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Update your Azure Stack HCI, version 23H2 via PowerShell

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Applies to: Azure Stack HCI, version 23H2

This article describes how to apply a solution update to your Azure Stack HCI cluster via PowerShell.

The procedure in this article applies to both a single server and multi-server cluster that is running the latest version with the orchestrator (Lifecycle Manager) installed. If your cluster was created via a new deployment of Azure Stack HCI, version 23H2, then the orchestrator was automatically installed as part of the deployment.

Important

The procedure described here applies only when updating from one version of Azure Stack HCI, version 23H2 to another higher version. For information on updates for older versions, see Update clusters for Azure Stack HCI, version 22H2.

For information on how to apply solution updates to clusters created with older versions of Azure Stack HCI that didn't have the orchestrator installed see Update Azure Stack HCI clusters, version 22H2.

About solution updates

The Azure Stack HCI solution updates can consist of platform, service, and solution extension updates. For more information on each of these types of updates, see About updates for Azure Stack HCI, version 23H2.

When you apply a solution update, here are the high-level steps that you take:

  1. Make sure that all the prerequisites are completed.
  2. Identify the software version running on your cluster.
  3. Connect to your Azure Stack HCI cluster via remote PowerShell.
  4. Discover the updates that are available and filter the ones that you can apply to your cluster.
  5. Download the updates, assess the update readiness of your cluster and once ready, install the updates on your cluster. Track the progress of the updates. If needed, you can also monitor the detailed progress.
  6. Verify the version of the updates installed.

The time taken to install the updates might vary based on the following factors:

  • Content of the update.
  • Load on your cluster.
  • Number of servers in your cluster.
  • Type of the hardware used.
  • Solution Builder Extension used.

The approximate time estimates for a typical single server and 4-server cluster are summarized in the following table:

Cluster/Time Time for health check
hh:mm:ss		 Time to install update
hh:mm:ss
Single server 0:01:44 1:25:42
4-server cluster 0:01:58 3:53:09

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure that:

  • You have access to an Azure Stack HCI, version 23H2 cluster that is running 2310 or higher. The cluster should be registered in Azure.
  • You have access to a client that can connect to your Azure Stack HCI cluster. This client should be running PowerShell 5.0 or later.
  • You have access to the solution update package over the network. You sideload or copy these updates to the servers of your cluster.

Connect to your Azure Stack HCI cluster

Follow these steps on your client to connect to one of the servers of your Azure Stack HCI cluster.

  1. Run PowerShell as administrator on the client that you're using to connect to your cluster.

  2. Open a remote PowerShell session to a server on your Azure Stack HCI cluster. Run the following command and provide the credentials of your server when prompted:

    $cred = Get-Credential
Enter-PSSession -ComputerName "<Computer IP>" -Credential $cred

    Note

    You should sign in using your deployment user account credentials: which is the account you created when preparing Active Directory and used during the deployment of the Azure Stack HCI system.

    Here's an example output:

    PS C:\Users\Administrator> $cred = Get-Credential
 
cmdlet Get-Credential at command pipeline position 1
Supply values for the following parameters:
Credential
PS C:\Users\Administrator> Enter-PSSession -ComputerName "100.100.100.10" -Credential $cred 
[100.100.100.10]: PS C:\Users\Administrator\Documents>

Step 1: Identify the stamp version on your cluster

Before you discover the updates, make sure that the cluster was deployed using the Azure Stack HCI, version 23H2, software version 2310.

  1. Make sure that you're connected to the cluster server using the deployment user account. Run the following command:

    whoami

  2. To ensure that the cluster was deployed running Azure Stack HCI, version 23H2, run the following command on one of the servers of your cluster:

    Get-StampInformation

    Here's a sample output:

    PS C:\Users\lcmuser> Get-StampInformation
Deployment ID             : b4457f25-6681-4e0e-b197-a7a433d621d6
OemVersion                : 2.1.0.0
PackageHash               :
StampVersion              : 10.2303.0.31
InitialDeployedVersion    : 10.2303.0.26
PS C:\Users\lcmuser>

  3. Make a note of the StampVersion on your cluster. The stamp version reflects the solution version that your cluster is running.

