In case you missed it, check out the initial blog post about vCenter Reduced Downtime Update introduced in vSphere 8 Update 2.
About vCenter Reduced Downtime Update
Reduced Downtime Update (RDU) uses a migration-based approach for going from one build of vCenter to a newer build of vCenter. It’s not unlike the existing method to do a major vCenter upgrade, from version 7 to version 8 for example, but does have a significant difference.
Using a migration-based method, a new vCenter appliance is deployed and all vCenter data and configuration is copied from the current vCenter to the new vCenter, again similar to a major vCenter upgrade. The key difference is that during this data and configuration copy phase, the current vCenter and all its services remain online and vCenter can continue its productivity. The only vCenter service downtime that is incurred is a few short minutes when the current vCenter services are stopped, and the new vCenter services are started. This typically takes less than 5 minutes.
vCenter Reduced Downtime Update can be used to update any version and topology of vCenter 8 to version 8 Update 3 or later.
What’s New in vSphere 8 Update 3?
New Topology Support
In vSphere 8 Update 3, vCenter Reduced Downtime Update supports all vCenter deployment topologies:
- Self-managed: vCenter VM is managed by itself.
- Non self-managed: vCenter VM is managed by a different vCenter.
Note: The managing vCenter should be version 7.0 or later
- Enhanced Linked Mode: Two or more vCenter instances participating in the same SSO domain.
Note: Do not update multiple vCenter instances in parallel when participating in enhanced linked mode
- vCenter HA: vCenter instances configured for vCenter High Availability.
- vCenter HA is automatically removed before the update begins and automatically reactivated once the update has completed.
- vCenter HA self-managed and non self-managed topologies are supported for vCenter Reduced Downtime Update.
- vCenter HA instances must be at least vCenter 8 Update 2 to allow reduced downtime update orchestrate the operation.
Note: For versions earlier than vCenter 8 Update 2, you can manually deactivate vCenter HA, use reduced downtime update, and manually reactive vCenter HA
You do not have to first update to vCenter 8 Update 3 to begin using vCenter Reduced Downtime Update. You can use vCenter Reduced Downtime Update for the above topologies to update vCenter instances running 8.0 and later to 8.0 Update 3 and later. For example, you can use vCenter Reduced Downtime Update to update vCenter 8 Update 1 in enhanced linked mode to vCenter 8 Update 3.
Automatic Switchover
You have a new option to automatically complete the switchover phase or you can continue to manually initiate the switchover phase.
