Other posts in this series:
- Part 1 – Planning & Backups and Prep
- Part 2 – Unlink vCenter & Upgrade/Install Single Sign-on & Upgrade vSphere Web client
- Part 3 – Upgrade vCenter Inventory Service & Upgrade vCenter Server & Upgrade vCenter Update Manager
- Part 4 – Upgrade SRM & Upgrade SRA, Re-link vCenter & Site Secondary Upgrade
- Part 5 – Post upgrade tasks
- Part 6 – Upgrade ESXi hosts & Upgrade VMware Tools
Step 7 – Unlink vCenter Server
7.1: Go to Start -> Programs -> VMware -> vCenter Server Linked Mode Configuration
7.2: When the configurator opens click on Next
7.3: Select Modify linked mode configuration and click Next
7.4: Leave Isolate this vCenter Server instance from linked mode group selected and click Next
7.5: Click Continue to remove the server from linked-mode
7.6: I got the following alert
The output of the status.txt file was:
----------------- Operation "Isolate instance VMwareVCMSDS" failed: Action: Prepare for Isolate Problem: Service "VMware VirtualCenter Server" has not been stopped ----------------- Recovering from failed Operation "Isolate instance VMwareVCMSDS" ----------------- Recovery successful ----------------- Execution error.
7.7: I went back and stopped the vCenter server service and re-ran the above task and it completed.
7.8: I restarted the services and launched vCenter client and it only showed the local vCenter version.
Step 8 – Upgrade/Install SSO on primary
8.1: Attach the ISO file for vCenter 5.5 to the server
8.2: Launch the autorun. Do no install using Simple Mode, it will fail. Do Custom Install. Begin with the installation of Single-Sign On. Select vCenter Single Sign-On and click Install
8.3: Click Next on the initial screen
8.4: Accept the EULA and click Next
8.5: Verify that the pre-requisites are ok and click Next. Also, leave the default of adding the domain as a native Active Directory identity source
8.6: As this is the first SSO instance to be installed select the Standalone vCenter single sign-on server and click Next. If you are unsure which type of deployment mode to use have a look at the VMware documentation – https://pubs.vmware.com/vsphere-55/index.jsp?topic=%2Fcom.vmware.vsphere.upgrade.doc%2FGUID-C6F362AF-397C-4271-A9A1-4EEF1C718AA9.html. This will help explain that for linked-mode vCenters a standalone is deployed first and then a multi-site SSO
8.7: Enter a password for the administrator account and click Next
8.8: Enter a site-name and click Next
8.9: Leave the default HTTPS port and click Next
8.10: Select where you want to have SSO installed and click Next
8.11: Verify the details you entered in the previous dialog screen and click Install
8.12: The installation process will begin
8.13: When SSO installs click Finish
Step 9 – Upgrade vSphere Web Client on Primary
9.1: Select vSphere Web Client from the menu and click Install
9.2: Leave the default as English (United States) unless of course you are in a different country and require different local language settings. Click Ok to continue.
9.3: It will extract the installation MSI
9.4: Click Next on the initial screen. Web Client is installed for version 5.0 so this is just a warning that it will be updated
9.5: Accept the EULA and click Next
9.6: Leave the default ports and click Next
9.7: Enter the SSO administrator password used in the SSO installation to link the web client to SSO. Click Next.
9.8: Click Ok to accept the certificate
9.9: Click Install Certificates
9.10: Click Install to continue with the installation
9.11: Once completed click Finish
9.12: You will get a prompt to advise it will take a few minutes for the vSphere client to come online. Just Click Ok. If you prefer you can wait and check that it is completed or continue onto the next step which is to upgrade the vCenter Inventory Service
9.13: If you try to access it too soon you will see the following:
The next step in the process is to install the Inventory service and upgrade vCenter Server itself in How to: VMware vCenter 5.0 to 5.5 Update 2 Upgrade – Part 3