Here is a quick steps guide on how to upgrade the vCenter Operations Manager 5.7 to version 5.8. In this case I will perform an in-place upgrade of vCenter Operations Manager. Before we begin, let’s take a look at what’s new in vCenter Operations Manager 5.8.

• Optimized query execution to improve performance at scale.
• Enhanced authentication options with new active directory integration for authentication.
• Improved security with upgrades to the OS and runtime environment.
• New integration with VMware vCenter Log Insight using a vCenter Operations Manager Content Pack that enables you to monitor your vCenter Operations Manager infrastructure.
• Expanded integration with vCenter Hyperic using the vCenter Operations Management Pack for vCenter Hyperic. This management pack provides many new capabilities, such as support for Microsoft Hyper-V servers, including out of the box dashboards for troubleshooting and performance analysis. Support for Microsoft Exchange and SQL Servers, with out of the box dashboards for troubleshooting.
• Several new management packs are available for download. Check the Cloud Management Marketplace on the VMware Solution Exchange for more details.

Before you begin with the upgrade, read the following documents and guides.

• vCenter Operations Manager 5.8 release notes
• vCenter Operations Manager sizing guidelines

Also, make sure you download the PAK file from VMware to upgrade to version 5.8. You don’t need the OVA appliance for the upgrade. Please note that there is downtime involved in this upgrade process so plan your maintenance window accordingly.

Upgrade the vApp

Before you begin, take a snapshot of the UI and Analytics VM in case something goes wrong. Don’t forget to remove the snapshot when the upgrade process is successful.

1. Open the vCenter Operations Manager Administration portal (https://<IP_or_FQDN>/admin) and login with the admin account.
2. Select the Update tab and click Browse. Navigate to the PAK file and open it. Click the Update button.
3. Confirm the update by clicking OK when you get a message stating that vCenter Operations Manager cannot revert to previous installed state.
4. Wait until the file is uploaded, accept the EULA and click OK to start the upgrade process.
5. Confirm the upgrade once again by clicking OK. You will be logged out from the Administrator portal.
6. When the upgrade process is successful, the vApp will reboot.
7. You can log back in to see the upgrade summary. Note that the version now reads 5.8.1, Build 1637685.
8. As the final step, open your dashboards and verify that everything is displayed correctly.

Done!

Don’t forget to remove the snapshots from the VMs! 🙂

Cheers!

– Marek.Z