Aria Operations Upgrades on Cosmin.us

Upgrading VCF Operations to 9.0.1 Using a .PAK File

Cosmin Trif — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 17:58:48 +0000

Upgrading VCF Operations (formerly VMware Aria Operations) is a crucial task to ensure you’re using the latest features, security patches, and performance improvements. In this guide, we’ll walk through the step-by-step process of upgrading VCF Operations using a .pak file.

If you are still on an older release, I covered the initial jump in Upgrading Aria Operations to 9.0 Using a .PAK File.

Before You Begin

Prerequisites

Before starting the upgrade, ensure the following prerequisites are met:

Backup the Existing Deployment:

• Take a snapshot of all nodes in the Aria Operations (Master, Cloud proxies, and any other nodes).

• Confirm backups.

Download the .PAK File:

• Log in to the Broadcom Support Portal.

• Navigate to the My Downloads section.

• Search for VMware Cloud Foundation under VMware Aria Suite and download the appropriate .pak file for your version. Direct link here. (In my case it was Operations-Upgrade-9.0.1.0.24960352.pak)

Verify Compatibility:

• Confirm that the .pak file is compatible with your current version by reviewing the compatibility matrix. Compatibility matrix can be found here.

Administrative Access:

• Ensure you have access to the VCF Operations admin interface with appropriate permissions.

Logging In and Initiating the Upgrade

Step 1: Log in to the VCF Operations Admin UI

Open a browser and navigate to the Aria Operations admin interface.

• Example: https:///admin.

Step 2: Initiate the Upgrade

Node status:

• Once logged in, go to System Status.

• Review the current status of all nodes. Ensure they are healthy and online.

Select the Software Update Option:

• In the Software Update section, click the Install a Software Update button.

Step 4: Accept the warning and click Next.

Uploading the .PAK File

Step 4: Upload the .PAK File

Choose the .PAK File:

• Click Browse and locate the downloaded .pak file on your local system.

Upgrade using the File:

• Select the .pak file and click Upload.

• The system will upload and validate the .pak file for compatibility.

Accept the EULA:

• Once upload and staging completes, click Next

• Review and accept the End User License Agreement (EULA). Click next.

• Review the Upgrade information and Release notes. Click Next

• Click Install.

Monitoring the Upgrade

Step 5: Monitor the Upgrade Process

Upgrade Progress:

• The system will upgrade the Master node first, followed by the rest of the nodes.

• Monitor the progress in the Software update window.

Cluster Restart:

• As the nodes get upgraded, the system will automatically restart the cluster.

Verifying Cluster Health and Version

Step 6: Verify the Upgrade

Check Cluster Health and Version:

• Navigate to System Status to ensure all nodes are online and healthy.

Verify Metrics and Dashboards:

• Validate that metrics are being ingested and dashboards function as expected.

Post-Upgrade Cleanup

Step 7: Post-Upgrade Tasks

Reapply Customizations:

• If you had custom configurations or integrations, verify and reapply them as necessary.

Remove Snapshots:

• After confirming the upgrade is successful and stable, remove the snapshots.

Review Release Notes:

• Check the release notes for the upgraded version to explore new features or deprecations.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

• Upgrade Fails During Validation:

• Ensure the .pak file matches your current version and meets prerequisites.

• Cluster Nodes Do Not Restart Automatically:

• Manually reboot nodes from the vSphere client or CLI.

Final Thoughts

Conclusion

If you encounter issues, consult Broadcom’s official documentation or reach out to Broadcom support for assistance.

Upgrading Aria Operations to 9.0 via Aria Suite Lifecycle

Cosmin Trif — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 19:53:47 +0000

In this post I will go over upgrading Aria Operations 8.18.x appliance to 9.0 using Aria Suite Lifecycle. As a pre requirement we do need to have Aria Suite Lifecycle upgraded to 8.18 Patch 2. Instructions can be found here.

Uploading the 9.0 Upgrade Binaries

To get started we can go to Aria Suite Lifecycle -> Lifecycle Operations -> Settings -> Binary Mapping.

