VMware VIEW 4.5 Installation and operation manual

VMware View Upgrade Guide
View 4.5
View Manager 4.5
View Composer 2.5
This document supports the version of each product listed and
supports all subsequent versions until the document is replaced
by a new edition. To check for more recent editions of this
document, see http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs.
EN-000349-00

VMware View Upgrade Guide
2 VMware, Inc.
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Contents
About This Book 5
1VMware View Component Compatibility Matrix 7
2VMware View Upgrade Overview 9
3System Requirements for Upgrades 11
View Connection Server Requirements 11
Hardware Requirements for View Connection Server 11
Supported Operating Systems for View Connection Server 12
Upgrade Requirements for View Connection Server 12
Virtualization Software Requirements for View Connection Server 12
View Composer Requirements 12
Supported Operating Systems for View Composer 12
Database Requirements for View Composer 13
View Administrator Requirements 14
Supported Operating Systems for View Client and View Client with Local Mode 14
Client Browser Requirements for View Portal 15
Supported Operating Systems for View Agent 16
4Preparing for a VMware View Upgrade 17
Preparing View Connection Server for an Upgrade 17
Preparing vCenter Server and View Composer for an Upgrade 18
5Upgrading VMware View Components 21
Upgrade View Connection Servers in a Replicated Group 21
Upgrade to View Connection Server 4.5 on a Different Machine 23
Create a Replicated Group After Reverting View Connection Server to a Snapshot 24
Upgrade View Composer Only 25
Manually Upgrading the View Composer Database 27
Run SviConfig to Manually Upgrade the Database 27
Result Codes for a Manual Database Schema Update 28
Troubleshooting a View Composer Database Upgrade Failure 29
Upgrade to View Composer 2.5 and vCenter Server 4.1 on a Different Machine 30
Prepare the Source Machine for View Composer Migration 30
Use the Data Migration Tool to Migrate to the New Machine 32
Migrate View Composer to the New Machine 33
Upgrade ESX Hosts and Virtual Machines 35
Upgrade ESX 3.5 Hosts and Their Virtual Machines 35
Upgrade ESX 4.0 Hosts and Their Virtual Machines 36
Upgrade View Agent 38
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Upgrade View Composer Desktop Pools 39
Upgrade View Clients 40
Upgrade Offline Desktop Clients to View Client with Local Mode 41
6Upgrading vSphere Components Separately 43
Index 45
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About This Book
The VMware View Upgrade Guide provides instructions for upgrading from VMware View™ 3.1.x or View 4.0.x
to View 4.5. You can also use this guide when you upgrade to View 4.5 patch releases.
If you also upgrade from VMware Infrastructure 3.5 or vSphere 4.0 to vSphere 4.1, this guide tells you which
steps of that upgrade to do at various stages of the VMware View upgrade.
For VMware View 4.5 patch releases, use the sections of this document that are specific to View Manager,
View Composer, View Agent, and View Client.
Intended Audience
This guide is intended for anyone who needs to upgrade from VMware View 3.1.x or View 4.0.x to View 4.5.
The information in this guide is written for experienced Microsoft Windows or Linux system administrators
who are familiar with virtual machine technology and datacenter operations.
VMware Technical Publications Glossary
VMware® Technical Publications provides a glossary of terms that might be unfamiliar to you. For definitions
of terms as they are used in VMware technical documentation, go to
http://www.vmware.com/pdf/master_glossary.pdf.
Document Feedback
VMware welcomes your suggestions for improving our documentation. If you have comments, send your
feedback to [email protected].
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Technical Support and Education Resources
The following technical support resources are available to you. To access the current version of this book and
other books, go to http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs.
Online and Telephone
Support
To use online support to submit technical support requests, view your product
and contract information, and register your products, go to
http://www.vmware.com/support.
Customers with appropriate support contracts should use telephone support
for the fastest response on priority 1 issues. Go to
http://www.vmware.com/support/phone_support.html.
Support Offerings To find out how VMware support offerings can help meet your business needs,
go to http://www.vmware.com/support/services.
