How to easily update your VMware vCenter Server Appliance from 6.5.x to 6.5 Update 1 (VCSA 6.5 U1)

Posted by Paul Braren on Jul 28 2017 (updated on Mar 31 2018) in

Important Update - On Mar 20 2018, VMware VMSA-2018-0004.3 announced that CVE-2017-5715 (Spectre-2) mitigation is now included in the latest patch that you should be using instead of the older patch featured in the original article below. You'll find the newer article here:

How to easily update your VMware vCenter Server Appliance from 6.5.x to 6.5 Update 1g (VCSA 6.5 U1g) with Spectre mitigation

Article below as it originally appeared.

VMware vCenter Server Appliance

Read the Release Notes. The simple update method that this article details means you won't need to hunt around for the OVA Download Page for:
vCenter Server Appliance 6.5 Update 1 | 27 JULY 2017 | Build 5973321

This upgrade is also known as version 6.5.0.10000 or 6.5U1, as seen in the vCenter Server Appliance Management Interface (VAMI), as pictured above. It's the web UI featured throughout in this article, no command line needed.

More about this upgrade in VMware Security Advisory VMSA-2017-0013:

Severity: Moderate
VMware vCenter Server and Tools updates resolve multiple security vulnerabilities
CVE numbers: CVE-2017-4921, CVE-2017-4922, CVE-2017-4923, CVE-2015-5191

Warning:
vCenter / VCSA 6.5 should be upgraded to 6.5 Update 1 (aka 6.5 U1) before upgrading your host(s) to ESXi 6.5 Update 1.

If you're coming from any version prior to 6.5.0d, there's a another benefit to 6.5 U1. Using this VCSA version, coupled with ESXi 6.5.0d, will enable you to enable the new and greatly improved vSAN 6.6.1! See also:

VMware vSphere 6.5 Update 1 downloads available (VCSA 6.5 U1 / ESXi 6.5 U1), new vSAN 6.6.1 goodness baked right in

Yep, upgrading via VAMI works as advertised for any 6.5.x release. I began using it when upgrading from 6.5 to 6.5.0a back in February, and to 6.5.0b in March, and to 6.5.0c and 6.5.0d in April, 6.5.0e in June, finally to 6.5 U1 here in July. This is a very easy upgrade, as shown screen-by-screen walk through below, and in the video below.

Prerequisite

VCSA 6.5.x with Internet access/DNS configured
If your VCSA has no internet access, consider downloading this offline update bundle instead:
VMware vCenter Server Appliance Update Bundle

Preparations

Warning:

You need to do your homework before upgrading, if you're wondering why, read this.
Do this VCSA 6.5 U1 upgrade in a test environment first! Before attempting, you should be sure to have a full backup, such as the simple native VCSA backup button seen at top-right. You can also use a 3rd party backup solution such as NAKIVO or Veeam.
At a minimum, do a snapshot (or backup) of this VCSA VM before upgrading, then make sure everything works alright after the upgrade, then remove the snapshot within a few days, to avoid performance degradation.