VMware VirtualCenter 1.3.1 Patch 1

Released 23-Mar-2006

This document contains the following information:

Resolved Issues
Applicability
Before Installing the Patch
Installing the Patch
Client Considerations

Resolved Issues

The VirtualCenter 1.3.1 Patch 1 (Build 22214) corrects a very rare but potentially serious situation:

Data loss might occur from a cold-migration, if a network failure occurs at the same time as the migration and the migration keeps the disk files on the same shared VMFS SAN volume. Read KB article 2070 for more information.

Applicability

This Patch is an upgraded version of the VirtualCenter 1.3.1 release that corrects the issue noted in KB article 2070.

The VirtualCenter 1.3.1 Patch 1 download is a complete installation program that can be used for a fresh install of the VirtualCenter Server, or to upgrade from any previous version of VirtualCenter.

Before Installing the Patch

Before installing the update, be sure to backup the VirtualCenter database. (Although this specific update does not affect the VirtualCenter database schema, VMware recommends that you always backup your VirtualCenter database prior to an upgrade.)

In addition, for this specific update:

If you are using an Oracle database: Prior to upgrading, verify that the shared_pool_size initialization parameter is set to at least 100 MB. (Note that the default setting for this parameter in Oracle Database Server 9.0.x and later releases is 300.) Have your Oracle database administrator modify the shared_pool_size value, if necessary.
If you are upgrading a large database: This may take a significant amount of time—from several minutes to more than an hour, depending upon the size of your database.

Installing the Patch

This update includes changes to both the VirtualCenter Management Server and VirtualCenter client components: if you upgrade the server, you must also upgrade the clients. See Client Considerations, below.) A summary of the VirtualCenter Server updgrade process is as follows:

Backup your VirtualCenter database (standard recommendation before upgrading VirtualCenter server).
Download the updated installation program from the VMware web site.
Run the installation program.
Select "Yes" when prompted to upgrade an existing installation.
However, be sure to respond No when prompted to overwrite the existing database (respond No to this prompt):
An existing [name] database already exists. Do you want to overwrite the data?
Enter the type of database (Microsoft SQL, Oracle) used for the VirtualCenter data.
If you cannot connect to the VirtualCenter remote database during the installation, verify that:
—the Workstation service (lanmanworkstation) is up and running;
—the VirtualCenter database server is up and running, and connected to the network.
Enter the VirtualCenter web services username and password. (If the server does not already have the Web service component installed and running, it will be installed during the upgrade process. For information on the VirtualCenter Web service refer to the VirtualCenter Web service web service.)

See Installing and Upgrading the VirtualCenter Product for more information about installing or upgrading VirtualCenter Server.

Client Considerations

Microsoft Windows 98SE is no longer a supported operating system for installing the VirtualCenter client.

Depending on your specific deployment, you may also need to upgrade VirtualCenter client software: