Installing Updates and Patches on the ESXi Host
Because Stratus supports running Automated Uptime Layer with Smart Exchange together with standard releases of VMware ESXi, you can download patches for VMware ESXi directly from VMware and install them on your system with standard VMware utilities.
Typically, you apply patches to an ESXi host by running VMware Update Manager, which creates a baseline for your host and lists the patches you can install. However, you can also manually download a patch zip file from VMware and install it by executing esxcli commands.
For example, start by executing a command similar to the following to list the software profiles in the patch bundle:
# esxcli software sources profile list -d /pathname/VMware-ESXi-7.0U3j-21053776-depot.zip Name Vendor Acceptance Level ------------------------------- ------------ ---------------- ESXi-7.0U3j-21053776-standard VMware, Inc. PartnerSupported ESXi-7.0U3j-21053776-no-tools VMware, Inc. PartnerSupported
Then, execute a command similar to the following to apply the patch. Use the -p option to specify the profile to update from the list in the previous command. For example:
# esxcli software profile update -p ESXi-7.0U3j-21053776-standard -d /pathname/VMware-ESXi-7.0U3j-21053776-depot.zip
The output of this command will display the VIB files that have been installed, removed, or skipped as a result of applying the patch.
esxcli software vib install command to apply patches. If you use the -force option to apply patches with this command despite the warnings it displays, it may replace some of the Stratus VIB files with standard ESXi VIB files. Replacing Stratus fault-tolerant components will compromise the continuous uptime of your system.For patches that do not require the ESXi host to be in maintenance mode
A ztC Endurance compute module state that suspends module operation so that it can be serviced. When an active compute module enters maintenance mode, the system performs a Smart Exchange, then activates the standby compute module. Compute modules must be in maintenance mode before they are shut down.
Note that placing a ztC Endurance compute module into maintenance mode is unrelated to placing an ESXi host into maintenance mode., you can execute the esxcli commands in the ztC Endurance Management VM (or use the VMware Update Manager). If prompted, restart your ESXi host to apply the patch.
For patches that require the ESXi host to be in maintenance mode, properly shut down the Management VM by executing the following command in the VM:
# shutdown -h now
After the Management VM shuts down, put your ESXi host into maintenance mode and execute the esxcli commands in the ESXi Shell (or use the VMware Update Manager). The Management VM will not automatically restart while the host is in maintenance mode, which allows you to complete the patch process. If prompted, restart your ESXi host to apply the patch. After patching the host, when you disable maintenance mode, you can manually restart the Management VM or allow it to automatically restart within 20 minutes of disabling maintenance mode. Remember that your system is not fault tolerant unless the Management VM is running.
For more detailed information about using the VMware update utilities to apply patches to your ESXi host, see the VMware vSphere documentation.
You may install patches at your own discretion after checking the patch qualification list mentioned earlier in this section. However, before installing a new VMware ESXi update release ("VMware ESXi 9.0, Update n") or point release ("VMware ESXi 9.n.n or higher"), ensure that the release has been qualified by Stratus and determine if the release requires a companion update to Automated Uptime Layer with Smart Exchange. For a list of supported releases, see the following web site:
Use caution when applying software updates from any source. Applying updates indiscriminately may introduce serious problems to your system.