VMware Professional
Services
VMware Education Services courses offer extensive hands-on labs, case study
examples, and course materials designed to be used as on-the-job reference
tools. Courses are available onsite, in the classroom, and live online. For onsite
pilot programs and implementation best practices, VMware Consulting
Services provides offerings to help you assess, plan, build, and manage your
virtual environment. To access information about education classes,
certification programs, and consulting services, go to
http://www.vmware.com/services.
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VMware View Component
Compatibility Matrix 1
Because large enterprises must often perform phased upgrades, VMware View components are designed to
be forward and backward compatible. VMware View 4.5 components are compatible with most
VMware View 4.0.x or later and 3.1.x or later components.
Although components are forward and backward compatible, View Connection Server compatibility with
View Agents is limited to interoperability during a View Connection Server upgrade or downgrade. You must
upgrade View Agents as soon as possible to match the version of the View Connection Server that manages
them.
Table 1-1 lists the components of VMware View and shows whether they are compatible with other components
whose version is different. For information about compatibility with VMware Infrastructure and vSphere, see
“Virtualization Software Requirements for View Connection Server,” on page 12.
NOTE The View Portal component of VMware View 3.1.x and 4.0.x has been changed so that in
VMware View 4.5, View Portal serves only as a web page for downloading the full Windows-based View Client
and the full Mac-based View Client. For this reason, View Portal does not appear in the compatibility table.
The Mac-based View Client is compatible only with View 4.5 components.
Table 1-1. Compatibility Matrix for VMware View Components
View 4.5
View 3 or View 4 Components
Connection
Server 4.0.x or
3.1.x
View Agent
4.0.x or 3.1.x
View Client
4.0.x or 3.1.x
Thin Client
4.0.x or 3.1.x
View Composer 1.0
or 2.0
Connection Server
4.5
N/A Yes Yes Yes Limitations
View Agent 4.5 Yes N/A Yes Yes Yes
View Client
(Windows) 4.5
Yes Yes N/A N/A Yes
View Client (Mac)
4.5
No No N/A N/A No
View Client with
Local Mode 4.5
No No No No No
Thin Client 4.5 Yes Yes N/A N/A Yes
View Composer
2.5
Limitations No N/A N/A N/A
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Until both View Connection Server and View Composer are upgraded, View Composer operations do not
work. If you have View Connection Server 4.5 and View Composer 1.0 or 2.0, users can connect to their
desktops, but no new linked-clone desktops can be created, and recompose, rebalance, and refresh operations
do not work. Also, you cannot edit settings for linked-clone pools.
IMPORTANT As the table shows, View Agent 3.1.x and 4.0.x are not compatible with View Composer 2.5. This
limitation means that you must not use a View 4.0.x or 3.1.x master image, or snapshot, when creating,
recomposing, or refreshing a pool that uses features specific to View 4.5. These View 4.5 features include using
a system-disposable disk (SDD), using a Sysprep customization specification, and attaching a previously
archived user-data disk (UDD) to an existing desktop.
Although View Composer 2.5 can work with View Connection Server 4.0.x or 3.1.x in a limited fashion, this
setup is available only for cases where upgrading all View Connection Server instances during the same
maintenance window is not feasible. Specifically, new View Composer 2.5 features, such as the ability to use
SysPrep customization, are not available until you update to View Agent 4.5.
Because View Client with Local Mode is a View 4.5 feature, and its predecessor, Offline Desktop, was an
experimental feature, View Client with Local Mode is not backward compatible with View 4.0.x and 3.1.x
components.
NOTE The instructions in this document are also applicable to patch releases of VMware View 4.5 and to
upgrading from the release candidate (RC) version of View 4.5 to the general availability (GA) version.
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VMware View Upgrade Overview 2
Upgrading an enterprise VMware View deployment involves several high-level tasks. Upgrading is a
multistage process in which procedures must be performed in a particular order.
