Nexus 1000v upgrade

[Child of Wonder]

Let me preface this by saying I have never worked on the Nexus 1000v before, outside of a short stint of setting it up in my lab then uninstalling it.

After being tasked with assisting a client with upgrading their VMware environment and Nexus switches, I've been going through the process in my lab. Cisco offers a great utility that allows you to input the VMware and Nexus version you're on and what you'd like to update to, then spits out the proper update order complete with links that document each step.

Unfortunately, Cisco's documentation is convoluted.

Here's the order of the upgrade:

Upgrade vCenter and VUM from 4.1 to 5.1
Upgrade VSM to 4.2(1)SV1(5.2)
Simultaneously upgrade ESX 4.1 hosts and VEM with custom ESXi 5.1 ISO that includes VEM version 4.2(1)SV1(5.2) using VUM
Upgrade VSM to 4.2(1)SV2(2.1)
Upgrade VEMs to 4.2(1)SV2(2.1)

My lab upgrade went fine until the last step when I upgraded the VEMs. Using the VSM to issue "vem upgrade notify" and "vem upgrade proceed" simply ends in an error in vCenter. I eventually ended up loading the vibs directly on the hosts and using esxupdate to install them, then running "vem upgrade complete" on the VSM.

How have you guys typically done the VEM update? Cisco's documentation offers a few options but I'd like to hear what people in the field have done that works for them.

I also noticed under Inventory - Networking the version of the Nexus VDS is 4.0. Is that normal or should it also update to 5.1 like any other VDS?

 

[NetJunkie]

I've used the tool...it sometimes works...then I fall back to manually updating the VIBs like you did.

 

[Child of Wonder]

I've used the tool...it sometimes works...then I fall back to manually updating the VIBs like you did.

So long as I use the "vmware vem upgrade proceed" followed by installing the VIBs then "vmware vem upgrade complete" that's all that needs to be done?

I even reached out to the PDI Help Desk to ask these same questions and they just sent me links to the documentation. lol

Being the first time I've done this I don't want to fuck it up.

 

[NetJunkie]

Yeah..I believe you'll be fine. I've had to do that before.

But I haven't touched the N1Kv in a good while. Since the 5.1 VDS the adoption of the N1Kv has slowed greatly.

 

[Vader]

Last time I did this, the tool did not like that a VEM was already installed.... so I had to do it manually.

 

[Child of Wonder]

Does the VSM being installed on Nexus 1010's change anything? Or is the process of updating the VSMs still the same (uploaded the bin files, start upgrade from VSM)?

 

[NetJunkie]

It's a different process on a 1010.

 

[Child of Wonder]

Shit. If it's not the same process to upgrade the VSM as when it's a VM running in VMware then I need to put the brakes on tonight's update.

EDIT:

One of my co-workers says it's the same process. Confused.

 

[NetJunkie]

Go read the doc. It's been a while since I did it..a long while on the 1010 so I may be wrong.

 

[Child of Wonder]

Just talked to one of our networking guys and he said upgrading the VSM running on a 1010 should be the same procedure as if the VSM is running in VMware. Just need to make sure the 1010 is at a code level that supports whatever version we're upgrading the VSM to.

 

[geiger]

Make sure you have vmkernal ports that are not part of the N1KV. Sometimes the VEM install gets hosed(can't uninstall/install. I've had to take a config backup, install a fresh version of ESXi, restore the config before.

Also be ready for musical maintenance mode for all hosts on the N1KV when you confirm the VEM update on the VSM.

 

[Child of Wonder]

Oh EVERYTHING is on the Nexus 1000v -- management, VMotion, VM port groups, etc. Why wouldn't it?

The first VEM upgrade the 4.2(1)SV1(5.2) will be accomplished when I update the hosts to 5.1 since I've put the VEM in the installer ISO. The second VEM update will be done via command line on the hosts so I'll be putting them into maintenance mode manually.