Comments on: Installing PowerPath/VE using VMware Update Manager

By: Joshua Townsend

Joshua Townsend — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 15:08:34 +0000

Thanks for the comment, Garrett. I paired my last PP/VE upgrade with an upgrade to vSphere 5, but an in-place PP/VE upgrade will work too. The newer versions of PowerPath/VE are packaged for easy import into vCenter Update Manager. Here’s the basic procedure:

1.) Add new PP/VE to your VUM Update Repository (Update Manager –> Patch Repository –> Import Patches (top right).
2.) Remove old PP/VE from update baseline, and then add new PP/VE to same baseline, – or – create a new baseline just for PP/VE. Works either way – just a matter of preference for your environment.
3.) Manually remove old PP/VE from hosts. Syntax is like this:

# vihostupdate –remove –bulletin EMC-PP5.4.0.00.00- –server

4.) Reboot host.
5.) Scan for updates in VUM, apply new baseline with PP/VE extension.
6.) Reboot host again.
7.) Re-apply license (re-host first on Powerlink if you did a host re-install and are using unserved licenses)

Good luck and let us know how it goes. If you need additional help, I’ve got a great team in the DC area that can support you.

By: Garrett Mattingly

Garrett Mattingly — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:52:57 +0000

We’ve been using PP/VE 5.4 SP2 pushed to ESXi 4.1 using VUM for sometime now. Compatibility issues were addressed as can be seen in the updated goodbadugly page at the link above.

Any thought on what would need to be done if you wanted to upgrade PP/VE 5.4 SP2 to the next version using VUM? Would that be a separate baseline or what? Can you uninstall PP/VE via VUM?

For people that deployed PP/VE 5.4 SP1 using VUM. Have you tried upgrading to PP/VE 5.4 SP2 via VUM?

By: Joshua Townsend

Joshua Townsend — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 22:59:52 +0000

I am guessing that the problem is related to the lack of PowerPath/VE support for vSphere 4.1. PP/VE is supported for running on ESX 4.1, but not pushing updates via VMware Update Manager (VUM). Chad Sakac of EMC fame covers the compatibility bit here: http://virtualgeek.typepad.com/virtual_geek/2010/07/vsphere-41-cross-emc-support-whats-the-goodbadugly.html

By: Dustin

Dustin — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 21:11:15 +0000

Hello,

I tried this exact same procedure for vsphere 4.1 and the EMC powerpath 5.4 SP1 software. I can validate the URL with no problem (https://localhost:8443/depot/PowerpathVE5.4_SP1/index.xml).

When I go to download in vcenter, it gets to 20% then fails with the following error code:
Web sites: https://www.vmware.com/PatchManagementSystem/patchmanagement hosting the patch definitions and patches cannot be accessed or have no patch data. Check the Internet connectivity.

I have no idea why it’s going out to VMware for a local website repository. Any ideas!?!?

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By: Joshua Townsend

Joshua Townsend — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:37:08 +0000

David – That is correct. This only installs the PowerPath/VE modules. The licensing, activation, and configuration is all done using the rpowermt CLI, and the vCLI or vMA to manage claim rules and the like. A bit of scripting could probably be used to automate changing settings on existing datastores or adding new datastores if needed.

Josh

By: David_G

David_G — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:12:42 +0000

Joshua,
Am I correct in saying that this does not handle any of the additional configuration steps? eg, setting existing datastores and new datastore to use PowerPath rather the the default of Fixed or MRU.
David