Click on Add Binaries under Product Binaries

Due to changes after the 8.16 Aria Suite Lifecycle release (Release notes available here), My VMware based operations functionality has been deprecated. In my case, In this case, I choose to use Local and uploaded my .pak file to the /data/tmp directory on the Aria Suite Lifecycle appliance. The upgrade package can be downloaded from here. Don’t forget to also download the Lifecycle Manager Appliance.

We can see a list of binaries that have been discovered. We can select what we need and click on Add

This will create a request and start downloading the package. To view the progress we can click on the Click Here hyperlink

Click on the in Progress button to view the details

We now have to wait for the mapping to complete

Starting the Upgrade from the Environment

After the mapping is complete we can go to Environments -> View Details on the environment that includes Aria Operations

Click on Upgrade

An Inventory sync is recommended if the environment has changed since Lifecycle performed the last sync. We trigger the sync from the UI or click on Proceed to continue

Selecting Version 9.0.0 and the License Type

Select product Version 9.0.0 and click Next. We can also review the compatibility matrix to make sure the environment is compatible.

Choose the license type

Assessment Report and Snapshot Options

Run the Assessment tool to make sure the currently used dashboards, reports, metrics etc are still compatible with the new version

Once the report has finished running we can either Download or view the report. Once everything has been reviewed, we can click on the I have viewed the report and agree to proceed box and click next to proceed to the next step.

A new feature that was added was the capability to automatically create a snapshot prior to the upgrade and remove it after the upgrade. On this screen we also have the ability to choose if we want to keep the snapshots post upgrade for validation testing for example. Click Next

Deploying the Fleet Management Node

In the next step we will be deploying Management lifecycle. This will be replacing vRSLCM for 9.0. Fleet management will be replacing the vRSLCM functionality while also adding new features like Unified Certificate and Password Management, Tags, and Config drift management.

Provide the additional network details

Running the Precheck

Run the Precheck to make sure there are no errors or issues.

Once the check is complete we can review the checks that were performed and we can continue by clicking Next.

Submitting and Tracking the Upgrade

Review the upgrade details and click on Next and the Submit. We are taken to the progress screen where we can follow the progress.

We will be taken to the Request Details where we can track the progress of the upgrade

The system will get rebooted and once its back up, we will be on 9.0

Since we are doing a major upgrade I strongly recommend to clean the cache before using the new Aria Operations version.

Upgrading Aria Operations to 9.0 Using a .PAK File

Cosmin Trif — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 14:00:16 +0000

Preparing for the Upgrade

Prerequisites

Before starting the upgrade, ensure the following prerequisites are met:

Backup the Existing Deployment:

• Take a snapshot of all nodes in the Aria Operations (Master, Cloud proxies, and any other nodes).

• Confirm backups.

Download the .PAK File:

• Log in to the Broadcom Support Portal.

• Navigate to the My Downloads section.

• Search for Aria Operations under VMware Aria Suite and download the appropriate .pak file for your version. Direct link here. (In my case it was Operations-Upgrade-9.0.0.0.24695814.pak

Verify Compatibility:

• Confirm that the .pak file is compatible with your current version by reviewing the compatibility matrix.

Administrative Access:

• Ensure you have access to the Aria Operations admin interface with appropriate permissions.

Starting the Upgrade from the Admin UI

Step 1: Log in to the Aria Operations Admin UI

Open a browser and navigate to the Aria Operations admin interface.

• Example: https:///admin.

Step 2: Initiate the Upgrade

Node status:

• Once logged in, go to System Status.

• Review the current status of all nodes. Ensure they are healthy and online.

Select the Software Update Option:

• In the Software Update section, click the Install a Software Update button.

Uploading and Installing the .PAK File

Step 3: Upload the .PAK File

Choose the .PAK File:

• Click Browse and locate the downloaded .pak file on your local system.

Upgrade using the File:

• Select the .pak file and click Upload.

• The system will upload and validate the .pak file for compatibility.

Accept the EULA:

• Once upload and staging completes, click Next

• Review and accept the End User License Agreement (EULA). Click next.

• Review the Upgrade information and Release notes. Click Next

• Click Install.

Monitoring the Upgrade

Step 4: Monitor the Upgrade Process

Upgrade Progress:

• The system will upgrade the Master node first, followed by the rest of the nodes.

• Monitor the progress in the Software update window.

