VMware Update Manager Demo

Nothing an IT goes without patching. Firmware needs it, operating systems need it, applications need it, and even hypervisors need it.

With the release of Vmware ESX 3.5 and VC 2.5 Vmware included a new feature that facilitates the deployment of updates to ESX Server hosts, their VIRTUAL MACHINES, and Applications running in those VIRTUAL MACHINES!!!

Update Manager allows you to create update baselines that represent a set of updates and then compare a host or VM against that baseline. If the host or VM is not compliant against that baseline then it can be remediated to deploy the updates.

When you setup Update Manager you configure it to point to specific depots on the internet to obtain the updates needed to remediate the baselines you create.

You can apply individual patches, entire rollups to the Hosts, VM Guests, and Applications running in those guests. You can also run an upgrade on and ESX 3.0-3.5 Host to ESX 4.0. It lets you schedule the update. It will also evacuate the guests on the host, place it in maintainence mode perform the update reboot the host and add it back into the cluster. It can send you an email alert when it starts and finishes. The add-on will also let you update your VM Guest Hardware and Vmware Tools

The video below will take you through the following steps.

1. Creation of a baseline.
2. Applying the baseline to a host.
3. Scanning the host.
4. Remediating the host.
5. Host transition to "Enter Maintenance Mode."
6. Manual VMotion of VMs on the host.
7. Host transition to "Maintenance Mode."
8. Applicaiton of updates
9. Reboot of host