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VMware Cloud Foundation

AIVMware Cloud Foundation

How To Setup Ollama + OpenWebUI on VCF

by Tommy Grot June 7, 2024
written by Tommy Grot 4 minutes read

In this blog post, we will explore how to host your very own ChatGPT using the powerful combination of Ollama and OpenWebUI, all powered by VMware Cloud Foundation. By leveraging these cutting-edge technologies, you’ll be able to create a seamless and interactive chatbot experience that will impress your users. Get ready to dive into the world of AI and virtualization as we walk you through the steps to set up your own ChatGPT. Exciting times are ahead, so let’s get started on this journey together!

This walkthrough will only guide you through how to setup Ollama and Open WebUI – you will need to provide your own Linux VM, for my deployment I used Ubuntu 22.04.

Next blog post we will go into customizing and adding onto Ollama and OpenWebUI with for example Automatic1111 and Diffusion and Image Generation LLMs.

The Hardware:

  • 2 x Intel Platinum 8158 3.0GHz 12 Cores
  • 1 x Nvidia Tesla P40 24GB DDR5
  • 1 x Dell PERC H740P RAID Card
  • 4 x 32GB Samsung DDR4 2666MHz (128GB)
  • 2 x 50Gb/s Mellanox Connectx-4 Data Traffic
  • 4 x 10Gb/s X710 NDC for NSX Overlay
  • 1 x Boss S1 w/ M.2 SSD for ESXi Boot
  • 2 x 2000 watt PSUs
  • 8 x 800GB SAS SSD – Capacity Storage
  • 2 x 280GB Intel Optane Storage – Fast Storage

The Virtual Machine:

  • Deploy a Ubuntu or any choice of Debian distro if you want to utilize the commands I have apart of this walkthrough.
  • Enabling Hardware Device Passthrough for the GPU also apart of your VMX add the following in:
pciPassthru.use64bitMMIO=”TRUE”
pciPassthru.64bitMMIOSizeGB=”128″

Once the Virtual Machine is deployed, you will want to ensure that your Server or Desktop Hardware is prepared to have a GPU, in my Dell PowerEdge R740XD I have a NVIDIA Tesla P40.

The Specifications:

This will vary, for my initial deployment I setup 8 vCPUs with the Automatic CPU Topology enabled, but this will all depend on your use case, since I have powerful CPUs and lots of memory I can increase the resource allocation later on.

The Software:

Download & Install Ollama:

curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh

Time to Shutdown The Virtual Machine and Pass Through the NVIDIA Tesla P40

  • With the above requirements satisfied, two entries must be added to the VM’s VMX file, either by modifying the file directly or by using the vSphere client to add these capabilities. The first entry is:
pciPassthru.use64bitMMIO=”TRUE”
  • Specifying the second entry requires a simple calculation. Sum the GPU memory sizes of all GPU devices(*) you intend to pass into the VM and then round up to the next power of two. For example, to use passthrough with 4 16 GB A2 devices, the value would be: 32 + 32 = 64, rounded up to the next power of two to yield 128. Use this value in the second entry:
pciPassthru.64bitMMIOSizeGB=”128″

Add Docker’s official GPG key:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install ca-certificates curl
sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings
sudo curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc
sudo chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc

Add the repository to Apt sources:

echo \
"deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu \
$(. /etc/os-release && echo "$VERSION_CODENAME") stable" | \
sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null
sudo apt-get update

Next, we will install docker and all its dependencies:

sudo apt-get install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin

Now we will setup the docker container for Open WebUI to run, on port 11434 – Yeah the port number looks like (LLAMA haha)

docker run -d --network=host -v open-webui:/app/backend/data -e OLLAMA_BASE_URL=http://127.0.0.1:11434 --name open-webui --restart always ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main

After you run the command above, then your webserver should start running – Open up your browser and login! You will be directed to setup a username / email. Once that is done, have fun and enjoy your own private AI!

