This article covers the steps on how to run the NetApp VSC 9.7 upgrade to the latest release patch. The process is very easy to follow and most of all quick to execute. Before proceeding with any upgrade it is always a good idea to visit the NetApp site and check the Interoperability Matrix and make sure of all supported combinations between VMware vSphere components (vCenter and ESXi Hosts) with the NetApp ONTAP and VSC releases. It could be a good idea to test the procedure in a separate environment when possible ad certainly the homelab is a great place to reproduce and learn more about the possible scenarios. Although the process is very easy to follow, in practice might present some minor challenges. Typically the services or plugin registrations not working as expected and primarily due to firewall blocking ports and certificates that are expired or not valid.
The NetApp VSC 9.7 upgrade process essentially requires
- disabling the plugin from the VMware vSphere Client
- remove the plugin configuration files
- restart the vCenter services
- upgrade the NetApp VSC appliance
- register the new plugin
In this article some quick details on how to complete the process.
The NetApp VSC 9.7 upgrade process
The first thing to do when running the NetApp VSC 9.7 upgrade (apart from reading the cautionary notes above!) is to disable the current plugin installed in the vCenter. This can be easily accomplished from the vCenter > Administration > Plugins > select the NetApp plugin and disable.
Now that the plugin is disabled in the vSphere Client next step is to remove the plugin files from the VCSA appliance. This can be done by accessing the VCSA locally and enabling the “shell” context.
From the shell, the NetApp plugin files are generally located in /etc/vmware/vsphere-client/vc-packages/vsphere-client-serenity/
Another location is also /etc/vmware/vsphere-ui/vc-packages/vsphere-client-serenity/
Usually these files start with com.netapp.*
A quick “rm -rf com.netapp.*” will delete the matching files. Of course paying attention to which files are going to be deleted is critical as this operation cannot be undone.
Next step is to stop the vsphere-client and vsphere-ui services
And now to start the vsphere-client and vsphere-ui services again.
In theory these actions should suffice to remove the NetApp plugin from the vSphere Client. In reality only a full reboot of the VCSA will clear the NetApp plugin configuration as per screenshot below.
Should there still be pending plugin details, another way to remove them is to unregister them from the built-in object browser in the VCSA. Typically this can be accessed from https://VCSA_IP/mob > content > ExtensionManager > UnregisterExtension > extension name. As shown in the screenshot:
- com.netapp.vsch5
- com.netapp.nvpf
Now that the previous plugin has been removed the next step for the NetApp VSC 9.7 upgrade is to mount the ISO with the latest patch. The ISO file is available in the download section of the NetApp website.
Before proceeding it is recommended to assign at least 12 GB RAM Memory to the NetApp VSC appliance to successfully run the upgrade.
The NetApp VSC appliance is now booting in the default mode.
Next is to login with “maint” user credentials.
In this console the next step is to start the System Configuration menu with option 2.
At this point in this menu the option to start the upgrade process. A warning shows about new requirements starting from version 7.1.
The wizard now has all the info to proceed with the NetApp VSC upgrade process directly on the appliance. It show the current and upgrade versions.
The process at this point is not very long. Of course depending also on allocated resources.
A few moments later the NetApp VSC appliance shows the familiar menu and addresses to complete the new plugin registration.
By browsing the https://NetAppVSC_IP:9083 it shows the updated version to NetApp VSC 9.7P2
Browsing the other port at https://NetAppVSC_IP:8143 it brings the Plugin registration service.
Upon successful registration the VCSA contacts the NetApp VSC appliance to download the plugin package and execute the files in the archive. This step takes only a few moments to complete.
And a few moments later, browsing the NetApp plugin in the vSphere Client console shows the managed NetApp ONTAP clusters.
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