Step 2: Discover the updates

You can discover updates in one of the following two ways:

  • Discover updates online - The recommended option when your cluster has good internet connectivity. The solution updates are discovered via the online update catalog.
  • Sideload and discover updates - An alternative to discovering updates online and should be used for scenarios with unreliable or slow internet connectivity, or when using solution extension updates provided by your hardware vendor. In these instances, you download the solution updates to a central location. You then sideload the updates to an Azure Stack HCI cluster and discover the updates locally.

Discovering solution updates using the online catalog is the recommended method. Follow these steps to discover solution updates online:

  1. Connect to a server on your Azure Stack HCI cluster using the deployment user account.

  2. Verify that the Update service discovers the update package.

    Get-SolutionUpdate | ft DisplayName, State

  3. Optionally review the versions of the update package components.

    $Update = Get-SolutionUpdate | ? Version -eq "10.2302.0.31"
$Update.ComponentVersions

    Here's an example output:

     PS C:\Users\lcmuser> $Update = Get-SolutionUpdate | ? Version -eq "10.2302.0.31"
 PS C:\Users\lcmuser> $Update.ComponentVersions

PackageType Version      LastUpdated
----------- -------      -----------
Services    10.2303.0.31
Platform    10.2303.0.31
SBE         4.1.2.3
 PS C:\Users\lcmuser>

You can now proceed to Download and install the updates.

Sideload and discover solution updates

If you're using solution extension updates from your hardware, you would need to sideload those updates. Follow these steps to sideload and discover your solution updates.

  1. Connect to a server on your Azure Stack HCI cluster using the deployment user account.

  2. Go to the network share and acquire the update package that you use. Verify that the update package you sideload contains the following files:

    • SolutionUpdate.xml
    • SolutionUpdate.zip
    • AS_Update_10.2303.4.1.zip

    If a solution builder extension is part of the update package, you should also see the following files:

    • SBE_Content_4.1.2.3.xml
    • SBE_Content_4.1.2.3.zip
    • SBE_Discovery_Contoso.xml

  3. Create a folder for discovery by the update service at the following location in the infrastructure volume of your cluster.

    New-Item C:\ClusterStorage\Infrastructure_1\Shares\SU1_Infrastructure_1\sideload -ItemType Directory

  4. Copy the update package to the folder you created in the previous step.

  5. Manually discover the update package using the Update service. Run the following command:

    Add-SolutionUpdate -SourceFolder C:\ClusterStorage\Infrastructure_1\Shares\SU1_Infrastructure_1\sideload

  6. Verify that the Update service discovers the update package and that it's available to start preparation and installation.

    Get-SolutionUpdate | ft DisplayName, Version, State

    Here's an example output:

     PS C:\Users\lcmuser> Get-SolutionUpdate | ft DisplayName, Version, State

DisplayName                 Version      State
-----------                 -------      -----
2023.03 Feature Update 10.2303.0.31 Ready

 PS C:\Users\lcmuser>

  7. Optionally check the version of the update package components. Run the following command:

    $Update = Get-SolutionUpdate | ? Version -eq "10.2302.0.31"
$Update.ComponentVersions

    Here's an example output:

     PS C:\Users\lcmuser> $Update = Get-SolutionUpdate | ? Version -eq "10.2302.0.31"
 PS C:\Users\lcmuser> $Update.ComponentVersions

PackageType Version      LastUpdated
----------- -------      -----------
Services    10.2303.0.31
Platform    10.2303.0.31
SBE         4.1.2.3
 PS C:\Users\lcmuser>

Step 3: Download, check readiness, and install updates

You can download the updates, perform a set of checks to verify your cluster's update readiness, and start installing the updates.

