Comments on: Installing VMware tools without a reboot? http://www.yellow-bricks.com/2008/11/27/installing-vmware-tools-without-a-reboot/ Building blocks for virtualization... Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:22:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: halr9000 http://www.yellow-bricks.com/2008/11/27/installing-vmware-tools-without-a-reboot/comment-page-1/#comment-1846 halr9000 Thu, 27 Nov 2008 18:30:36 +0000 http://www.yellow-bricks.com/?p=1065#comment-1846 Well to me the point of the script was never in question. I, as a the system administrator, want to control when a system is rebooted. A software install should always provide options to suppress reboots during unattended installs. Why? Because I would want to bundle multiple installs (more than one of which could require a reboot) into one batch job--and then reboot when complete. As to the other point about whether a reboot is truly required, that is very often...due to software vendors being (overly) conservative. You see, they have to make an install as robust as possible so as to prevent as many tech support calls as possible. So anyway, I'm not saying that the VM Tools do not require a reboot, but just that I want to have that control. That was the point all along as far as I'm concerned. Well to me the point of the script was never in question. I, as a the system administrator, want to control when a system is rebooted. A software install should always provide options to suppress reboots during unattended installs. Why? Because I would want to bundle multiple installs (more than one of which could require a reboot) into one batch job–and then reboot when complete.

As to the other point about whether a reboot is truly required, that is very often…due to software vendors being (overly) conservative. You see, they have to make an install as robust as possible so as to prevent as many tech support calls as possible.

So anyway, I’m not saying that the VM Tools do not require a reboot, but just that I want to have that control. That was the point all along as far as I’m concerned.

]]> By: moosethumbs http://www.yellow-bricks.com/2008/11/27/installing-vmware-tools-without-a-reboot/comment-page-1/#comment-1845 moosethumbs Thu, 27 Nov 2008 15:45:34 +0000 http://www.yellow-bricks.com/?p=1065#comment-1845 I've been trying to get this script to work myself, so I'm happy to see it updated! Here are my personal reasons for wanting to do this... We have 1600 VMs or so, and we need to update tools on basically all of them. The problem with letting them reboot is that all the VMs have a reboot/maint window once per month, otherwise I have to coordinate with all the server owners for the downtime, and then create change requests and get approval for them. Also, my team doesn't have an easy way of tracking down the window for each VM because that is managed by a different team! If I can upgrade tools without rebooting, I'm hoping I can do 1 change request, fire off the script and let the monthly reboot do the dirty work. I did not think about the network connections dropping though, so that may throw a kink in my plans anyway. I’ve been trying to get this script to work myself, so I’m happy to see it updated! Here are my personal reasons for wanting to do this… We have 1600 VMs or so, and we need to update tools on basically all of them. The problem with letting them reboot is that all the VMs have a reboot/maint window once per month, otherwise I have to coordinate with all the server owners for the downtime, and then create change requests and get approval for them. Also, my team doesn’t have an easy way of tracking down the window for each VM because that is managed by a different team! If I can upgrade tools without rebooting, I’m hoping I can do 1 change request, fire off the script and let the monthly reboot do the dirty work.

I did not think about the network connections dropping though, so that may throw a kink in my plans anyway.

]]> By: Tim Jacobs http://www.yellow-bricks.com/2008/11/27/installing-vmware-tools-without-a-reboot/comment-page-1/#comment-1844 Tim Jacobs Thu, 27 Nov 2008 14:51:28 +0000 http://www.yellow-bricks.com/?p=1065#comment-1844 Hi Duncan, I was also under the impression that installing device drivers automatically requires a reboot of your virtual machine. Apparently this is not true and only a very specific type of device drivers actually require a reboot to be properly reloaded (amongst others if you update the storage driver that is used by your boot device). I've recently written some thoughts about the VMware Tools upgrade (see my blog). Nevertheless, I totally agree with your suspicion regarding these suppress-reboot scripts. Hi Duncan,

I was also under the impression that installing device drivers automatically requires a reboot of your virtual machine. Apparently this is not true and only a very specific type of device drivers actually require a reboot to be properly reloaded (amongst others if you update the storage driver that is used by your boot device). I’ve recently written some thoughts about the VMware Tools upgrade (see my blog).

Nevertheless, I totally agree with your suspicion regarding these suppress-reboot scripts.

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