Now, you will be presented the dashboard for your very own ChatGPT Privately Hosted!

Enjoy! 🙂

Depending on what LLMs you want to pull here is a example of how to do it via CLI

ollama pull aya

There we pulled aya LLM!

June 7, 2024 0 comments 883 views
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Events

VMware Explore 2024

by Tommy Grot May 6, 2024
written by Tommy Grot 4 minutes read

VMware Explore Las Vegas 2024

Get ready to experience the ultimate tech extravaganza at VMware Explore 2024 in Las Vegas! August 26th – 29th. This year’s event promises to be bigger and better than ever as we dive into the world of multi cloud computing, virtualization, containerization and many more technologies. Join us as we embark on a journey through the latest innovations in technology and network with industry experts and like-minded individuals. Get ready to expand your knowledge, cultivate new ideas, and collaborate with friends old and new. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just beginning your tech journey, VMware Explore 2024 is the place to be. So mark your calendars, pack your bags, and get ready for an unforgettable experience in the heart of Sin City. Let’s explore the future together!

Early-Bird Registration Is Open

Below are few links – VMware Explore Registration, also go and follow VMware Explore LinkedIn Channel

  • VMware Explore Registration
  • VMware Explore LinkedIn Channel

What Am I Looking Forward to VMware Explore 2024 –

This event promises to be a one-of-a-kind experience, featuring insightful keynotes, interactive workshops, and networking opportunities with industry experts. As well getting the chance expand on my knowledge from others within the community, as well as meeting creators of many products, last year I got to meet with Stephen Evanchik – VMware Cloud Director creator, as well as the VMware Cloud Team, I enjoyed showcasing my work project and skills I have acquired and collaborated with others.

VMware Explore 2023 Recap –

More Info About My VMware Explore 2023 – Here

VMware Explore 2023 was an absolute blast, I got invited to the Presidents Dinner and got to meet the CEO Raghu and explore and find friends and colleges. Even spending time with the VMware Education Team was a blast!


How VMware Explore Has Benefited My Career?
  • VMware Explore has been instrumental in advancing my career by providing me with the knowledge needed to excel in the field of virtualization.

  • The hands-on labs offered by VMware Explore have allowed me to gain practical experience and a deeper understanding of VMware products.

  • Additionally, earning a VMware certification through Explore has not only validated my skills but has also opened up new opportunities for career advancement.

  • Networking with professionals in the industry through VMware Explore has been invaluable in building connections and receiving mentorship from experts in the field.

  • VMware Explore has been a crucial stepping stone in my career development, equipping me with the tools and resources necessary to thrive in the ever-evolving world of virtualization technology.

Top Reasons to Attend VMware Explore 2024
  • Uncomplicate your cloud – Leverage a large ecosystem that is powered by the community and partners to accelerate you VMware Cloud journey.
  • Learn directly from the source – Meet the Creators of certain VMware Products, ask questions to the Expert Bar, where they can help you with all your IT needs and support.
  • Accelerate your next move – Check out the VMware Education Exam Center, get certified with discounts on many VMware Exams.
  • Meet friends and influence people – Hang out with other colleges, experts and even many certifieds VMware experts, gain knowledge and experience from other team members and share stories!

VMware Explore Benefits

(All Images are from VMware Explore 2023 Las Vegas!)

The Hub

The Hub welcomes all attendees to relax, recharge, network and learn. Lots of awesome booths to check out along with the vExpert Communities, and VMware Rewards and VMware CODE! Make sure to make a stop at the vExpert Booth and Learn what it takes and how to become a vExpert and join the awesome VMware vExpert Family!


Certification Exams

This is an awesome offer to not take advantage of! because your full event pass registration allows you to purchase VMware Certified Professional (VCP) and VMware Certified Advanced Professional (VCAP) certification exam vouchers at a 50 percent discount (exams must be taken onsite during Explore Las Vegas).