Cluster Restart:

• As the nodes get upgraded, the system will automatically restart the cluster.

Verifying Cluster Health and Version

5: Verify the Upgrade

Check Cluster Health and Version:

• Navigate to System Status to ensure all nodes are online and healthy.

Verify Metrics and Dashboards:

• Validate that metrics are being ingested and dashboards function as expected.

Post-Upgrade Cleanup

Step 7: Post-Upgrade Tasks

Reapply Customizations:

• If you had custom configurations or integrations, verify and reapply them as necessary.

Remove Snapshots:

• After confirming the upgrade is successful and stable, remove the snapshots.

Review Release Notes:

• Check the release notes for the upgraded version to explore new features or deprecations.

Troubleshooting Tips

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

• Upgrade Fails During Validation:

• Ensure the .pak file matches your current version and meets prerequisites.

• Cluster Nodes Do Not Restart Automatically:

• Manually reboot nodes from the vSphere client or CLI.

Final Thoughts

Conclusion

Upgrading Aria Operations using a .pak file is a straightforward process if you follow these steps carefully. By keeping your environment up to date, you can ensure optimal performance, access to new features, and maintain security compliance. If you manage your environment through Aria Suite Lifecycle, see upgrading Aria Operations to 9.0 via Aria Suite Lifecycle; once on 9.0, the next step is upgrading VCF Operations to 9.0.1 using a .PAK file.

If you encounter issues, consult Broadcom’s official documentation or reach out to Broadcom support for assistance.

Upgrading Aria Operations to 8.18.3 Using a .PAK File

Cosmin Trif — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 18:12:14 +0000

Upgrading Aria Operations (formerly VMware vRealize Operations) is a crucial task to ensure you’re using the latest features, security patches, and performance improvements. In this guide, we’ll walk through the step-by-step process of upgrading Aria Operations using a .pak file. If you manage your environment with Lifecycle Manager instead, I covered upgrading Aria Operations to 8.18.3 via Aria Suite Lifecycle separately.

Preparing for the Upgrade

Prerequisites

Before starting the upgrade, ensure the following prerequisites are met:

Backup the Existing Deployment:

• Take a snapshot of all nodes in the Aria Operations (Master, Cloud proxies, and any other nodes).

• Confirm backups.

Download the .PAK File:

• Log in to the Broadcom Support Portal.

• Navigate to the My Downloads section.

• Search for Aria Operations under VMware Aria Suite and download the appropriate .pak file for your version. Direct link here. (In my case it was vRealize_Operations_Manager_With_CP-8.14.x-to-8.18.3.24521385.pak)

Verify Compatibility:

• Confirm that the .pak file is compatible with your current version by reviewing the compatibility matrix.

Administrative Access:

• Ensure you have access to the Aria Operations admin interface with appropriate permissions.

Starting the Upgrade in the Admin UI

Step 1: Log in to the Aria Operations Admin UI

Open a browser and navigate to the Aria Operations admin interface.

• Example: https:///admin.

Step 2: Initiate the Upgrade

Node status:

• Once logged in, go to System Status.

• Review the current status of all nodes. Ensure they are healthy and online.

Select the Software Update Option:

• In the Software Update section, click the Install a Software Update button.

Uploading and Installing the .PAK File

Step 3: Upload the .PAK File

Choose the .PAK File:

• Click Browse and locate the downloaded .pak file on your local system.

Upgrade using the File:

• Select the .pak file and click Upload.

• The system will upload and validate the .pak file for compatibility.

Accept the EULA:

• Once upload and staging completes, click Next

• Review and accept the End User License Agreement (EULA). Click next.

• Review the Upgrade information and Release notes. Click Next

• Click Install.

Monitoring the Upgrade

Step 4: Monitor the Upgrade Process

Upgrade Progress:

• The system will upgrade the Master node first, followed by the rest of the nodes.

• Monitor the progress in the Software update window.

Cluster Restart:

• As the nodes get upgraded, the system will automatically restart the cluster.

Verifying the Upgrade

5: Verify the Upgrade

Check Cluster Health and Version:

• Navigate to System Status to ensure all nodes are online and healthy.

