SER1957BU Mastering the VMware Tools Lifecycle … · Mastering the VMware Tools Lifecycle in Your vSphere Data Center VMworld 2017 Content: Not for publication or distribution. Agenda

Eric Gray

SER1957BU

#VMworld #SER1957BU

Mastering the VMware Tools Lifecycle in Your vSphere Data Center

VMworld 2017 Content: Not fo

r publication or distri

bution

Agenda

1 Types of VMware Tools

2 Status Display in vSphere

3 Lifecycle and Supported Guests

4 Standardization Approach

5 Keeping Tools Updated

#SER1957BU CONFIDENTIAL 2



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VMware Tools: Available in Several Formats

Windows, LinuxSolaris, FreeBSD, OS X

VM Tools ISOs Acquire

- ESXi bundled

- Downloadable

packages.vmware.comOne-time repository enablement

Various Linux package mirrors No specific configuration required

Integrate

- Local storage

- Shared storage

Install & Update

Package manager: Apt, Yum

Update- Web Client

- Update Manager

- Auto on boot

- PowerCLI

- Guest-initiated

Install- Interactive

- Silent

Linux

Operating System

Specific Packages

(OSP)

Open VM Tools

(OVT)




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Upstream Linux Kernel Includes VMware Drivers

See KB 2073804




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Tech Preview: Windows Update Support for Drivers




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Making Sense of VMware Tools Version Status




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Status Displayed in vSphere Depends on Tools Type

Windows, LinuxSolaris, FreeBSD, OS X

VM Tools ISOs

Linux

Operating System

Specific Packages

(OSP)

Open VM Tools

(OVT)




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vSphere 6.5 Displays Tools Version & Install Type

Enhanced

Visibility for

Tools 10+




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Tools Status: Relative to Installers on ESXi Host

VM Tools

ISO 9.10/productLocker

VM-01

Tools 9.10

VM Tools


VM-01

Tools 9.10




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Tools Status: Relative to Installers on ESXi Host

VM Tools

ISO 9.10/productLocker VM Tools


VM-01

Tools 10.0




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vSphere 6.5 Checks for VMware Tools Updates Automatically




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Product Locker Scanned Every 5 Minutes




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VMware Tools Lifecycle



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Downloadable Releases Began VMware Tools 10

• VMware Tools decoupled from vSphere

• Detailed release notes are published for each version

• Popular Windows and Linux guests are still bundled!

– Included in full releases & patches as needed




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VMware Tools 10.1 & 10.0.12 Guest OS Support

10.0.12Frozen

10.1

Bundled w/ESXi Download Only

Windows

2008+

Linux

glibc 2.5*

Windows

Pre-VistaLinux

Pre-glibc 2.5

Windows

Pre-2K

Solaris

Mac OS X

FreeBSD

Netware

Mac OS X

Pre-10.11

* Photon OS, RHEL 5+, SLES 11+, Ubuntu 10+




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New File Distributed with Tools Maps Guests to Correct ISO

[root@esxi:vmtools] grep rhel isoimages_manifest.txt

rhel4 = "linuxPreGlibc25.iso”

rhel4-64 = "linuxPreGlibc25.iso”

rhel5 = "linux.iso”

rhel5-64 = "linux.iso”


rhel6-64 = "linux.iso”


rhel7-64 = "linux.iso"




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ESXi 6.0 and 5.5 Patches Enable Tools 10.1 Installer Awareness




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Quick Reference: Tools Version Mapping File




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Broad Forward and Backward Interoperability




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Very Old Tools Releases Cannot Be Directly Upgraded to Latest

End of Support[ESXi 5.1] 9.0.z, 8.y

Recent10.1, 10.0.z, 9.10, 9.4

Latest10.1.z, 10.y




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Tools Version Standardization



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VM Tools ISOs Can Reside on Shared Storage

/productLocker VM Tools

ISOs 10.0

Per-host

setting – use

automation

Origin: ESXi or

downloaded

KB 2004018

VM Tools

ISOs 10.1




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Download1




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Configure2




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[root@host:~] esxcli system maintenanceMode set --enable true[root@host:~] rm /productLocker [root@host:~] ln –s /vmfs/volumes/WEST001/vmtools_shared /productLocker


Activate3



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Optimize by Using “No-Tools” ESXi Image Profiles




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Another VMware Tools Version Standardization Approach

Exclude Tools from

general host patching




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DEMO




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Updating VM Tools



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Why So Many Ways to Update Tools?

Autonomy

Standardization

Simplification




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Individual VMs Can Be Configured to Automatically Update Tools

• Good for less critical environments

• Also useful when coordination with app owners is challenging

• Be aware that the Tools upgrade may trigger a second reboot




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vSphere Web Client Can Update Multiple VMs Simultaneously




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VUM Has Two Separate Roles in Tools management

1Download new Tools ISOs and push to ESXi hosts

2

Remediate VMs• Immediately• Scheduled time• On reboot




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Two Tools-Related Enhancements for Update Manager 6.5

Upgrade the

VM Compatibility Level

for all types of Linux Tools

Virtual Hardware

Do not force Linux

reboots after updating

TAR Tools

Reboot-less Linux




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PowerCLI: Maximum Flexibility for Tools Updates

• Administrators can filter by wide range of attributes




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In-guest Tools Updates Shift Responsibility

• May be a fit where infrastructure and guest OS administration is segregated

• Enabled through advanced VM setting


# vmware-tools-upgrader



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Linux Package Managers for Guest-Managed Tools

• Each Linux distribution has a distinct package manager: Yum, Apt, Zypper, DNF

# yum install open-vm-tools

# yum update vmware-tools-esx-nox

# apt-get install open-vm-tools




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38

Technical Paper

Coming Soon!



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VMware Tools Are an Important Part of Your Infrastructure

• Flexibility enables many scenarios

– Acquisition

– Standardization

– Updating

• Different options for Linux to accommodate any environment

• Changes in VMware Tools 10+ may affect operations

– Ensure vSphere 5.5 and 6.0 are on recent patches

See the vSphere Blog for articles on VM Toolshttps://blogs.vmware.com/vsphere/?s=tools




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Q&AThank You!



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Documents

SER1957BU Mastering the VMware Tools Lifecycle … · Mastering the VMware Tools Lifecycle in Your vSphere Data Center VMworld 2017 Content: Not for publication or distribution. Agenda