How to install, remove, or verify update rollups for System Center 2012 VMM

 

Published: March 29, 2016

Updated: May 13, 2016

Describes how to install, remove, or verify update rollups for Virtual Machine Manager 2012 R2.

Contents

How to back up the Virtual Machine Manager database

How to install a Virtual Machine Manager update rollup

How to check whether an update rollup installed successfully

How to remove an update rollup

How to check whether an update rollup was removed successfully

How to restore a database backup in Virtual Machine Manager

How to back up the Virtual Machine Manager database

  1. In the Microsoft System Center 2012 R2 Virtual Machine Manager console, open the Settings workspace.

  2. On the Home tab, in the Backup group, click Backup.

  3. In the Virtual Machine Manager Backup dialog box, specify the location for the backup file, and then click OK.

    Note You can check the status of the backup in the Jobs workspace.

How to install a Virtual Machine Manager update rollup

To manually install an update rollup package for Virtual Machine Manager, run the following command from an elevated command prompt:

msiexec.exe /update <package_name>

Note In this command, the <package_name> placeholder represents the actual package name.

For example, to install Update Rollup 6 for System Center 2012 R2 Virtual Machine Manager server (KB3050317), run the following command:

msiexec.exe /update kb3050317_Virtual Machine Managerserver_amd64.msp

How to check whether an update rollup installed successfully

  1. In the Add or Remove Programs item in Control Panel, verify that an update entry was created after the update rollup was installed.

    For example, the Update Rollup 6 server update released as update 3050317:

    VMMUR1

  2. Verify that the binaries versions have the correct build number. Refer to the following website to check the build number for a specific update rollup:

    List of Build Numbers for System Center Virtual Machine Manager (VMM)

    For example, the following screen shot shows that Update Rollup 6 was released as binary version 3.2.8002.0.

    VMMUR2

Note Not all the binaries will have the current update rollup build number. However, if you do not have the binaries that are listed under the "Files that are updated in this update rollup" section in the update rollup article together with the relevant update rollup build number, the update rollup most likely did not install successfully.

How to remove an update rollup

Important We do not recommend that you remove any update rollup. However, you can remove update rollups by using the Add or Remove Programs item in Control Panel. When you do this, the Virtual Machine Manager binaries roll back to their earlier versions. However, the Virtual Machine Manager database does not roll back. We recommend that you back up your Virtual Machine Manager database before you apply this update rollup.

Note If you have one or more hotfixes installed on the server, make sure that you replace the hotfix binary with the official update rollup binary before you start the removal. If you have no hotfix installed, you do not have to take any action here.

  • Remove an update rollup by using the "Add or Remove Programs" item in Control Panel.

    • Click Start, click Run, and then type appwiz.cpl. This opens the Add or Remove Programs item in Control Panel.

    • Go to View installed updates.

    • Find the update that you want to remove, right-click the update, and then select Uninstall.

  • Remove an update rollup by using the command line.

    To remove an update by using the command line, you must have the following two GUIDs available:

    • RTM product GUID

    • Patch GUID

    When you know the RTM product GUID and the patch GUID, run the following command to remove the update:

    Msiexec /I {<RTM Product GUID>} MSIPATCHREMOVE={<Patch GUID>} /qb;

    Notes

    • RTM Product GUIDs

      • Console AMD64 : {CDFB453F-5FA4-4884-B282-F46BDFC06051}

      • Console i386 : {0DAD2A89-CF75-4448-97AF-72C7CC18B8A5}

      • VIRTUAL MACHINE MANAGER Server : {59518B15-FC64-4CF9-A4D1-0EE1B4A63088}

    • Finding the patch GUID

      Right-click the update, and then select Properties. On the Details tab, select Revision number. This is the patch GUID.

      VMMUR3

Note In some cases, System Center VMM media may be required for uninstallation.

How to check whether an update rollup was removed successfully

  1. Determine whether an update was removed from "Add or Remove Programs."

    VMMUR4

  2. Verify that binaries were reverted successfully.

    Go to the Virtual Machine Manager installation directory, and verify that there is no binary that has the uninstalled update rollup build version.

Note When you uninstall Server and Console update from the VMM Server, the order of uninstallation is not important.

How to restore a database backup in Virtual Machine Manager

Note You can create a database backup at any time. But the database should be restored only if you uninstalled the latest update rollup on the server. If you uninstalled an older update rollup, you do not have to restore the Virtual Machine Manager database.

  1. On the Virtual Machine Manager Management server, open an elevated command prompt, and then locate the <Virtual Machine Manager installation location>\bin folder.

  2. Run SCVIRTUAL MACHINE MANAGERRecover.exe by using the following syntax:

    SCVIRTUAL MACHINE MANAGERRecover [-Path <location>] [-Confirm]

    The <location> placeholder represents the folder or share location of the backup file that you created. You must include the name of the backup file (this includes the .bak extension) when you specify the location.

    Important This section applies only if you add a host or a library server after you create a database backup and before you uninstall an update rollup.

    After the Virtual Machine Manager database is recovered, you have to take the following actions:

    • Remove any hosts that were removed from Virtual Machine Manager since the last backup.

      If a host was removed since the last backup, the host will have a status of Needs Attention in the Virtual Machine Manager console. Any virtual servers on that host will have a status of Host Not Responding.

    • Remove any virtual machines that were removed from Virtual Machine Manager since the last backup.

      If a host has a virtual machine that was removed since the last backup, the virtual machine will have a status of Missing in the Virtual Machine Manager console.

    • Add any hosts that were added to Virtual Machine Manager since the last backup.

    • If you restored the Virtual Machine Manager database to a different computer, you must reassociate hosts that have a status of Access Denied in the Virtual Machine Manager console.

      For more information about how to reassociate hosts, see How to Reassociate a Host or Library Server.

      A computer is considered different if it has a different security identifier (SID). For example, if you reinstall the operating system on the computer, the computer will have a different SID, even if you use the same computer name.

    • You will also have to follow these steps for any other fabric resource (for example, storage providers, library servers, and so on) that you add after you create a database backup.