vSphere Update Manager (VUM) #2

What is Required to Use vSphere Update Manager?

VUM is included with every version of vSphere when you purchase vCenter. It doesn't work with the free version of vSphere. You'll find VUM on the vCenter installation media so you don't have to download it separately.

Like vCenter, VUM requires a SQL or Oracle database that can be local or remote to the VUM server. Whether or not your database is local or remote depends on a number of factors such as the size of your virtual infrastructure, the resources of your physical server (likely your vCenter server), and your experience with databases. In my home lab, I installed VUM on top of the same vCenter server database already running.

According to VMware's documentation, the hardware requirements to use VUM are:

• Processor: Intel or AMD x86 processor with two or more logical cores, each with a speed of 2GHz
• Network: 10/100 Mbps -- For best performance, use a Gigabit connection between Update Manager and ESX hosts.
• Memory:
  • 2GB RAM if Update Manager and the vCenter Server are on different machines
  • 4GB RAM if Update Manager and the vCenter Server are on the same machine
• Disk Sizing varies based on the number of hosts and VMs you have in your virtual infrastructure.

You can run update manager on just about any of the Windows Server 2008 operating systems but the 64-bit version with the latest service pack is recommended.  However, VUM 5 can even run on Windows 2003, 64-bit, with SP2.

The full list of databases supported can be found on the VUM 5 release notes.

Installing vSphere Update Manager

vSphere update manager is installed from the vCenter for Windows installation media. That media can be downloaded as either an ISO (and mounted) or a ZIP file. Note that if you are using the new vCenter Server Appliance (vCSA) (the Linux-based vCenter appliance), you can still use vSphere Update Manager however you'll still have to install VUM on a Windows Server. In other words, you can use the two together (vCSA and VUM) but you don't gain the benefit of having VUM installed on the VCSA virtual appliance.

Now, let's get started with the installation…

When you execute the autorun on the vCenter installation media, you'll see the VMware vCenter Installer. From here, click on the VMware vSphere Update Manager, and then click Install.

Pic 1: vCenter Autorun Installer

Select English and click OK

Pic 2: Starting the vSphere Update Manager Installation

When the installer appears, click Next to start the installation.

Accept the end-user patent agreement and the end-user license agreement.

Take the default of downloading patches from the default source, right after installation.

Now enter your vCenter username and password and click Next.

Pic 3: VUM Installation Credentials and Connection Information

If you don't have a database already, you can install the included SQL Server express locally to store the VUM data by simply clicking Next.

Now you can take the default for the name/IP and port settings for the new VUM server and click Next.

Pic 4: VUM Installation Port Configuration

Leave the defaults for the file locations and click Next.

Now, we are ready to being the installation so just click Install.

Pic 5: VUM Installation Ready to Begin

After a few minutes, with the typical installation, you should see that the VUM installation was completed successfully (assuming there were no installation errors).

At this point, the server portion is installed but you still need to install the vSphere Client Plugin to use VUM (more on that below).

vSphere Update Manager Installation Gotcha

In most cases the installation of VUM will go smoothly and without errors. In some cases (like mine), I ran into an error that I want to share with you all.

After clicking Install, at some point during the installation process, I saw the following error:

"Error 25003. Setup failed to create database tables"

I found out that this error occurs if the password for the ODBC/DSN is longer than 32 characters OR if your DSN for vCenter is 32-bit instead of 64-bit. Here are two notes concerning that:

• You must use a 64-bit DSN for vCenter Server and a 32-bit DSN for VMware Update Manager.
• VMware Update Manager 5.0 still requires a 32-bit driver for your DSN connection, as VMware Update Manager 5.0 is still a 32-bit application. However, it must be run on a 64-bit operating system.

Two VMware KB articles concerning this error and resolution:

• VMware KB article #1006038 - Update Manager installation fails with the error: Error 25003. Setup failed to create database tables
• VMware KB article #1010401 – Creating a 32-bit DSN on a 64-bit Windows Machine

To create the 64-bit DSN, here's what I did. I opened the ODBC data source administrator. I created a new DSN and just pointed it to the existing vCenter SQL Express server name (perhaps not recommended but it worked fine in my test lab).

Pic 6: Creating a New SQL Server DSN

I changed the default database for this DSN that I would use for VUM to the "VIM_UMDB" which is the database table that would be used for VUM.

Pic 7: Changing the Default Database

Pic 8: 64-Bit VUM DSN Created

With the new 64-bit DSN created, I had to restart the VUM installation and, this time, say that I wanted to use an existing DSN (the new DSN that I created).

Pic 9: Selecting the new VUM 64-bit DSN during Installation

With the VUM DSN created, I looked carefully for the screen showing the DSN and made sure to select it during install.

After that, my installation of the server piece was successful and I was ready to move on to the client.

vSphere Update Manager Client Installation

There are really two pieces to the VUM installation – server side and client side. The client side is the vSphere Client VUM Plug-in. I installed it next by starting my vSphere Client and going to the Plugin drop down menu in my client.

Pic 10: Downloading and installing the vSphere Update Manger Client

From there, I learned that all I needed to do was to click on Download and Install from this menu.

Pic 11: Starting the VUM client Install

I Accepted the end-user license agreement and click Install to get things going.

Click Install

Pic 12: VUM Instllation Complted

With the installation completed, I could now see that the VUM Client was "Enabled" and ready to use.

Now, most vSphere client enherit a new tab called Upate Manager.

Pic 13:  New Update Manager Tab

With the vSphere Update Manager, version 5, successfully installed, our database issues resolved, and the vSphere Update Manager Client Plug-in installed, we are ready to start updating our vSphere infrastructure using VUM.