 8-14-2018.

 

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Back up the vCenter Server Appliance

/VCSA, vSphere

Now that you have migrated to the vCenter Server Appliance (or VCSA), you should start exploring some of the features included in the 6.5 version of the VCSA. Today, we will be looking at one of those features that you should definitely be using – Backup!

The VCSA Backup function allows you to create a backup of the vCenter Configuration, Inventory, and Historical data. If the appliance becomes inoperable you can use this backup during a reinstall of the appliance to get back to the current state.

Backing up the vCenter Server Appliance

Login to the vSphere Appliance Management Interface (or VAMI) by pointing your web browser to the VCSA IP Address or FQDN at port 5480.

VCSA VAMI Login

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enter the username and password for your appliance and click Login. Once the VAMI loads, you will find the Backup function in the Summary section.

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Changes in VMware Tools Bundling for vSphere 6.5 Update 1

/vSphere

One of the changes with vSphere 6.5 Update 1 is how VMware Tools are bundled.  This will primarily affect those who have older Windows systems, or are running operating systems outside of Windows or Linux.

Quick Review

Each build of ESXi contains ISO images for the current VMware tools installer for guest operating systems that run on top of it.    When an administrator tells the vSphere Client to update VMware Tools, the hypervisor mounts the appropriate ISO image from the ESXi filesystem to the virtual machine and presents it as a CD-Rom.  The guest OS can then be updated.

When you upgrade an ESXi host to a newer version or apply patches, those ISO images will be updated with the newest version of VMware Tools.

What Changes in 6.5 Update 1

vSphere 6.5 Update 1 only contains a subset of the VMware Tools ISO images for the supported guest operating systems.  These appear to support the latest variants in the Windows and Linux worlds.   Continue reading “Changes in VMware Tools Bundling for vSphere 6.5 Update 1”

VMware Updates – vSphere 6.5 Update 1 is now GA

/vSphere

A number of VMware updates were released last night.  This includes the highly anticipated Update 1 for vSphere 6.5.  This will allow upgrades from vSphere 6.0 Update 3.

Lets get right to the details…

vSphere 6.5 Update 1

This is the much awaited release that will allow anyone running vSphere 6.0 Update 3 to get onto vSphere 6.5.  Some of the other new additions include:

  • The ability to use vSphere Update Manager to enable vSAN upgrades
  • Driver updates to a number of I/O devices

For the full list, read the release notes.

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