Verify Metrics and Dashboards:

• Validate that metrics are being ingested and dashboards function as expected.

Post-Upgrade Cleanup

Step 7: Post-Upgrade Tasks

Reapply Customizations:

• If you had custom configurations or integrations, verify and reapply them as necessary.

Remove Snapshots:

• After confirming the upgrade is successful and stable, remove the snapshots.

Review Release Notes:

• Check the release notes for the upgraded version to explore new features or deprecations.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

• Upgrade Fails During Validation:

• Ensure the .pak file matches your current version and meets prerequisites.

• Cluster Nodes Do Not Restart Automatically:

• Manually reboot nodes from the vSphere client or CLI.

Wrapping Up

Conclusion

If you encounter issues, consult Broadcom’s official documentation or reach out to Broadcom support for assistance.

Upgrading Aria Operations to 8.18.3 via Aria Suite Lifecycle

Cosmin Trif — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 03:42:05 +0000

In this post I will go over upgrading Aria Operations 8.18.x appliance to 8.18.3 using Aria Suite Lifecycle. As a pre requirement we do need to have Aria Suite Lifecycle upgraded to 8.18. Instructions can be found here. The upgrade does not include the latest Product Support Pack. We can apply the latest Product Support Pack following the guide here.

Mapping the Upgrade Binaries

To get started we can go to Aria Suite Lifecycle -> Lifecycle Operations -> Settings -> Binary Mapping.

Click on Add Binaries under Product Binaries

Due to changes in the 8.16 Aria Suite Lifecycle release (Release notes available here), My VMware based operations functionality has been deprecated. In my case, In this case, I chose to use Local and uploaded my .pak file to the /data/tmp directory on the Aria Suite Lifecycle appliance. The upgrade package can be downloaded from here.

We can see a list of binaries that have been discovered. We can select what we need and click on Add

This will create a request and start downloading the package. To view the progress we can click on the Click Here hyperlink

Click on the in Progress button to view the details

We now have to wait for the download to complete

Starting the Upgrade from the Environment

After the download is complete we can go to Environments -> View Details on the environment that includes Aria Operations

Click on Upgrade

An Inventory sync is recommended if the environment has changed since Lifecycle performed the last sync. We trigger the sync from the UI or click on Proceed to continue

Select product Version 8.18.3 and click Next. We can also review the compatibility matrix to make sure the environment is compatible.

Running the Upgrade Assessment

Run the Assessment tool to make sure the currently used dashboards, reports, metrics etc are still compatible with the new version

Configuring Snapshot Options

Running the Precheck

Run the Precheck to make sure there are no errors or issues.

Once the check is complete we can review the checks that were performed and we can continue by clicking Next.

Submitting and Monitoring the Upgrade

Review the upgrade details and click on Next and the Submit. We are taken to the progress screen where we can follow the progress.

We will be taken to the Request Details where we can track the progress of the upgrade

Post-Upgrade Steps

The system will get rebooted and once its back up, we will be on 8.18.3

Since we are doing a major upgrade I strongly recommend to clean the cache before using the new Aria Operations version.

Upgrading Aria Operations to 8.17.2 via Aria Suite Lifecycle

Cosmin Trif — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 16:35:24 +0000

In this post I will go over upgrading my 8.x Aria Operations appliance to 8.17.2 using Aria Suite Lifecycle. As a pre requirement we do need to have Aria Suite Lifecycle upgraded to 8.16. Instructions can be found here. The upgrade does not include the latest Product Support Pack. We can apply the latest Product Support Pack following the instructions here.

Downloading the Upgrade Binaries

To get started we can go to Aria Suite Lifecycle -> Lifecycle Operations -> Settings -> Binary Mapping. (If you haven’t added your My VMware credentials you will need to do that first by going to Aria Suite Lifecycle -> Lifecycle Operations -> Settings -> My VMware)

Click on Add Binaries under Product Binaries

Select My VMware and click on Discover

We can see a list of binaries that have been discovered. Make sure we select the upgrade package not the install package. We can select what we need and click on Add

This will create a request and start downloading the package. To view the progress we can click on the Click Here hyperlink

Click on the in Progress button to view the details

We now have to wait for the download to complete

Starting the Upgrade from Environments

After the download is complete we can go to Environments -> View Details on the environment that includes Aria Operations

Click on Upgrade

An Inventory sync is recommended if the environment has changed since LCM performed the last sync. We trigger the sync from the UI or click on Proceed to continue

Selecting the Version and Running the Assessment

Select product Version 8.17.2 and click Next. We can also review the compatibility matrix to make sure the environment is compatible.

