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Experienced Technology Product Manager adept at steering success throughout the entire product lifecycle, from conceptualization to market delivery. Proficient in market analysis, strategic planning, and effective team leadership, utilizing data-driven approaches for ongoing enhancements.

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Writer's pictureArun Nukula

Upgrading VMware Aria Automation to 8.17.0 through Suite Lifecycle


 

Goal

  • Upgrade an existing VMware Aria Automation 8.xx.xx to 8.17.0



 

Pre-Requisites

  • VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle 8.16.0 Product Support Pack 3 binary

  • VMware Aria Automation 8.17.0 Upgrade Repo iso

  • Healthy VMware Aria Automation and VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle



 

Download Product Support Pack



or



  • Click on "My Downloads" and choose "VMware Aria Universal" or "VMware Aria Suite"


  • Navigate to Solutions, expand the options, and click on Subscription.

  • A list of patches and Product Support Packs will be displayed. Filter to find the appropriate one and click on it to open the download page for that specific Product Support Pack.

  • The syntax to search for a Product Support Pack is always in the format vrslcm-8.16.0-PSPACKx, where x is the Product Support Pack number


  • Based on the above information, the file we need is vrlcm-8.16.0-PSPACK3.pspak



 

Download VMware Aria Automation Binary


  • In the same Broadcom Support Portal, click on My Downloads

  • Click on the product VMware Aria Automation


  • Select the version you would like to download


  • The file you would need to download in order to upgrade VMware Aria Automation from older version to 8.17.0 is VMware Aria Automation 8.17.0 Update Repository


Prelude_VA-8.17.0.35214-23831516-updaterepo.iso which is around 12.91 GB


 

Upload and Install Product Support Pack


  • I have an existing VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle 8.16.0 GA where there are no Product Support Packs Installed


  • Click on upload to select the product support pack downloaded previously.

  • Then click on IMPORT

  • Once the import process completes , refresh the page and you should now see 8.16.0 Product Support Pack 3 available for installation


  • Before heading towards installation ensure a snapshot is taken

  • Click on APPLY VERSION to start the process of installing the product support pack

  • As you can see the product specifically asks for snapshot conscent whether you have taken it or not. So take it for sure.


