That time again folks…VMware recently released Aria Operations patch 8.18 HF8 which fixes a few issues and resolves a few CVEs. Check out the release notes for all the details on the resolved issues and fixes.

I took some time and successfully updated my lab environment and documented the process in the article below, detailing how I utilized the Aria Suite Lifecycle Manager (ASLCM) to apply the Aria Operations 8.18 HF8 patch file.

Note, this is HF8 update article is VERY similar to the previous HF5 hot patch I applied in this blog post so for those that are familiar with the process, this is almost exactly the same. Again, not meant to be guide per se, but to show y’all the steps I took to upgrade my lab environment.

As we see here, my Aria Operations is on 8.18.3 HF5 (build 24663033)

Before I dig in…I get asked a lot about how and where to find the Aria updates (not products) in the Support Portal.

The easiest way I have found to locate and download those Aria patch/update files, is to login to the support portal, click on My Downloads, then do a search for “Aria Suite”

Once I narrow down what I am looking for, at the top selection I will click on Solutions (not Products)

Then I can select the Solution update I want to apply, after I select the version and release, and in my case it’s the Enterprise version and release 2019 (not VCF 9).

From there all the published solution and patch files will be listed below – I downloaded the ASLCM (a.k.a VRLCM) version and obtianed the .PATCH file needed

Note: download the .PATCH file if you are using Aria Suite Lifecycle Manager (ASLCM), and the .PAK if using the manual/standalone option.

For quick reference, here is the link to that page.

After getting the patch, I made sure to fully backup my appliance (I use Veeam) and I took a snapshot before starting.

I used WinSCP to transfer the patch file over to the ASLCM appliance and placed the file in the /data directory.

Once complete, I logged into ASLCM, then went to Lifecycle Operations…Settings -> Binary Mapping, an the Patch Binaries tab.

I clicked on Add Patch Binary.

In the new window that popped up, I entered the source location of /data, then clicked Discover.

After the patch file appeared in the lower selection panel, I selected the radio button, and clicked Add.

The add patch request ran and I typically monitor the process to complete in the Requests panel (this may take a while)…

Done!

Once completed, I navigated to Environments and found the Aria Operations instance.

Clicked on the 3 dots (a.k.a. the kebab) and hovered over Patches, then clicked on Install Patch.

ASLCM showed the available HF8 patch (note…I took this screenshot from my HF5 blog, but it said HF8 in the Version/Level column), selected the radio button next to the file and and clicked Next.

I then reviewed the installation details and when I was ready, clicked Install

This new update request ran, and there was a couple of stages ASLCM executed…I always let ASLCM do the work!

And when it finished, I then checked the version again to verify the HF had been applied.

I typically use this KB to verify the product version and build number.

And when checking the product and build, I verified the hotfix applied!

And that’s it for the upgrade to Aria Operations 8.18 HF8!

Hopefully having this information helped make a better outcome. Have you hit snags with Aria Operations upgrades? Drop a comment with your tips or questions—I’d love to hear from you!