Run the Assessment tool to make sure the currently used dashboards, reports, metrics etc are still compatible with the new version

Snapshot Options and Precheck

A new feature that was added was the capability to automatically create a snapshot prior to the upgrade and remove it after the upgrade. On this screen we also have the ability to chose if we want to keep the snapshots post upgrade for validation testing for example. Click next

Run the Precheck to make sure there are no errors or issues.

Once the check is complete we can review the checks that were performed and we can continue by clicking Next.

Completing the Upgrade

Review the upgrade details and click on Next and the Submit. We are taken to the progress screen where we can follow the progress.

The system will get rebooted and once its back up, we will be on 8.17.2

Since we are doing a major upgrade I strongly recommend to clean the cache before using the new Aria Operations version.

Upgrading Aria Operations to 8.17.1 via Aria Suite Lifecycle

Cosmin Trif — Wed, 19 Jun 2024 18:34:35 +0000

In this post I will go over upgrading my 8.x Aria Operations appliance to 8.17.1 using Aria Suite Lifecycle. As a pre requirement we do need to have Aria Suite Lifecycle upgraded to 8.16. Instructions can be found here. The upgrade does not include the latest Product Support Pack. We can apply the latest Product Support Pack following the instructions here.

Downloading the 8.17.1 Upgrade Binaries

Click on Add Binaries under Product Binaries

Select My VMware and click on Discover

We can see a list of binaries that have been discovered. Make sure we select the upgrade package not the install package. We can select what we need and click on Add

This will create a request and start downloading the package. To view the progress we can click on the Click Here hyperlink

Click on the in Progress button to view the details

We now have to wait for the download to complete

Starting the Upgrade from the Environment

After the download is complete we can go to Environments -> View Details on the environment that includes Aria Operations

Click on Upgrade

An Inventory sync is recommended if the environment has changed since LCM performed the last sync. We trigger the sync from the UI or click on Proceed to continue

Selecting the Version and Running the Assessment

Select product Version 8.17.1 and click Next. We can also review the compatibility matrix to make sure the environment is compatible.

Run the Assessment tool to make sure the currently used dashboards, reports, metrics etc are still compatible with the new version

Snapshot Options

A new feature that was added was the capability to automatically create a snapshot prior to the upgrade and remove it after the upgrade. On this screen we also have the ability to chose if we want to keep the snapshots post upgrade for validation testing for example. Click next

Running the Precheck

Run the Precheck to make sure there are no errors or issues.

Once the check is complete we can review the checks that were performed and we can continue by clicking Next.

Submitting the Upgrade

Review the upgrade details and click on Next and the Submit. We are taken to the progress screen where we can follow the progress.

The system will get rebooted and once its back up, we will be on 8.17.1

Since we are doing a major upgrade I strongly recommend to clean the cache before using the new Aria Operations version.

Upgrading vROPS (vRealize Operations Manager) to 8.6.3 via vRSLCM

Cosmin Trif — Mon, 16 May 2022 19:00:42 +0000

In this post I will go over upgrading my 8.x vROPS appliance to 8.6.3 using vRSLCM (vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager). As a pre requirement we do need to have vRSLCM (vRealize Lifecycle Manager) upgraded to 8.8 Instructions can be found here. The upgrade already includes the latest Product Support Pack so an update to the Product Support Pack is not required.

