You can automate the installation of vCenter Server Appliance software updates to ensure that your system is stable and protected. Software updates can include security fixes, performance optimizations, and new features.

Security patches usually address vulnerabilities in third-party components and do not affect the vCenter Server Appliance functionality. vCenter Server bug fixes can introduce changes to the functionality without affecting the data format or database schema of the system.

Each update contains metadata with information about the updated content, for example, whether high-priority OS updates are included. The update metadata includes a list of components to be updated, the release date of the update, a list of fixed issues, time and disk space requirements, and information whether a reboot is required. The metadata can also contain a new vCenter Server Appliance version number, including a build number. In addition to the metadata, an update can contain optional components such as update scripts, new versions of vCenter Server Appliance software components, and new versions of OS components.

The vCenter Server Appliance can obtain software updates from either a URL or an ISO image. The URL can either point to the VMware Web repository or to a custom repository in which you upload the updates in ZIP format. To perform an update by using an ISO image, attach the image to the CD/DVD drive of the vCenter Server Appliance.

There are multiple phases of the update process. For details, see vCenter Server Appliance Software Update Workflow.

If you want to prevent issues related to the possibility of update installation failures, you should create a backup or take a snapshot of your vCenter Server Appliance instance before you start the update process. A backup can also be useful when an update is successfully installed. For example, you might decide to revert to the previous version if you encounter any undesired system behavior related to functional changes in the new software version.

User Operations

Operation

Description

Get state information

You can retrieve information about the update state.

Check for update

You can check whether a new update is available.

Get update information

You can retrieve information about the available updates.

Get update requirements

You can retrieve information about the update requirements.

Stage

You can initiate the download of the update.

Note

The check phase must have completed successfully before you can stage the update.

Get staging status

You can retrieve information about the status of the stage operation.

Note

You must provide the task ID value that you received as a response when you initiated the stage operation.

Install

You can initiate the installation of the update.

Note

The update must be staged before you can install it.

Get installation status

You can retrieve information about the status of the install operation.

Note

You must provide the task ID value that you received as a response when you initiated the install operation.

Stage and install

You can initiate the download of the update and the installation starts when the download completes.

You can run software update operations by using the API or sending an HTTP request.

Note

When you send the requests, you must use an authentication.

If you send requests to port 5480, you must authenticate with vCenter Server Appliance root credentials. If you send requests to the vCenter Server reverse proxy port, you must authenticate with vCenter Single Sign-On credentials.

The following HTTP requests show the syntax that you can use to perform the available user operations. 

https://<server>:5480/rest/appliance/update
https://<server>:5480/rest/appliance/update/pending?source_type=DEFAULT
https://<server>:5480/rest/appliance/update/pending/<target_version>
https://<server>:5480/rest/appliance/update/pending/<target_version>/requirements
https://<server>:5480/rest/appliance/update/pending/<target_version>?action=stage
https://<server>:5480/rest/appliance/task/<update_stage_task_id>
https://<server>:5480/rest/appliance/update/pending/<target_version>?action=install
https://<server>:5480/rest/appliance/task/<update_install_task_id>
https://<server>:5480/rest/appliance/update/pending/<target_version>?action=stage-and-install
https://<server>/rest/appliance/update
https://<server>/rest/appliance/update/pending?source_type=DEFAULT
https://<server>/rest/appliance/update/pending/<target_version>
https://<server>/rest/appliance/update/pending/<target_version>/requirements
https://<server>/rest/appliance/update/pending/<target_version>?action=stage
https://<server>/rest/appliance/task/<update_stage_task_id>
https://<server>/rest/appliance/update/pending/<target_version>?action=install
https://<server>/rest/appliance/task/<update_install_task_id>
https://<server>/rest/appliance/update/pending/<target_version>?action=stage-and-install

In addition to sending HTTP requests, you can also run cURL commands to perform update operations. See cURL Examples of Performing vCenter Server Appliance Software Update Operations.

Subtopics