Hands-on Labs

The Hands-on Labs Command Center – This is a really neat tool that has been developed for HOL utilizing VMware Aria Operations. This allows everyone to see how important health and monitoring of any environment is critical to ensure a optimized and smooth HOL Experience. Also there are expert-led workshops, interactive labs, and production-quality VMware Test-drive demos, you’ll get hands-on experience with the full VMware by Broadcom portfolio of products. Subject matter experts will be available to answer questions and deep dive into innovative solutions.


The Expo

Visit The Expo to explore the latest products and solutions from sponsors and exhibitors. While there, be sure to head to the VMware by Broadcom booth where you can learn more about the latest offerings, attend our in-booth theater presentations, and get your questions answered by product specialists.


VMware Explore YouTube Channel
May 6, 2024 1 comment 565 views
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VMware Cloud FoundationVMware Troubleshooting

vCenter 8.0u2 Upgrade Issue vCHA – postInstallHook

by Tommy Grot April 11, 2024
written by Tommy Grot 2 minutes read

Have you recently attempted to upgrade your vCenter to version 8.0.2.00300 from 8.0.2.00100, only to be met with an unexpected roadblock in the form of VMware vCenter High Availability (vCHA)? Well, you’re not alone! In this blog post, we’ll dive into the common pitfalls and challenges that users face when trying to upgrade vCenter with vCHA enabled. We’ll discuss the potential causes of the failure, troubleshooting tips, and possible solutions to get your upgrade back on track.

What is vCHA?

vCenter High Availability (vCenter HA) protects vCenter Server against host and hardware failures. The active-passive architecture of the solution can also help you reduce downtime significantly when you patch vCenter Server

For this vCenter Release, there has been many other issues that end-users have seen from issues where time zone, or local host dns. But, for my issue it was vCHA!

  • Time zone not being set to ETC/UTC within VAMI or CLI
  • Local Host and DNS Resolution within /etc/hosts file
  • vCenter Server High Availability Service enabled but not configured – This was my issue!

Performing start operation on profile: ALL Service-control failed. Error: Failed to start services in profile ALL. RC=2, stderr=Failed to start vcha services. Error: Service crashed while starting.

The Cause – vCHA was set to Automatic Start Up and Not Configured

The Fix –

Either GUI or CLI can be utilized to fix.

  • Take a fresh snapshot
  • SSH into vCenter, if you are running VCF, then you will need to lookup your password with VCF Lookup_password Service:
  • Execute Command to see if the vCHA service is running –

Command Line

vmon-cli -s vcha
vmon-cli -S DISABLED -U vcha

After service is stopped, try to resume patch or revert snapshot and redo the steps above to ensure that the vCHA service is disabled.

GUI –

  • Log into VAMI, Go to Services ->
  • Select – VMware vCenter High Availability -> Set Start Up Type Manual ( still to verify execute the command above to disable and ensure it is disabled)

Once, rebooted or re-verted snapshot and all previous steps are completed, you should have a successful upgrade of your vCSA!

April 11, 2024 0 comments 1.9K views
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VMware Cloud Foundation

VMware Cloud Foundation 5.x Posters

by Tommy Grot April 5, 2024
written by Tommy Grot 1 minutes read

Get ready to dive into the world of a private cloud platform, with the new and exciting poster that showcases the intricate topology and architecture of VMware Cloud Foundation 5.x. This comprehensive visual guide will take you on a journey through the innovative features and capabilities of VMware’s cutting-edge cloud platform. Whether you’re a seasoned IT professional looking to enhance your knowledge or a newcomer eager to explore the possibilities of VCF, this poster is sure to spark your curiosity and ignite your passion for cloud technology. Join us as we unravel the complexities of VCF and unlock the potential of cloud computing like never before!

Download your copy today and get it printed at your favorite print shop!

