Update VCSA 6.5 with selected version

When you currently try to update your vCenter Service Appliance (VCSA) 6.5 in Virtual Appliance Management Interface (VAMI) (Port 5480) your only suggestion is Update 2. A new feature of VCSA 6.7 is the ability to select the update you want to install. In 6.5 the latest update will be installed when using default repository.

vSphere 6.5 U2 is a very uncommon update-version. First, there are not just fixes and updates in U2 but also new features (see here) that are also available in vSphere 6.7. Second, U2 gets available after 6.7, so it is not possible to upgrade 6.5 U2 to 6.7 GA. Therefore updating to U2 should be well considered.

What are your options to stay within a Update version respectively select your update version?

You can choose one of at least three patch sources:

1. Default VMware patch repository.
   Is default source when install a VCSA. With this option just installing the latest patch is possible.
2. CD-ROM.
   With this option you can download your desired version and mount it to the virtual CD-ROM of VCSA. Patches for CD-ROM are downloaded here: https://my.vmware.com/group/vmware/patch#search.
   Take care to download a *FP*-file. FT stands for Full-Patch.
3. Custom Repository.
   Here you can also download your desired version. For using a custom repository:
   1. Login to your VMware product download, select version and download “VMware vCenter Server Appliance Update Bundle”, which is a ZIP-file.
   2. Extract ZIP-file – contains two folders: manifest, package-pool – to a folder.
   3. Configure a Web-Server (IIS, mongoose, …) to share this folder.
      • For IIS: create an MIME Type for “.sign” as “text/xml” otherwise you get the error “Download Failed” when checking for updates
   4. In VAMI navigate to Update –> Settings and redirect repository to use specified repository

To update VCSA you have at least two options:

If CD-ROM, mount ISO to virtual CD-Drive of VCSA. If Repository, set your repository as described before.

1. VCSA Management Interface (VAMI)
   1. Go to https://VCSA_address:5480
   2. Navigate to Update
   3. CD-ROM: Click Check Update and select Check CDROM
   4. Cusotm Repository: Click Check Update and select Check Repository
   5. To install update click Install Updates
2. Use CLI
   1. start SSH session
   2. command to perform updates: software-packages
      • Stage (CDROM): software-packages stage --iso
      • Stage (Repository): software-packages stage --url http://repository_link
      • Install previously staged: software-packages install --staged

Reboot after update.

Notes

If you have problems to update VCSA when using a proxy server, this post could help you.