You must complete the upgrade process in a specific order. If you do not complete each upgrade stage before
moving on, you can lose data and server access. Order is also important within each upgrade stage.
How many of the following tasks you need to complete depends on which components of VMware View you
use in your deployment. Because VMware View 4.5 includes components that were not available in earlier
releases, some of the tasks are installation rather than upgrade tasks.
1 On the physical or virtual machines that host View Connection Server instances, make backups and record
various configuration and system settings. See “Preparing View Connection Server for an Upgrade,” on
page 17.
2 On the physical or virtual machines that host View Composer and vCenter Server, make backups and
temporarily halt certain scheduled tasks. See “Preparing vCenter Server and View Composer for an
Upgrade,” on page 18.
3 If some of your end users are using View 3.1.x or 4.0.x Client with Offline Desktop, ask them to check in
their View desktops.
4 Upgrade View Connection Server on the existing host or migrate to a new machine. See “Upgrade View
Connection Servers in a Replicated Group,” on page 21.
5 Install and configure an event database that View Administrator 4.5 uses for displaying some of the
View Connection Server events that were previously recorded only in logs. See the VMware View 4.5
Installation Guide.
6 For the View Client with Local Mode component, install and configure one or more View Transfer Server
instances. This server transfers data that end users need to check out and run View desktops locally on
their client systems. See the VMware View 4.5 Installation Guide.
View Client with Local Mode is the fully supported feature that in earlier releases was an experimental
feature called View Offline Desktop.
7 Upgrade View Composer on the existing host or, if you are also upgrading to vSphere 4.1, migrate to a
new machine. See “Upgrade to View Composer 2.5 and vCenter Server 4.1 on a Different Machine,” on
page 30.
8 Upgrade the VMware View software that runs on the physical or virtual machines that are used as desktop
sources, as full-clone desktops in a pool, and as individual desktops in a manual pool. See “Upgrade View
Agent,” on page 38.
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9 Use the newly upgraded virtual desktop sources to create upgraded pools of View desktops. See “Upgrade
View Composer Desktop Pools,” on page 39.
10 Upgrade the VMware View software that runs on end users' client devices. See “Upgrade View Clients,”
on page 40 and “Upgrade Offline Desktop Clients to View Client with Local Mode,” on page 41.
Because certain commands can simultaneously upgrade more than one stage, VMware recommends that you
thoroughly understand the irreversible changes at each stage before you upgrade your production
environments.
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System Requirements for Upgrades 3
Hosts and virtual machines in a VMware View deployment must meet specific hardware and operating system
requirements.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n“View Connection Server Requirements,” on page 11
n“View Composer Requirements,” on page 12
n“View Administrator Requirements,” on page 14
n“Supported Operating Systems for View Client and View Client with Local Mode,” on page 14
n“Client Browser Requirements for View Portal,” on page 15
n“Supported Operating Systems for View Agent,” on page 16
View Connection Server Requirements
View Connection Server acts as a broker for client connections by authenticating and then directing incoming
user requests to the appropriate View desktop. View Connection Server has specific hardware and operating
system requirements.
Hardware Requirements for View Connection Server
View Connection Server 4.5 must run on a 32-bit or 64-bit dedicated physical or virtual machine that meets
specific hardware requirements.
Table 3-1. View Connection Server Hardware Requirements
Hardware Component Required Recommended
Processor Pentium IV 2.0GHz processor or
higher
Dual processors
Networking One or more 10/100Mbps
network interface cards (NICs)
1Gbps NICs
Memory
Windows Server 2008 64-bit
4GB RAM or higher At least 10GB RAM for deployments of 50 or more
View desktops
Memory
Windows Server 2003 32-bit
2GB RAM or higher At least 3GB RAM for deployments of 50 or more
View desktops
These requirements also apply to additional View Connection Server instances that you install for high
availability or external access.
IMPORTANT The physical or virtual machine that hosts View Connection Server must use a static IP address.
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Supported Operating Systems for View Connection Server
You must install View Connection Server on a supported operating system.
Table 3-2 lists the operating systems supported for View Connection Server.
