Best practices for guest OS in-place upgrade
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Best practices for guest OS in-place upgrade

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Article ID: 313846

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Updated On:

Products

VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Support Considerations:

  • Read the OS vendor's documentation to ensure the specific upgrade scenario is supported
  • Check the VMware by Broadcom Compatibility Guide to ensure the new operating system version is supported as a guest
  • Some VMware products, such as vCenter Server for Windows, do not support an in-place upgrade of the guest operating system. For more details, see VMware support for guest operating system upgrade
  • Check the virtual machine's assigned resources to ensure it meets requirements to run the new OS. New OS releases sometimes require additional hardware resources
  • Ensure the virtual machine has adequate storage to complete the upgrade. It may be necessary to power off the VM to make some of these adjustments before starting the upgrade
  • For applications running on the OS, contact the application vendor for their guidance on operating system upgrades
  • In-place upgrade is a feature of the operating system, if problems are encountered, it is best to first contact the OS vendor for assistance

Environment

VMware vSphere 5.x
VMware vSphere 6.x
VMware vSphere 7.x
VMware vSphere 8.x

Resolution

Before the upgrade:

  1. Upgrade VMware Tools to the latest compatible version of the current installed OS version. For more information, see Installing and upgrading VMware Tools in vSphere
  2. Make sure there is a backup of the VM before the upgrade.

Upgrade procedure: 

  1. Download the target OS version ISO Image.
  2. Mount this ISO file to the VM:
    1. Upload the ISO file to datastore

Note: You may get the below error while trying to upload the ISO file to a datastore through vCenter Server

The operation failed for an undetermined reason. Typically this problem occurs due to certificates that the browser does not trust. If you are using self-signed or custom certificates, open the URL below in a new browser tab and accept the certificate, then retry the operation.
https://target-ip

To fix this issue, see Error: "The operation failed for an undetermined reason" transferring files through vSphere Client.

  1. Right Click on the VM and Click on Edit Settings.
  2. Expand the CD/DVD Drive and select Datastore ISO File then Browse to select the file.
  3. Select the file and click OK. 
  1. Logon to the guest OS and double-click CD-ROM from the File Explorer.
  2. Follow the installation prompts to complete the OS upgrade.
  3. Upgrade or reinstall VMware tools after OS upgrade is completed.
  4. Shutdown VM.
  5. Select the VM.
  6. Click on Edit Settings.
  7. Click on VM Options.
  8. Click on General Options
  9. Change “Guest OS Version” to the new installed version.

Additional Information

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