  1. You can only download the update without starting the installation or download and install the update.

    • To download and install the update, run the following command:

      Get-SolutionUpdate | ? Version -eq "10.2302.0.31" | Start-SolutionUpdate

    • To only download the updates without starting the installation, use the -PrepareOnly flag with Start-SolutionUpdate.

  2. To track the update progress, monitor the update state. Run the following command:

    Get-SolutionUpdate | ft Version,State,UpdateStateProperties,HealthState

    When the update starts, the following actions occur:

    • Download of the updates begins. Depending on the size of the download package and the network bandwidth, the download might take several minutes.

      Here's an example output when the updates are being downloaded:

        PS C:\Users\lcmuser> Get-SolutionUpdate|ft Version,State,UpdateStateProperties,HealthState

Version              State UpdateStateProperties HealthState
-------              ----- --------------------- -----------
10.2303.4.1 Downloading                        InProgress

    • Once the package is downloaded, readiness checks are performed to assess the update readiness of your cluster. For more information about the readiness checks, see Update phases. During this phase, the State of the update shows as HealthChecking.

      PS C:\Users\lcmuser> Get-SolutionUpdate|ft Version,State,UpdateStateProperties,HealthState

Version              State UpdateStateProperties HealthState
-------              ----- --------------------- -----------
10.2303.4.1 HealthChecking                        InProgress

    • When the system is ready, updates are installed. During this phase, the State of the updates shows as Installing and UpdateStateProperties shows the percentage of the installation that was completed.

      Important

      During the install, the cluster servers may reboot and you may need to establish the remote PowerShell session again to monitor the updates. If updating a single server, your Azure Stack HCI will experience a downtime.

      Here's a sample output while the updates are being installed.

      PS C:\Users\lcmuser> Get-SolutionUpdate|ft Version,State,UpdateStateProperties,HealthState

Version          State UpdateStateProperties HealthState
-------          ----- --------------------- -----------
10.2303.4.1 Installing 6% complete.              Success


PS C:\Users\lcmuser> Get-SolutionUpdate|ft Version,State,UpdateStateProperties,HealthState

Version          State UpdateStateProperties HealthState
-------          ----- --------------------- -----------
10.2303.4.1 Installing 25% complete.             Success

PS C:\Users\lcmuser> Get-SolutionUpdate|ft Version,State,UpdateStateProperties,HealthState

Version          State UpdateStateProperties HealthState
-------          ----- --------------------- -----------
10.2303.4.1 Installing 40% complete.             Success

PS C:\Users\lcmuser> Get-SolutionUpdate|ft Version,State,UpdateStateProperties,HealthState

Version          State UpdateStateProperties HealthState
-------          ----- --------------------- -----------
10.2303.4.1 Installing 89% complete.             Success

Once the installation is complete, the State changes to Installed. For more information on the various states of the updates, see Installation progress and monitoring.

Step 4: Verify the installation

After the updates are installed, verify the solution version of the environment and the operating system version.

  1. After the update is in Installed state, check the environment solution version. Run the following command:

    Get-SolutionUpdateEnvironment | ft State, CurrentVersion

    Here's a sample output:

    PS C:\Users\lcmuser> Get-SolutionUpdateEnvironment | ft State, CurrentVersion

State               CurrentVersion
-----               --------------
AppliedSuccessfully 10.2303.0.31

  2. Check the operating system version to confirm it matches the recipe you installed. Run the following command:

    cmd /c ver

    Here's a sample output:

    PS C:\Users\lcmuser> cmd /c ver

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.20349.1547]
PS C:\Users\lcmuser>

Troubleshoot updates

To resume a previously failed update run via PowerShell, use the following command:

Get-SolutionUpdate | ? Version -eq "10.2302.0.31" | Start-SolutionUpdate

To resume a previously failed update due to update health checks in a Warning state, use the following command:

Get-SolutionUpdate | ? Version -eq "10.2302.0.31" | Start-SolutionUpdate -IgnoreWarnings

To troubleshoot other update run issues, see Troubleshoot updates.

Next step

Learn more about how to Update Azure Stack HCI clusters, version 22H2 when the orchestrator isn't installed.