Downloading the 8.6.3 Upgrade Binaries

To get started we can go to vRealize Lifecycle Manager -> Lifecycle Operations -> Settings -> Binary Mapping. (If you haven’t added your My VMware credentials you will need to do that first by going to vRealize Lifecycle Manager -> Lifecycle Operations -> Settings -> My VMware)

Click on Add Binaries under Product Binaries

Select My VMware and click on Discover

We can see a list of binaries that have been discovered. Make sure we select the upgrade package not the install package. We can select what we need and click on Add

This will create a request and start downloading the package. To view the progress we can click on the Click Here hyperlink

Click on the in Progress button to view the details

We now have to wait for the download to complete

Starting the Upgrade in vRSLCM

After the download is complete we can go to Environments -> View Details on the environment that includes vROPS

Click on Upgrade

An Inventory sync is recommended if the environment has changed since LCM performed the last sync. We trigger the sync from the UI or click on Proceed to continue

Selecting the Version and Running the Assessment

Select product Version 8.6.3 and click Next. We can also review the compatibility matrix to make sure the environment is compatible.

Run the Upgrade Assessment tool to make sure the currently used dashboards, reports, metrics etc are still compatible with the new version

Once the report has finished running we can either Download or view the report. Once everything has been reviewing we can click on the I have viewed the report and agree to proceed box and click next to proceed to the next step.

Snapshot Options

A new feature that was added was the capability to automatically create a snapshot prior to the upgrade and remove it after the upgrade. On this screen we also have the ability to chose if we want to keep the snapshots post upgrade for validation testing for example. Click next

Running the Precheck

Run the Precheck to make sure there are no errors or issues.

Once the check is complete we can review the checks that were performed and we can continue by clicking Next.

Submitting the Upgrade

Review the upgrade details and click on Next and the Submit. We are taken to the progress screen where we can follow the progress.

The system will get rebooted and once its back up we will be on 8.6.3

Since we are doing a major upgrade I strongly recommend to clean the cache before using the new vROPS version.

Upgrading vROPS (vRealize Operations Manager) to 8.6.2 via vRSLCM

Cosmin Trif — Sat, 02 Apr 2022 18:32:52 +0000

In this post I will go over upgrading my 8.x vROPS appliance to 8.6.2 using vRSLCM (vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager). As a pre requirement we do need to have vRSLCM (vRealize Lifecycle Manager) upgraded to 8.6.2 or 8.7 Instructions can be found here. The upgrade already includes the latest Product Support Pack so an update to the Product Support Pack is not required.

Adding the Upgrade Binary in vRSLCM

Click on Add Binaries under Product Binaries

Select My VMware and click on Discover

We can see a list of binaries that have been discovered. Make sure we select the upgrade package not the install package. We can select what we need and click on Add

Downloading the Upgrade Package

This will create a request and start downloading the package. To view the progress we can click on the Click Here hyperlink

Click on the in Progress button to view the details

We now have to wait for the download to complete

Starting the Upgrade from the Environment

After the download is complete we can go to Environments -> View Details on the environment that includes vROPS

Click on Upgrade

An Inventory sync is recommended if the environment has changed since LCM performed the last sync. We trigger the sync from the UI or click on Proceed to continue

Selecting the Target Version

Select product Version 8.6.2 and click Next. We can also review the compatibility matrix to make sure the environment is compatible.

Running the Upgrade Assessment

Run the Upgrade Assessment tool to make sure the currently used dashboards, reports, metrics etc are still compatible with the new version

Configuring Snapshot Options

A new feature that was added was the capability to automatically create a snapshot prior to the upgrade and remove it after the upgrade. On this screen we also have the ability to chose if we want to keep the snapshots post upgrade for validation testing for example. Click next

Running the Precheck and Completing the Upgrade

Run the Precheck to make sure there are no errors or issues.

Once the check is complete we can review the checks that were performed and we can continue by clicking Next.

Review the upgrade details and click on Next and the Submit. We are taken to the progress screen where we can follow the progress.

The system will get rebooted and once its back up we will be on 8.6.2

Since we are doing a major upgrade I strongly recommend to clean the cache before using the new vROPS version.