Overview

Two Persona – Cloud Admin & Developer

Management Workload Domain

Workload Domain

Workload Domain with Tanzu

Workload Domain Physical Networking

April 5, 2024 0 comments 1.1K views
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VMware Cloud FoundationVMware Troubleshooting

Decoupling or Redeploying VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle

by Tommy Grot March 31, 2024
written by Tommy Grot 1 minutes read

Are you looking to know how to decouple or need to re-deploy the Aria Suite Lifecycle Manager from VMware Cloud Foundation? Well, you’ve come to the right place!

  • Take a Snapshot of your SDDC Manager (Offline) and a snapshot your vCenter Server appliance.
  • Then SSH to your SDDC Manager and elevate to root
su  

Below are the psql commands you will need to execute to remove the old vRSLCM entries.

psql -h localhost -U postgres -d platform -c "truncate vrslcm;"
psql -h localhost -U postgres -d platform -c "delete from vm_and_vm_type_and_domain where vm_type ='VRSLCM';"

As well as cleaning up the old Passwords, this will also remove the Life Cycle Suite from the Password UI.

psql -h localhost -U postgres -d platform -c "delete from credentialhistory where credential_id in (select id from credential where entitytype ='VRSLCM');"
psql -h localhost -U postgres -d platform -c "delete from credential where entitytype ='VRSLCM';"

Lets re-deploy through SDDC Manager!

After all is removed, you may restart the deployment, for the deployment you will be asked few questions on DNS, IP , and as well a Tier 1 Load Balancer, I used the next available IP address where i knew that the previous one was locked in and couldn’t clean it up, but after the deployment the old load balancer IP was cleaned up!

That’s it! Once you vRSLCM gets re-deployed re-run your Certificate generations from CSR and re-install the cert! Don’t forget to rotate your vRSLCM password but also enable password rotation to prevent any issues in the future.

March 31, 2024 0 comments 1.4K views
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CloudVMware Cloud Foundation

How To Upgrade VMware Cloud Foundation 5.1.x

by Tommy Grot March 26, 2024
written by Tommy Grot 4 minutes read

Have you heard the exciting news about the latest release of VMware Cloud Foundation 5.1.1? This update is packed with tons of new features that are sure to get you pumped up. From AI technologies and Private AI implementations to a slew of other enhancements, there’s something for everyone in this release. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just dipping your toes into the world of cloud computing, this update has something to offer. So grab your favorite beverage, settle in, and let’s dive into all the new and exciting features that VMware Cloud Foundation 5.1.1 has to offer!

Highlighted Features

As announced at the 2024 GTC AI Conference, Broadcom has announced initial availability of  VMware Private AI Foundation with NVIDIA as an advanced add-on to VMware Cloud Foundation. VMware Private AI Foundation marks the beginning of a new era for infrastructure solutions, powered by VMware Cloud Foundation to support a wide range of Generative AI use cases. Read more about VMware Cloud Foundation AI/ML Solutions here.   

VMware Private AI Foundation with NVIDIA

VMware Cloud Foundation is the core infrastructure platform for VMware Private AI Foundation with NVIDIA, delivering modern private cloud that enables organizations to dynamically scale GenAI workloads on demand.  VMware Cloud Foundation provides an automated, self-service cloud experience that accelerates productivity for developers and data scientists, while delivering comprehensive security and resilience to protect and recover an organization’s most sensitive intellectual property.  

VMware Cloud Foundation 5.1.1 Bill of Materials: 

VMware Cloud Foundation 5.1.1 – Release Notes


Lets start the Upgrade!

Take a snapshot of your SDDC Manager and your vCenter Server, ensure they are offline snapshots.

Login to your SDDC Manager, and you shall see new bundles appear, this is only true if you have a internet connected VCF stack. If you are in a offline deployment follow this other walk through i made on how to download bundles for VCF and other products.

Example of what you shall see when bundles are automatically downloaded into your SDDC Manager

Next before we upgrade – ensure you run a Pre-Check Under the Workload Domains you want to upgrade

The Pre-check will verify connectivity and password authentication with service accounts to all different appliances. Once the pre-check is done we will proceed to the next step which is to plan the upgrade!