These operating systems support all View Connection Server installation types, including standard, replicated,
security-server, and View Transfer Server installations.
Table 3-2. Operating System Support for View Connection Server
Operating System Version Edition Service Pack
Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit Standard
Enterprise
N/A
Windows Server 2003 R2 32-bit Standard
Enterprise
SP2
Windows Server 2003 32-bit Standard
Enterprise
SP2
Upgrade Requirements for View Connection Server
The View Connection Server upgrade process has specific requirements and limitations.
nView Connection Server requires a valid license key for View 4.5. As of the release of VMware View 4.0,
the VMware View license key is a 25-character key.
nThe domain user account that you use to install the new version of View Connection Server must have
administrative privileges on the View Connection Server host. The View Connection Server administrator
must have administrative credentials for vCenter Server.
If you plan to perform fresh installations of View Connection Server instances on additional physical or virtual
machines, see the complete list of installation requirements in the VMware View Administrator's Guide.
Virtualization Software Requirements for View Connection Server
View Connection Server requires VMware virtualization software to function properly.
nIf you are using vSphere, you must have vSphere 4.0 Update 2 or vSphere 4.1.
nIf you are using VMware Infrastructure, you must have VMware Infrastructure 3.5 Update 5 and
VirtualCenter Server 2.5 Update 6.
nBoth ESX and ESXi hosts are supported.
View Composer Requirements
View Manager uses View Composer to deploy multiple linked-clone desktops from a single centralized base
image. View Composer has specific upgrade and database requirements.
Supported Operating Systems for View Composer
View Composer supports 64-bit and 32-bit operating systems with specific requirements and limitations. You
must install View Composer on the same physical computer or virtual machine as vCenter Server.
64-Bit Operating Systems
Table 3-3 lists the 64-bit operating systems supported for View Composer.
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Table 3-3. 64-Bit Operating System Support for View Composer
vCenter Server
Version Operating System Service Pack Edition
4.1 Windows Server 2008 R2 N/A Enterprise
4.1 Windows Server 2008 SP2 Enterprise
4.1 Windows 2003 R2 SP2 Standard
4.1 Windows 2003 SP2 Standard
4.0 Update 2 Windows Server 2008 SP2 Enterprise
32-Bit Operating Systems
Table 3-4 lists the 32-bit operating systems supported for View Composer.
Table 3-4. 32-Bit Operating System Support for View Composer
vCenter Server
Version Operating System Service Pack Edition
4.0 Update 2 Windows Server 2003 SP2 Standard
2.5 Update 6 Windows Server 2003 R2 SP2 Standard
2.5 Update 6 Windows Server 2003 SP2 Enterprise
Database Requirements for View Composer
View Composer requires an SQL database to store data. The View Composer database must reside on, or be
available to, the vCenter Server machine.
If a database server already exists for vCenter Server, View Composer can use that existing database server if
it is a version listed in Table 3-5. For example, View Composer can use the Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express
instance that is provided with vCenter Server. If a database server does not already exist, you must install one.
View Composer supports a subset of the database servers that vCenter Server supports. If you are already
using vCenter Server with a database server that is not supported by View Composer, continue to use that
database server for vCenter Server and install a separate database server to use for View Composer and
View Manager database events.
Make sure you understand the configuration and patch requirements for the database. For details, see the
section about vCenter Server database patch and configuration requirements in the vSphere 4.1 Upgrade
Guide.
IMPORTANT If you create the View Composer database on the same SQL Server instance as vCenter Server, do
not overwrite the vCenter Server database.
Table 3-5 lists the supported database servers and versions. For a complete list of database versions supported
with vCenter Server, see the VMware vSphere Compatibility Matrixes on the VMware vSphere documentation
Web site.