Upgrading vROPS (vRealize Operations Manager) to 8.6 via the .pak file

Cosmin Trif — Mon, 25 Oct 2021 08:28:47 +0000

In this guide we will go over upgrading vROPS (vRealize Operations Manager) to the latest 8.6 releases using the .pak file. If you you vRSLCM (vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager) I would strongly recommend upgrading using the vRSLCM method found here as it does additional checks of the environment like compatibility with the rest of the vRealize Products we might have installed. The release notes for vROPS 8.6 can be found here

Downloading the .pak Files

To get started we need to download the .pak file from the new customerconnect portal (previously known as my vmware). The direct link to the product download page can be found here. Make sure we have 8.6 selected under the Select Version and click on any of the Go To Downloads links

Once were at the Product Download Page we can download the .pak file under vRealize Operations Manager - Virtual Appliance upgrade .pak file with Cloud Proxy. I also strongly recommend to download the vRealize Operations 8.6.0 - Upgrade Assessment Tool in order to make sure that everything is in order to get a successful upgrade. The Upgrade assessment tool checks for a number of items like dashboards, views, reports etc which can be impacted by metric changes (if any), however it is optional.

Once we click on the download link if were not logged on we will get asked for the login information. This login information is the same as the login to open tickets. Accept the EULA and the download should start

Logging Into the Admin UI

Once we have the downloads completed we can go to https://vrops_url/admin and log in with the admin username\password. Make sure the System Status shows Online and everything is running.

On the left side menu click on Software Update -> Install a software update button

Running the Upgrade Assessment Tool

Next we can upload the Upgrade assessment tool in order to run the upgrade assessment (optional) by clicking browse -> select the downloaded .pak file in my case APUAT-8.6.0.18696447.pak and click on Upload

The upload button will stage the package on the vROPS server. We can review the details and click on Next

Accept the terms of agreement and click Next

Review the important notes and click Next

Click Install

We can now follow the installation progress

Once the install is complete we will see the status as completed.

Reviewing the Assessment Report

Next lets go and review the tool’s output by going to Support -> Support bundles -> Select the bundle that was just generated and click on the download button

Extract the content of the zip file and go to the apuat-data
eport folder and open the index.html. Here we can review Removed\Discontinued Metrics, Dashboards that might be effected as well as a number of system validation checks.

Installing the 8.6 Upgrade

If everything looks good we can return to the admin UI and upload the product upgrade package under Software Update -> Install a software update -> Brose to the downloaded .pak file -> Click on Upload to stage the package -> Click on Next. Follow the rest of the screens till we click submit.

Once the the system is finished the server will get rebooted on the new 8.6 version

Upgrading vROPS (vRealize Operations Manager) to 8.6 via vRSLCM

Cosmin Trif — Mon, 25 Oct 2021 08:26:29 +0000

In this post I will go over upgrading my 8.x vROPS appliance to 8.6 using vRSLCM (vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager). As a pre requirement we do need to have vRSLCM (vRealize Lifecycle Manager) upgraded to 8.6. Instructions can be found here. The upgrade already includes the latest Product Support Pack so an update to the Product Support Pack is not required.

Adding the vROPS 8.6 Upgrade Binaries

Click on Add Binaries under Product Binaries

Select My VMware and click on Discover

We can see a list of binaries that have been discovered. Make sure we select the upgrade package not the install package. We can select what we need and click on Add

This will create a request and start downloading the package. To view the progress we can click on the Click Here hyperlink

Click on the in Progress button to view the details

We now have to wait for the download to complete

Starting the Upgrade from the Environment

After the download is complete we can go to Environments -> View Details on the environment that includes vROPS

Click on Upgrade

Inventory Sync and Version Selection

An Inventory sync is recommended if the environment has changed since LCM performed the last sync. We trigger the sync from the UI or click on Proceed to continue

Select product Version 8.6.0 and click Next. We can also review the compatibility matrix to make sure the environment is compatible.

Running the Upgrade Assessment Tool

Run the Upgrade Assessment tool to make sure the currently used dashboards, reports, metrics etc are still compatible with the new version

Snapshot Options

A new feature that was added was the capability to automatically create a snapshot prior to the upgrade and remove it after the upgrade. On this screen we also have the ability to chose if we want to keep the snapshots post upgrade for validation testing for example. Click next

Running the Precheck

Run the Precheck to make sure there are no errors or issues.

Once the check is complete we can review the checks that were performed and we can continue by clicking Next.

Submitting and Monitoring the Upgrade

Review the upgrade details and click on Next. We are taken to the progress screen where we can follow the progress.

The system will get rebooted and once its back up we will be on 8.6

Since we are doing a major upgrade I strongly recommend to clean the cache before using the new vROPS version.