My Pre-check had few errors, one of the major errors was related to VM/Host Affinity rules for certain VMs like domain controller, Aria Logs, Aria Operations, so I had to disable the rules for the upgrade to ensure that there is no error during deployment.

Disabled VM/Host Rules

Here you will see the Pre-Check Results, I had 5 errors which one of of them was storage capacity of the vCenter Server and then VM/Host Rules that were enabled that needed to be disabled to continue the upgrade.

Once Pre-Check has been completed, you will see that your workload domain will have Updates Available in the right side of the window as shown below.

Now we plan for the upgrade, this is a new addition which helps out the upgrade path and sees the source and target version along with being able to see what bundles or what products have been upgraded if you have utilized the Async Patch tool like in this blog post here.

Now, you will see that my vCenter Server and NSX have been upgraded that is due to the Async patch tool, I upgraded my VCF out of cycle of the main released to fix few issues and security vulnerabilities. So thus the Green check marks for NSX_T Manager and vCenter and ESXi.

Now, we will wait – this task is running in the background, you will in a moment see that the Download Bundles task(s) will be running.

After the binaries have been downloaded, staged and prepared. You will see that your workload domain that was once with updates available is now ready for upgrade.

Lets Start the upgrade! Ensure you have GOOD BACKUPS and/or SNAPSHOTS of the SDDC Manager and vCenter Server. If you do lets continue!

SDDC Manager is now upgrading itself, it will upgrade the core components as well as the drift update if it is needed.

  • Setup Common Appliance Platform
  • Validate Services Before Upgrade
  • Remove Packages Pre Upgrade
  • Update Necessary RPMs For Photon4 Upgrade
  • VMware Cloud Foundation Services and Platform Upgrades
  • Authenticate Common Appliance Platform
  • Update VCF Service and Platform rpms
  • Reboot SDDC Manager
  • Refresh Custom Certificates
  • Update SDDC Manager Appliance Version
  • SDDC Manager Deployment Drift
  • Run VCF Services and Platform upgrades Post Validation
  • Validate Services
  • Cleanup
  • Stop Common Appliance platform Service

After 16 minutes and 29 seconds, we have an upgraded SDDC Manager! Since my vCenter and NSX have all been upgraded the upgrade would of continued and all the hosts would have upgraded automatically minus few questions being asked during the deployment.

Successfully deployed VMware Cloud Foundation 5.1.1!

March 26, 2024 5 comments 1.7K views
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VMware Cloud FoundationVMware NSX

NSX Manager Repository High Disk Usage

by Tommy Grot March 25, 2024
written by Tommy Grot 1 minutes read

If you’ve recently upgraded your NSX environment and noticed a spike in disk usage for the repository partition, you’re not alone. In this blog post, we’ll dive into the reasons behind this increase and provide some tips on how to manage and optimize your disk space. We’ll discuss common causes for the surge in disk usage post-upgrade, and explore some best practices for keeping your NSX environment running smoothly.

VMware Cloud Foundation (SDDC Manager) Password Lookup Utility

Next, we will need to SSH into the NSX Managers, if you are running NSX within VMware Cloud Foundation, you will need to run the VCF Lookup Password Utility within the SDDC Manager and login via remote console in vSphere to enable SSH services

To Start SSH Service on NSX Manager –

start service ssh

To Enable SSH Service on reboot –

set service start-on-boot

There is the 84% Usage of the repository partition, this partition holds all the previous patches and upgrades of NSX.

Now we delete the old folders, I also had old version of NSX Advanced Load Balancer which I cleaned up as well.

Example –

rm -rf 4.1.2.1.0.22667789/

There we go! No more alarms for high disk usage.

After a upgrade of your VMware NSX environment, it is always good to clean up the bundles and old binaries to prevent high disk usage and prevent and issue with your NSX Managers.

