First look at vShpere5

vSpere 5 must be right around the corner since VMworld is coming up and we've read/heard about some "leaks" about it.  I got my hands on a beta copy of vSphere 5 yesterday.  So, to the lab I went... and by lab, I mean vm's inside my laptop.  I'm probably in some "Non-Disclosure Agreement" with vmware with this software, so I'll be generic in my information.. sorry.. I like my job.  I would have liked to include screen shots.. but like I said... I like my job and there's an NDA of some sort I'm sure.
First thing to note: there is an in place upgrade for vCenter.  There's lots of talk about a vcenter appliance, and apparently there has always been an appliance out since vcenter 2.5.  The only limitation I'm aware of so far is the new appliance doesn't support linked mode vcenter appliances.  Something about needing windows to tie into AD for replication services.  Back to the upgrade..
So.. in place upgrade.. local sql express (hey this is in my laptop.. what do you expect!..lol) so upgrade the DB as well.  It warns about VUM being an old version and it'll probably break until it's upgraded as well./
vCenter Agent Upgrade?
This option is an automatic upgrade for all the host's vcenter agent.  This doesn't upgrade the host to esxi5.. just an update to the agent that vcenter uses to talk to the host.
I got an error regarding my FQDN, but I'm in a domain... I tried a host entry, but no luck.. pushing forward regardless..
There's a new (to me) option to increase the number of ephemeral ports right at the end of the install.  Probably put there due to large vmware view installations.  It talks of more than 2000 vm's to check the box.  I don't know how many ports it would have set if checked.
There's a new vCenter Inventory Service.. what's that do?  Sounds like it inventories stuff.. and if you ever worked retail.. you'd thank god if there was a service you could hire to do it for you.. I digress.
So, post install.. fire up the 4.1 client.  Prompts to run the installer for a new version.. sweet.
After we get in, we'll hop back out and upgrade VUM too.. then my 2 esxi hosts.. then I'll make lunch.. perhaps I'm noting too many activities without any substance.. Did I mention there's an NDA at play here?
Drats.. my hosts are in a disconnected state complaining about the host agent upgrade.  My laptop isn't exactly the fastest hardware, so maybe it'll just take some time.  It's complaining about not having enough space and pointing me to KB1016262 which is for 4.1, but much to my dismay.. I now realise my hosts were not running a very current version of software... not even update 1.  Don't be like Jason folks.. update your hosts to the latest version of 4.1 before attempting an upgrade to 5.
Woo hoo.. that wasn't as bad as I thought.  Somewhere around the 4.1 update 1 time frame the syslog would fill up the scratch area.  I just set the syslog in the "advanced settings" to the local datastore..maintenance mode.. reboot.. and wala.. it connected and updated the vcenter host agent.  As it turns out.. I had 2 different versions of esx4.1 on my hosts.. again.. don't be like Jason. but setting the syslocal to local datastore did fix the agent issue on both versions... or was it just the reboot cleared up enough space for a few minuets to get the agent on?  I tried to enable HA but not that agent is failing due to disk space as well.. ugg.
On to upgrading VUM (5.0.0.8039 btw) and I'll fix the hosts later.. or never.
Woo.. new things afoot here.  No more is there even an option to patch VM's.  I had heard a rumor of this.. and most places don't use these feature anyway, but if you are one of those shops.. you'll need a new patching tool if you upgrade to vSphere5.  Also, all hosts need to have some version of 4.x since 3.x upgrades are not supported either.
This is enough gibberish for one post.. I'll start another for the host upgrades and note the list of other tools now available on the install screen for vcenter.