  • Submit the request to begin the installation

  • During PSPACK installation, the important logs to monitor are

/var/log/vrlcm/patchcli.log

2024-05-14 10:30:36,859 - __main__ - INFO - Metadata: {"patchInfo":{"name":"VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle, version 8.16.0 Pspack 3","summary":"Cumulative pspack bundle for vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager","description":"This cumulative pspack bundle provides fixes to issues observed with various VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle components. Refer the associated docUrl for more details.","kbUrl":"https:\/\/docs.vmware.com\/en\/VMware-vRealize-Lifecycle-Manager\/8.16.0\/rn\/vRealize-Lifecycle-Manager-816-Pspack-3.html","eulaFile":"","category":"bugfix","urgency":"critical","releaseType":"pspack","releaseDate":1715332131000,"additionaInfo":{}},"metadataId":"vrlcm-8.16.0-PSPACK3","metadataVersion":"1","patchId":"8fe69f85-5fad-421a-864c-c0e134b557a3","patchBundleCreationDate":1715332131,"selfPatch":true,"product":{"productId":"vrlcm","productName":"VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle","productVersion":"8.16.0","supportedVersions":["8.16.0"],"productBuild":"10689094","productPatchBuild":"","additionaInfo":{"patchInstructions":"mkdir -p \/data\/tmp-pspack-81603\/10318114; cp -r /tmp/10318114/VMware-vLCM-Appliance-8.16.0-PSPACK3.pspak \/data\/tmp-pspack-81603\/10318114; cd \/data\/tmp-pspack-81603\/10318114; unzip VMware-vLCM-Appliance-8.16.0-PSPACK3.pspak; unzip lcm_PSPACK_artifacts.zip; cp -r \/tmp\/10318114\/lcm_pspack_metadata.json \/data\/tmp-pspack-81603\/10318114; sh pre_pspack_instructions.sh; sh pspack_instructions.sh \/data\/tmp-pspack-81603\/10318114 8fe69f85-5fad-421a-864c-c0e134b557a3;"},"patchAlreadyApplied":false},"payload":{"productPatchLevel":"PSPACK3","patchPayloadFilename":"VMware-vLCM-Appliance-8.16.0-PSPACK3.pspak","patchPayloadUri":"","patchPayloadSize":398608505,"sha256sum":"67ab99e5a1cf5f93f111865331d46cc6726bdf34a14fdc19608200b4a2cf4215","productMinorLevel":null},"patchFileName":"vrlcm-8.16.0-PSPACK3.pspak","patchSize":0,"patchSha256sum":"","patchRunningCounter":1,"patchStatus":"ACTIVE","patchDownloadStatus":null,"extract":false,"patchCounter":null}
2024-05-14 10:30:36,859 - __main__ - INFO - Patch File: /tmp/10318114//VMware-vLCM-Appliance-8.16.0-PSPACK3.pspak
2024-05-14 10:30:36,859 - __main__ - INFO - metadata after parsing :
2024-05-14 10:30:36,860 - __main__ - INFO - patch instructions:mkdir -p /data/tmp-pspack-81603/10318114; cp -r /tmp/10318114/VMware-vLCM-Appliance-8.16.0-PSPACK3.pspak /data/tmp-pspack-81603/10318114; cd /data/tmp-pspack-81603/10318114; unzip VMware-vLCM-Appliance-8.16.0-PSPACK3.pspak; unzip lcm_PSPACK_artifacts.zip; cp -r /tmp/10318114/lcm_pspack_metadata.json /data/tmp-pspack-81603/10318114; sh pre_pspack_instructions.sh; sh pspack_instructions.sh /data/tmp-pspack-81603/10318114 8fe69f85-5fad-421a-864c-c0e134b557a3;
2024-05-14 10:30:36,860 - __main__ - INFO - installing patch ...
Archive:  VMware-vLCM-Appliance-8.16.0-PSPACK3.pspak
 extracting: lcm_PSPACK_artifacts.zip
Archive:  lcm_PSPACK_artifacts.zip
   creating: os/
  inflating: vmlcm-service-gui-8.16.0-SNAPSHOT.jar
  inflating: vmlcm-service-8.16.0-SNAPSHOT.jar
  inflating: vmware-service-configuration.jar
 extracting: blackstone.zip
  inflating: APUAT-8.5.0.18176777.pak
  inflating: pre_pspack_instructions.sh
  inflating: pspack_instructions.sh
  inflating: policy.json
  inflating: post_patch_instructions.sh
  inflating: dev-build-upgrade.sh
  inflating: patchcli.py
  inflating: patchcliproxy
  inflating: vlcm-support
  inflating: vrlcm-server.service
2024-05-14_10:30:42 Pre Product Support Pack vRSLCM
2024-05-14_10:30:42 Cleaning backups from old location...
2024-05-14_10:30:42 Cleaning previous backups...
2024-05-14_10:30:42 Creating new backup file...
2024-05-14_10:30:43 Backup done.
2024-05-14_10:30:43 Copy script to /var/lib/vrlcm
2024-05-14 10:30:49,933 - __main__ - INFO - patch installation process ended.
2024-05-14 10:30:49,933 - __main__ - INFO - patch installation completed.

/var/log/vrlcm/bootstrap.log

2024-05-14 10:31:55,251 __main__ - INFO:/var/lib/vrlcm
2024-05-14 10:31:55,251 __main__ - INFO:file removed /var/lib/vrlcm/final/dlfRepo/dlfRepo.zip
2024-05-14 10:31:55,251 __main__ - INFO:zipdir operation
2024-05-14 10:31:55,251 __main__ - INFO:abs_src /var/lib/vrlcm/final/dlfRepo
2024-05-14 10:31:55,252 __main__ - INFO:Adding file to Zip dlfRepo/vssc/8.16.0/dlf/license-vac-80-e9-suite-vrealizeflex-c3-201907.dlf
2024-05-14 10:31:55,252 __main__ - INFO:Adding file to Zip dlfRepo/vssc/8.16.0/dlf/license-vac-80-e5-suite-vrealize-c2-201807.dlf
*
*
*
*