March 25, 2024 0 comments 946 views
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CloudVMware Cloud Foundation

VMware Cloud Foundation 5.x – SDDC Manager Password Operations Not Allowed

by Tommy Grot March 21, 2024
written by Tommy Grot 2 minutes read

Tonight’s topic – I want to share with you a recent headache I encountered while working with my VMware Cloud Foundation SDDC Manager 5.x and NSX Password Rotation for Audit account! I was in the middle of a routine password rotation service when suddenly, my task got stuck, leaving me scratching my head in frustration. I couldn’t believe how one little hiccup could bring my whole operation to a screeching halt. In this blog post, I will walk you through the issue I faced, how I troubleshooted it, and ultimately resolved it. So grab a cup of your favorite drink, sit back, and let’s dive into this tech challenge together!

Lets Begin!

  • Take Snapshot (Uncheck Memory) of SDDC Manager
  • SSH into SDDC Manager Appliance
  • Elevate to Root ( su – )

Now we will start digging in the Postgres Database, we will try to find the culprit of what is holding up the lifecycle management of VCF.

The command below will display any locked tasks that are running or are stuck

psql --host=localhost -U postgres -d platform -c "select * from lock"

My Issue – NSX Audit Password got stuck rotating and caused a halt in all operations, example below

{“serviceIdentifier”:”LCM”,”operationIdentifier”:”NSX_AUDIT”,”description”:”Resource of type NSX locked by service (ID: LCM) and operation (ID: NSX_AUDIT)”,”pollingInterval”:0,”expirationTime”:0}

Now that we have our locks displayed, for mine there was 2 locks I had to delete – eample below

psql --host=localhost -U postgres -d platform -c "delete from lock where id='ba4e6ff4-689a-4905-92ff-635cb7403698'";
psql --host=localhost -U postgres -d platform -c "delete from lock where id='ID_FROM_RESOURCE_NAME'";

Next, we will remove the second lock from the database:

psql --host=localhost -U postgres -d platform -c "delete from lock where id='6bd393ba-ad8f-4e1a-a6c3-0695c4556c29'";
psql --host=localhost -U postgres -d platform -c "delete from lock where id='ID_FROM_RESOURCE_NAME'";

Now we have a healthy and happy SDDC Manager!

As well our password options are no longer blocked out!

Reboot and remove snapshot after you are done, ensure you have all working services before snapshot is removed or a good backup!

March 21, 2024 0 comments 1.9K views
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CloudVMware Cloud Foundation

VMware Cloud Director 10.5.x Certificate Replacement

by Tommy Grot March 15, 2024
written by Tommy Grot 1 minutes read

Today’s topic is about managing certificates for VMware Cloud Director. Well, you’ve come to the right place! In this blog post, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of changing certificates for VMware Cloud Director 10.5.x. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a newbie in the world of virtualization, we’ve got you covered. Say goodbye to the headaches of dealing with expired or invalid certificates, and say hello to a smoother, more secure experience with VMware Cloud Director. Let’s get started!

This process is much easier! Than the days of Postman and API calls and trying to get the certificate loaded into the web store and many other pain points that were noticeable, but not anymore this processes is super easy!

Login to your provider portal of VCD with your administrator account or a system admin account.

Go to – Administration

Click on Certificates Library – >

Click on Import -> Then fill our a friendly name and upload the .pem format of your cert and as well the private.key with the passphrase.

Once your certificate has been imported, also ensure to have your CA Signed Certs Trusted (Root and Subordinate) in your trusted certs library.

Then go back to Resources -> Cloud Cells -> Click on the Cell you want to change the certificate first in.

Then click on Edit

The pop up will come up to select the certificate we just imported earlier in the walk through, select that one.

Now you will “Use Certificate” and it will run the API Calls and certificate tasks behind the scenes.

Select your certificate and then click edit and use certificate, few seconds later you should see a successful message in the recent tasks!