Table 3-5. Supported Database Servers for View Composer
Database vCenter Server 4.1 vCenter Server 4.0 U2 VC Server 2.5 U6
Microsoft SQL
Server 2000 SP4
Standard
No No Yes
Microsoft SQL
Server 2005 Express
Yes Yes Yes
Chapter 3 System Requirements for Upgrades
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Table 3-5. Supported Database Servers for View Composer (Continued)
Database vCenter Server 4.1 vCenter Server 4.0 U2 VC Server 2.5 U6
Microsoft SQL
Server 2005 SP3
Standard and
Enterprise
Yes Yes Yes
Microsoft SQL
Server 2008 SP1
Standard and
Enterprise
Yes Yes No
Microsoft SQL
Server 2008 SP1
Standard and
Enterprise 64-bit
Yes Yes No
Oracle 9i Release 2 No No Yes
Oracle 10g Release 2 Yes Yes No
Oracle 11g Release 1 Yes Yes No
View Administrator Requirements
Administrators use View Administrator to configure View Connection Server, deploy and manage desktops,
control user authentication, initiate and examine system events, and carry out analytical activities. Client
systems that run View Administrator must meet certain requirements.
View Administrator is a Web-based application that is installed when you install View Connection Server. You
can access and use View Administrator with the following Web browsers:
nInternet Explorer 7
nInternet Explorer 8
nFirefox 3.0
nFirefox 3.5
To use View Administrator with your Web browser, you must install Adobe Flash Player 10.
To display text properly, View Administrator requires Microsoft-specific fonts. If your Web browser runs on
a non-Windows operating system such as Linux, UNIX, or Mac OS, make sure that Microsoft-specific fonts are
installed on your computer.
Currently, the Microsoft Web site does not distribute Microsoft fonts, but you can download them from
independent Web sites.
Supported Operating Systems for View Client and View Client with
Local Mode
Users run View Client to connect to their View desktops. You must install View Client or View Client with
Local Mode on a supported operating system.
Table 3-6 lists the operating systems supported for View Client.
Table 3-6. View Client Operating System Support
Operating System Version Edition Service Pack
Windows 7 32-bit and 64-bit Home, Enterprise,
Professional, and Ultimate
N/A
Windows XP 32-bit Home and Professional SP3
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Table 3-6. View Client Operating System Support (Continued)
Operating System Version Edition Service Pack
Windows Vista 32-bit Home, Business, Enterprise,
and Ultimate
SP1 and SP2
Mac OS X Leopard 10.5 N/A N/A N/A
Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6 N/A N/A N/A
IMPORTANT View Client with Local Mode is supported only on Windows systems and only on physical
computers. In addition, to use this feature, your VMware license must include View Client with Local Mode.
View Client with Local Mode is the fully supported feature that in earlier releases was an experimental feature
called View Offline Desktop.
Table 3-7 lists the versions of VMware Infrastructure or vSphere for View Client with Local Mode.
Table 3-7. vSphere Requirements for View Client with Local Mode
Version Update Level
VMware Infrastructure 3.5/Virtual Center 2.5 VI 3.5 Update 5 with VC 2.5 Update 6
vSphere 4.0 Update 2
vSphere 4.1 N/A
A Windows 7 or Windows Vista View desktop that is created on an ESX 3.5 host cannot produce 3D and
Windows Aero effects. This limitation applies even when the desktop is checked out for local use on a
Windows 7 or Windows Vista host. Windows Aero and 3D effects are available only if the View desktop is
created using vSphere 4.x.
When you check out a View desktop to run on your local computer, the hardware on client host must support
both the local system and the virtual machine that now runs on it. For hardware requirements, see the chapter
about system requirements for client components, in the VMware View Installation Guide.
NOTE Several VMware partners offer thin client devices for VMware View deployments. The features and
Linux operating systems that are available for each thin client device are determined by the vendor and model
and the configuration that an enterprise chooses to use. For information about the vendors and models for thin
client devices, see the Thin Client Compatibility Guide, available on the VMware Web site.
Client Browser Requirements for View Portal
From a client system, you can browse to a View Connection Server instance and use View Portal to install a
Mac-based View Client, a Windows-based View Client, or View Client with Local Mode. If you use Internet
Explorer, View Portal indicates when a new version of View Client is available for download.
