VMware ESX 4.0 - UPGRADE GUIDE UPDATE 1 Update Manual page 46

vSphere Upgrade Guide
During a vCenter Server upgrade, the existing agent software is uninstalled and the updated agent software
is installed in its place. If the upgrade fails, the updated agent software might not be installed and the host
might become unreachable by VirtualCenter 2.x and by vCenter Server 4.0. To avoid this condition, you can
run the vCenter Agent Preupgrade Check tool before you attempt to upgrade to vCenter Server 4.0.
The vCenter Agent Preupgrade Check tool checks to make sure that the agent software is ready to be upgraded.
Some of the checks include checking to make sure that the host is reachable, the disk space is sufficient, the
network is functioning, the filesystem is intact, and required patches are applied. Each time you run the tool,
the system queries VMware.com and downloads any new updates for the tool. This action ensures that as new
upgrade issues are discovered, the tool remains as useful as possible.
I A successful vCenter Agent preupgrade check does not guarantee a successful upgrade to
MPORTANT
vCenter Server 4.0 or later. An upgrade to vCenter Server involves multiple components, and the tool checks
only one component: the vCenter Agent. Also, the tool checks only known issues. Other issues might be present
that the tool does not check.
The vCenter Agent Preupgrade Check tool is a diagnostic read-only tool that produces a report showing known
issues that might prevent a successful upgrade of the vCenter Agent software. The tool does not fix the reported
issues. You must resolve the reported issues manually and rerun the tool to verify that the issues are resolved.
Prerequisites
Before you run the vCenter Agent Preupgrade Check tool, make sure the following prerequisites are met:
VirtualCenter 2.x must be installed on a Windows machine that is supported by vCenter Server 4.0.
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The VirtualCenter 2.x machine must have a DSN configured that is compatible with vCenter Server 4.0.
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The VirtualCenter 2.x database must be supported by vCenter Server 4.0. This means that, if needed, the
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database must be upgraded to work with vCenter Server 4.0. The MSDE database was supported in
experimental mode in VirtualCenter Server 2.0.x, but is not supported in vCenter Server 4.0. The vCenter
Agent Preupgrade Check tool will not detect the database. Upgrade to a supported database before using
the tool. See
The ESX/ESXi hosts must be managed by VirtualCenter 2.x.
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VirtualCenter Agent software must be running on each managed ESX/ESXi host.
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Microsoft .NET Framework Version 2.0 must be installed on the VirtualCenter 2.x system.
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VMware recommends that you have Internet connectivity from the VirtualCenter 2.x system. This allows
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new updates to be applied to the tool and allows you to view the reports and the Knowledge Base (KB)
articles associated with the reports.
Procedure
1 On the VirtualCenter 2.x system, download the vCenter Server 4.0 installation package or insert the
vCenter Server 4.0 installation DVD.
2 Start the Preupgrade Check tool.
In the installation package or on the DVD, navigate to
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AgentUpgradeChecker.exe
Start the installation process from the DVD and when asked to select an item to install, select the
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Agent Pre-upgrade Check option from the Utility list.
3 Select the VirtualCenter 2.x DSN and select the login credentials that are appropriate for your DSN.
If you are not sure which credential type to select, check which authentication type is configured for the
DSN (Control Panel > Administrative Tools > ODBC Data Sources > System DSN).
4 If the DSN requires a login for the credential type in use, enter a username and password and click
Next.
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"Database Scenarios," on page 43.
executable file.
and run the
\vpx\agentupgradecheck
VMware, Inc.