March 15, 2024 8 comments 3.1K views
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VMware Cloud FoundationVMware vCenter

How To Apply Async Patch to VMware Cloud Foundation 5.1+

by Tommy Grot March 2, 2024
written by Tommy Grot 3 minutes read

The VMware SDDC Manager async patch tool allows you to upgrade individual products outside of the standard VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) baseline. This tool can be used to upgrade products such as vCenter, NSX, and ESXi to newer versions without affecting the overall VCF deployment.

To use the async patch tool, you will need to download the patch or upgrade package for the specific product you want to update. You can then upload the package to the SDDC Manager and initiate the upgrade process. The async patch tool will automatically handle the upgrade process for the individual product, ensuring that it is seamlessly integrated into your VCF environment.

Overall, the async patch tool provides a convenient way to keep your VMware products up to date without disrupting your VCF deployment.

VMware Docs for Async Patch Tool


Async Patch Tool Walkthrough

Lets begin! – Open WinSCP or/ SCP upload the vcf-async-patch-tool-1.1.0.2.tar.gz,

Then, take a snapshot of your vCenter and as well SDDC Manager for safety!

Once snapshots are done and verified then, SSH into your SDDC Manager with vcf user, but ensure to enable the SSH Time out. ( Example Below)

  • 300 Second is five minutes
  • Putty -> Change Settings -> Connection -> Seconds between keepalives (0 to turn off) > set to 300 > Apply

Then we will need to make the directory for async patch tool

mkdir /home/vcf/asyncPatchTool

Copy the vcf-async-patch-tool-1.1.0.2.tar.gz, (or latest version) into /home/vcf/asyncPatchTool

tar -xvf vcf-async-patch-tool-1.1.0.2.tar.gz
Set the permissions for the asyncPatchTool directory
cd /home/vcf/
chmod -R 755 asyncPatchTool
chown -R vcf:vcf asyncPatchTool

Next, you will execute the command below to enable async to pull patches.

./vcf-async-patch-tool --listAsyncPatch --du < Your E-Mail for Customer Connect >

Next the Patch Tool will ask you if your running the latest version ( Y ) or ( N ) and CEIP as well.

  • Enter Y to confirm that you are running the latest version of the Async Patch Tool.
  • Read the information and enter Y to acknowledge the pre-requisites.
  • Enter Y or N to choose whether or not to participate in the VMware Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP).
  • Enter the password for the super user (vcf) account.
  • Enter the password for the root user account.
  • Enter the password for the management domain SSO user account.
  • Enter your VMware Customer Connect (Depot) password.

So, for my patch I select the latest vCenter Server 8U2b and I repeated the same setups for gaining my ESXi Patch as well.

./vcf-async-patch-tool -e --patch VCENTER:8.0.2.00200-23319993 --du <E Mail Customer Connect> --sddcSSOUser <SSOuser> --sddcSSHUser vcf --it ONLINE

Status of Async Progress shown in these snips

Now you will see Bundles showing up within Bundle Management!

Snippet Below Shows Running Async patch tool

After the bundles have been uploaded, we may go back to SDDC UI and go to the specific workload domain, for my environment it is the Management Workload domain. Upgrade progress snippet below of vCenter Server

Once all patches are completed, SSH back into VCF SDDC Manager and execute the following command to disable patches.

  • Navigate to /home/vcf/asyncPatchTool/bin.
  • Run the following command:
./vcf-async-patch-tool --disableAllPatches --sddcSSOUser SSOuser --sddcSSHUser vcf
March 2, 2024 2 comments 2.5K views
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Recent Posts

  • What’s New In VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0
  • Deploying & Configuring the VMware LCM Bundle Utility on Photon OS: A Step-by-Step Guide
  • VMware Cloud Foundation: Don’t Forget About SSO Service Accounts
  • VMware Explore Las Vegas 2025: Illuminating the Path to Cloud Excellence!
  • Securing Software Updates for VMware Cloud Foundation: What You Need to Know

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