Is this page helpful?

Maintaining the NVIDIA GPU Manager for VMware vCenter Virtual Appliance#

Maintaining the NVIDIA GPU Manager for VMware vCenter virtual appliance involves updating the virtual appliance in place with minor changes and upgrading the virtual appliance with major changes when a new version of the virtual appliance software is released.

Updating the NVIDIA GPU Manager for VMware vCenter Virtual Appliance#

NVIDIA periodically releases updates to the NVIDIA GPU Manager for VMware vCenter that contain minor changes such as security updates and bug fixes. You install these updates in place on the existing virtual appliance. The NVIDIA GPU Manager for VMware vCenter automatically checks for new updates on the NVIDIA Licensing Portal.

Ensure that an API key has been configured for the vSphere client of a vCenter Server instance with which the appliance is registered. For more information, refer to Configuring the vSphere Client with a Software Downloads API Key.

To prevent loss of data if an update fails, create a snapshot of the virtual appliance before updating it as explained in Take Snapshots of a Virtual Machine. If an update fails, you can restore the virtual appliance from the snapshot as explained in Revert a Virtual Machine Snapshot.

  1. Log in to the virtual appliance for the NVIDIA GPU Manager for VMware vCenter that you want to update.

  2. In the left navigation bar, click MAINTENANCE.

  3. If any updates are available, on the MAINTENANCE page that opens, click INSTALL UPDATES.

    If the virtual appliance is up to date, the MAINTENANCE page displays a message that no new updates are available. The INSTALL UPDATES button is deactivated and dimmed.

    Note

    During the installation of the updates, the NVIDIA GPU Manager application on the appliance and its web-based management interface are unavailable.

After the updates are installed, confirmation of the installation appears on the EVENTS page.

Confirm that the NVIDIA GPU Manager for VMware vCenter virtual appliance has been updated.

  1. Confirm that the vSphere client shows the correct version of the NVIDIA GPU Manager for VMware vCenter virtual appliance.

  2. Confirm that the Sync updates operation in vSphere Lifecycle Management (vLCM) succeeds.

Upgrading the NVIDIA GPU Manager for VMware vCenter Virtual Appliance#

NVIDIA distributes major upgrades, including new features, in new releases of the NVIDIA GPU Manager for VMware vCenter virtual appliance software. You install these upgrades side by side on a new virtual appliance and then migrate data from the existing virtual appliance to the new virtual appliance.

The following data is migrated from the existing virtual appliance to the new virtual appliance:

  • Configuration files

  • API keys

  • Registered vCenter Server instances

  • Downloaded drivers

  1. Prepare the new NVIDIA GPU Manager for VMware vCenter virtual appliance for a side-by-side upgrade.

    1. Install the new release of the NVIDIA GPU Manager for VMware vCenter virtual appliance software on a new virtual machine.

      For instructions, refer to Installing the NVIDIA GPU Manager for VMware vCenter Virtual Appliance.

    2. Register the NVIDIA GPU Manager for VMware vCenter administrator user on the NVIDIA GPU Manager for VMware vCenter virtual appliance that was created in the previous step.

      For instructions, refer to Registering the NVIDIA GPU Manager for VMware vCenter Administrator User.

  2. Log in to the existing virtual appliance that you want to upgrade.

  3. In the left navigation bar, click MAINTENANCE.

  4. On the MAINTENANCE page that opens, click MIGRATE DATA.

  5. In the Migrate Data window that opens, provide the details of the new virtual appliance and click MIGRATE.

    1. In the Virtual Appliance text-entry field, type the fully qualified domain name or IP address of the new virtual appliance.

    2. In the Password text-entry field, type the password of the vcp_admin user that you registered on the new virtual appliance.

    Migration of data to the new virtual appliance can take between 10 and 30 minutes. During the migration, driver-download operations are not available from NVIDIA GPU Manager on the vSphere client.

    Caution

    Do not use NVIDIA GPU Manager during the migration.

  6. Log in to the new NVIDIA GPU Manager for VMware vCenter virtual appliance and confirm that it is registered with all vCenter Server instances with which the old virtual appliance was registered.

  7. Use the vSphere client to verify that the new virtual appliance and its NVIDIA GPU Manager drivers repository have been registered.

    For instructions, refer to Verifying the Registration of NVIDIA GPU Manager for VMware vCenter.

    If the fully qualified domain name or IP address of the NVIDIA GPU Manager drivers repository for the old virtual appliance appears in the table, delete it.

  8. Use the standard interfaces of your hypervisor software to delete the old virtual appliance from the hypervisor host.

After the upgrade is complete, the NVIDIA GPU Manager for VMware vCenter is registered and ready for use. Confirmation of the upgrade appears on the EVENTS page.

Confirm that the NVIDIA GPU Manager for VMware vCenter virtual appliance has been upgraded.

  1. Confirm that the vSphere client shows the correct version and IP address or fully qualified domain name of the NVIDIA GPU Manager for VMware vCenter virtual appliance.

  2. Confirm that the Sync updates operation in vSphere Lifecycle Management (vLCM) succeeds.