To use View Portal, you must have one of the following Web browsers:
nInternet Explorer 7
nInternet Explorer 8
nFirefox 3.0
nFirefox 3.5
nSafari
Chapter 3 System Requirements for Upgrades
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If you use Internet Explorer on a Windows PC and you already have View Client installed, if the version
available from View Connection Server is newer than that installed on the client device, you can choose to
upgrade. If the version is the same as that on the client device, View Portal starts the View Client installed on
the local system.
NOTE View Portal does not support Linux. A native client for Linux is available only through certified VMware
partners.
Supported Operating Systems for View Agent
The View Agent component assists with session management, single sign-on, and device redirection. You must
install View Agent on all virtual machines, physical systems, and terminal servers that will be managed by
View Manager.
Table 3-8 lists the operating systems supported for View Agent.
Table 3-8. View Agent Operating System Support
Guest Operating System Version Edition Service Pack
Windows 7 64-bit and 32-bit Enterprise and
Professional
N/A
Windows Vista 32-bit Business and
Enterprise
SP1 and SP2
Windows XP 32-bit Professional SP3
Windows 2008 R2 Terminal Server 64-bit Standard N/A
Windows 2008 Terminal Server 64-bit Standard SP2
Windows 2003 R2 Terminal Server 32-bit Standard SP2
Windows 2003 Terminal Server 32-bit Standard SP2
IMPORTANT If you use Windows 7 in a virtual machine, the virtual machine must be hosted on an ESX 4.0 or
ESX 4.1 server. For ESX 4.0, the version must be ESX 4.0 Update 2 or higher. For ESX 4.1, the version must be
ESX 4.1 or higher.
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Preparing for a VMware View Upgrade 4
Before you start the upgrade process, you must review system requirements for the new version, back up
databases, take snapshots of virtual machines that host server components, and document configuration
settings.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n“Preparing View Connection Server for an Upgrade,” on page 17
n“Preparing vCenter Server and View Composer for an Upgrade,” on page 18
Preparing View Connection Server for an Upgrade
Before you upgrade View Connection Server or before you upgrade any of the vSphere components that
View Connection Server relies on, you must perform several tasks to ensure that these upgrades are successful.
nVerify that the virtual or physical machine on which the current View Connection Server instance is
installed meets the system requirements for View 4.5.
See “View Connection Server Requirements,” on page 11.
nIf View Connection Server is installed in a virtual machine, take a snapshot of the virtual machine. If you
have a replicated group of View Connection Server instances, take a snapshot of only one View Connection
Server instance.
For instructions on taking snapshots, see the vSphere Client online help. If you ever need to revert to this
snapshot and if you have other View Connection Server instances in a replicated group, you must uninstall
those instances before you revert the master to the snapshot. After you revert, you can reinstall the
replicated instances and point to the instance you reverted.
You can label the snapshot Upgrade Preparation Phase.
nOpen View Administrator and document all the global settings and settings for desktops and pools. In
View 3.1.x or 4.0.x, go to the Desktop and Pools View and the Global Settings section of the Configuration
View.
For example, take a screen shot of the applicable settings. If you have multiple instances of View
Connection Server in a replicated group, you need only document the settings for one instance.
nUse the vdmexport.exe utility to back up the View 3.1.x or View 4.0.x LDAP database.
For instructions, see the View 3 or View 4 View Manager Administration Guide. If you have multiple instances
of View Connection Server in a replicated group, you need only export the data from one instance.
nDocument the IP address and system name of the machine on which View Connection Server is installed.
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nDetermine if your company has written any batch files or scripts that run against the View database on
the View Connection Server instance, and if so, document their names and locations.
nIf you use load balancers for View Connection Server, document the configuration settings for the load
balancers.
Preparing vCenter Server and View Composer for an Upgrade
Because vCenter Server and View Composer are installed on the same virtual or physical machine, some
preparation tasks apply to both.