2024-05-14 10:35:35,402 __main__ - INFO:delete call is success:http://localhost:8080/lcm/dbservice/api/ischema/properties/webPassword
2024-05-14 10:35:35,415 __main__ - INFO:delete call is success:http://localhost:8080/lcm/dbservice/api/ischema/properties/monitorvRNIWithvROps
2024-05-14 10:35:35,427 __main__ - INFO:delete call is success:http://localhost:8080/lcm/dbservice/api/ischema/properties/monitorvRAWithvROps
2024-05-14 10:35:35,427 __main__ - INFO:file removed /var/lib/vrlcm/final/dlfRepo/dlfRepo.zip
2024-05-14 10:35:35,428 __main__ - INFO:Bootstrap is exit witout any error
2024-05-14 10:35:35,428 __main__ - INFO:schedular api is called /lcm/bootstrap/api/initialize
2024-05-14 10:35:35,515 __main__ - INFO:Response: <Response [200]>
2024-05-14 10:35:35,515 __main__ - INFO:Post call is sucessfull url: http://localhost:8080/lcm/bootstrap/api/initialize
2024-05-14 10:35:35,515 __main__ - INFO:lcm schedular started
2024-05-14 10:35:35,515 __main__ - INFO:Error: /tmp/dlfRepo - No such file or directory.
2024-05-14 10:35:35,515 __main__ - INFO:Update Association State Machine is Invoked
2024-05-14 10:35:35,560 __main__ - INFO:Response: <Response [200]>
2024-05-14 10:35:35,560 __main__ - INFO:Post call is sucessfull url: http://localhost:8080/lcm/request/api/requests
2024-05-14 10:35:35,560 __main__ - INFO:vmid: eda05d69-967d-4af0-8b80-dd229e720aee
2024-05-14 10:35:35,560 __main__ - INFO:Update License Request:: http://localhost:8080/lcm/request/api/requests/eda05d69-967d-4af0-8b80-dd229e720aee
2024-05-14 10:35:35,586 __main__ - INFO:Response: <Response [200]>
2024-05-14 10:35:35,586 __main__ - INFO:Get call is successful url: http://localhost:8080/lcm/request/api/requests/eda05d69-967d-4af0-8b80-dd229e720aee
2024-05-14 10:35:35,587 __main__ - INFO:Update License association request is INPROGRESS
2024-05-14 10:35:35,587 __main__ - INFO:retrying--- Wait for 10 seconds. count: 1
2024-05-14 10:35:45,818 __main__ - INFO:Response: <Response [200]>
2024-05-14 10:35:45,818 __main__ - INFO:Get call is successful url: http://localhost:8080/lcm/request/api/requests/eda05d69-967d-4af0-8b80-dd229e720aee
2024-05-14 10:35:45,818 __main__ - INFO:Update License association request COMPLETED
2024-05-14 10:35:45,818 __main__ - INFO:Request either FAILED or is SUCCESS.
2024-05-14 10:35:45,819 __main__ - INFO:file removed /etc/triggerLicenseUpdate
2024-05-14 10:35:45,819 __main__ - INFO:file removed /var/lib/vrlcm/INPROGRESS
2024-05-14 10:35:45,819 __main__ - INFO:Creating SUCCESS file...
2024-05-14 10:35:45,819 __main__ - INFO:SUCCESS file already created...
2024-05-14 10:35:45,819 __main__ - INFO:sucess api count: 3245
 failed api count: 0
  • Above snippets are a success indicators and wait for the services to come back


  • During this process there would be restart of services

  • Once the service is back online, you can see that the product support pack is already installed and we can now map the product binary and we are good to go


  • If you see the policy 8.17.0 version if Automation is present which means either i can install new automation deployment of this version or upgrade an existing old version to automation to this version


 

VMware Aria Automation Upgrade Binary Mapping


  • Downloaded VMware Aria Automation 8.17.0 Upgrade Binary should be mapped in VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle

  • Go to VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle , click on Lifecycle Operations, then browse to SETTINGS and click on Binary Mapping

  • Click on Add Binaries


  • Select Local as i have uploaded to the Suite Lifecycle VA. To upload it to VA, use WINSCP or a FILEZILLA and then copy it to /data folder

  • Select the Binary after it's discovered

  • Then click on ADD

  • The Product Binary Mapping would begin

  • To understand what happens when a product binary is mapped, review this blog post

  • Once the task is completed. Now we are all set to upgrade our existing VMware Aria Automation to 8.17.0


 

VMware Aria Automation Upgrade Flow ( WORK IN PROGRESS)


  • Ensure Upgrade Binary is mapped


  • You may now see that the upgrade is available on my Automation instance


  • Once you click on upgrade, click on "TRIGGER INVENTORY SYNC"


  • Ensure this completes successfully


  • Inventory Sync is now complete


  • Let's now begin the upgrade. Click on "PROCEED" to start the upgrade flow


  • The repository is already populated


  • Click on NEXT to select Snapshot related options

  • I have selected to

    • Retain the Snapshot taken during upgrade

    • Revert it automatically when a failure occurs , ensuring the application returns to it previous state

      • A log bundle is always collected before it's reverted

      • If GS asks this bundle, go ahead and download it


  • There's a hardware requirement conscent and Run Prechecks



  • Prechecks Succceed and then go ahead with upgrade submission



  • Submit the request to trigger the upgrade


  • Follow the blog which clearly explains what happens in an automation upgrade and what log files to be monitored

  • It is expected to stay on this step for a while as the rpm's are being staged from lcm to automation appliances


  • Upgrade is now completed


  • Just took 1 hour and 8 minutes for a cluster based upgrade



 


This concludes this comprehensive upgrade blog. Hope this helps.



 


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Guest
Jul 15
Rated 5 out of 5 stars.

Perfect, thanks!

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Guest
May 29

Thanks, helped a lot!

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars.

Great article!

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