Book Image

VMware vRealize Configuration Manager Cookbook

By : Abhijeet Shriram Janwalkar
Book Image

VMware vRealize Configuration Manager Cookbook

By: Abhijeet Shriram Janwalkar

Overview of this book

VMware vRealize Configuration Manager (VCM) helps you to automate IT operations, manage performance, and gain visibility across physical and virtual infrastructure. It is continuously being used by enterprises to audit the configurations of the VMware infrastructure as well as the Windows, Linux, and UNIX operating systems. This book is filled with practical recipes through which you will learn about the latest features of vRealize Configuration Manager 5.8.X, starting with installation of various tiers of VCM followed by configuration management across physical and virtual servers. Throughout this book, you will explore how VCM can perform tasks such as patch management, compliance assessment, and software package distribution along with Machine filters for new platforms such as RHEL 7 and Windows 10. This book will ease your troubles while upgrading from the existing VCM to the latest version by providing you with step-by-step instructions about the process of migration along with upgrade and maintenance support. This book will help you understand how to integrate vRealize Configuration with other applications along with schedule management and also guide you on how to handle security issues. After reading this book, you will have a clear understanding of how VCM fits in the overall picture of the data center design from a patching and compliance perspective.
Table of Contents (18 chapters)
VMware vRealize Configuration Manager Cookbook
Credits
About the Author
Acknowledgments
About the Reviewer
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
11
Understanding VCM Console

Patching VM templates


It is essential that when VMs are first provisioned, the virtual machine template to be used is up to date. This will reduce the downtime for the end consumer of the VM when they come to patch, and reduce system-wide vulnerabilities.

How to do it...

Follow these steps to patch a VM template:

  1. To patch a VM template, convert it into a VM, provide an IP, and make sure it can reach the VCM server.

    The agent installer should be available on each template.

  2. Once the agent has been installed, license the machine in VCM and perform a collection.

  3. The machine should be a part of a machine group called Template Patching. Perform on-demand patching.

  4. After patches have been installed and the VM rebooted and validated by VCM for the patch status, uninstall the agent.

  5. Purge the VM in VCM.

  6. Convert the VM back into a template.

How it works

This is a completely manual process, where we convert the template in to a virtual machine, install the agent, and then install patches. After patching is over...