Preparing for Upgrades That Include vSphere
If you are upgrading to vCenter Server 4.1 in addition to upgrading to VMware View 4.5 with
View Composer 2.5, you must consult the vSphere Upgrade Guide and perform the following tasks in the
following order:
1 Verify that the virtual or physical machine meets the system requirements for vCenter Server 4.1.
For example, vCenter Server 4.1 requires two CPUs and must run on a 64-bit operating system. Because
View Composer 1.0 and 2.0.x were supported only on 32-bit operating systems, upgrading to vSphere 4.1
means that you must upgrade View Composer to a different machine.
2 If vCenter Server is installed in a virtual machine, take a snapshot of the virtual machine.
For instructions on taking snapshots, see the vSphere Client online help.
3 If the computer name is longer than 15 characters, shorten the name to 15 or fewer characters.
You use this name first on the 32-bit VirtualCenter Server 2.5 host or the vCenter Server 4.0 host, and then
you use this name when you migrate to the 64-bit vCenter Server 4.1 host. You also use the same IP address.
4 Back up the VirtualCenter or vCenter Server database and the View Composer database.
For instructions on performing a database backup, see the documentation from your database vendor.
5 Verify that the database server is compatible with vCenter Server 4.1.
For example, if the database server is Oracle 9i, you must upgrade to Oracle 10g or 11g. If you plan to
migrate vCenter Server from a 32-bit operating system to a 64-bit operating system and the database will
be on the same system, verify that the database is supported on 64-bit operating systems.
6 Verify that the database is compatible with View Composer 2.5.
View Composer supports a subset of the database servers that vCenter Server supports. If you are already
using vCenter Server with a database server that is not supported by View Composer, continue to use that
database server for vCenter Server and install a separate database server to use for View Composer and
View Manager database events.
7 Make a copy of the folder that contains SSL certificates.
This folder is located at %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter.
8 Document the IP address and system name of the machine on which vCenter Server is installed.
9 For all linked-clone desktop pools, disable provisioning of new virtual machines.
Because View Composer might be upgraded during a different maintenance window than its desktop
pools, provisioning must be postponed until both components are upgraded.
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10 If any desktop pools are set to refresh the OS disk on logoff, edit the Desktop/Pools settings for that pool
and set Refresh OS disk on logoff to Never.
This setting prevents an error from occurring when the newly upgraded View Composer attempts to
refresh a desktop that has not yet been upgraded to View Agent 4.5.
11 If any desktop pools are scheduled to do a refresh or recompose operation, cancel these tasks.
Preparing for Upgrades of View Composer Only
If you are upgrading only View Composer and are not upgrading VirtualCenter Server, you must perform the
following tasks:
1 If View Composer is installed in a virtual machine, take a snapshot of the virtual machine.
For instructions on taking snapshots, see the vSphere Client online help.
2 Back up the VirtualCenter or vCenter Server database and the View Composer database.
For instructions on performing a database backup, see the documentation from your database vendor.
3 Verify that the database is compatible with View Composer 2.5.
View Composer supports a subset of the database servers that vCenter Server supports. If you are already
using vCenter Server with a database server that is not supported by View Composer, continue to use that
database server for vCenter Server and install a separate database server to use for View Composer and
View Manager database events.
4 Make a copy of the folder that contains SSL certificates.
This folder is located at %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter.
5 Document the IP address and system name of the machine on which vCenter Server is installed.
6 For all linked-clone desktop pools, disable provisioning of new virtual machines.
Because View Composer might be upgraded during a different maintenance window than its desktop
pools, provisioning must be postponed until both components are upgraded.
7 If any desktop pools are set to refresh the OS disk on logoff, edit the Desktop/Pools settings for that pool
and set Refresh OS disk on logoff to Never.
This setting prevents an error from occurring when the newly upgraded View Composer attempts to
refresh a desktop that has not yet been upgraded to View Agent 4.5.
8 If any desktop pools are scheduled to do a refresh or recompose operation, cancel these tasks.
Chapter 4 Preparing for a VMware View Upgrade
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VMware View Upgrade Guide
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