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Install Update 0.4 on your StorSimple Virtual Array

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  • 5 minutes to read

Caution

ACTION REQUIRED: StorSimple Data Manager, StorSimple Device Manager, StorSimple 1200, and StorSimple 8000 have reached their end of support. End of support details were published in 2019 on the Microsoft Lifecycle Policy and Azure Communications pages. Additional notifications were also sent via email and posted on the Azure portal and StorSimple documentation site. Contact Microsoft Support for additional details.

Overview

This article describes the steps required to install Update 0.4 on your StorSimple Virtual Array via the local web UI and via the Azure portal. You need to apply software updates or hotfixes to keep your StorSimple Virtual Array up-to-date.

Keep in mind that installing an update or hotfix restarts your device. Given that the StorSimple Virtual Array is a single node device, any I/O in progress is disrupted and your device experiences downtime.

Before you apply an update, we recommend that you take the volumes or shares offline on the host first and then the device. This minimizes any possibility of data corruption.

Important

If you are running Update 0.1 or GA software versions, you must use the hotfix method via the local web UI to install update 0.3. If you are running Update 0.2 or later, we recommend that you install the updates via the Azure portal.

Use the local web UI

There are two steps when using the local web UI:

  • Download the update or the hotfix
  • Install the update or the hotfix

Download the update or the hotfix

Perform the following steps to download the software update from the Microsoft Update Catalog.

To download the update or the hotfix

  1. Start Internet Explorer and navigate to https://catalog.update.microsoft.com.

  2. If this is your first time using the Microsoft Update Catalog on this computer, click Install when prompted to install the Microsoft Update Catalog add-on.

  3. In the search box of the Microsoft Update Catalog, enter the Knowledge Base (KB) number of the hotfix you want to download. Enter 3216577 for Update 0.4, and then click Search.

    The hotfix listing appears, for example, StorSimple Virtual Array Update 0.4.

    Search catalog

  4. Click Add. The update is added to the basket.

  5. Click View Basket.

  6. Click Download. Specify or Browse to a local location where you want the downloads to appear. The updates are downloaded to the specified location and placed in a subfolder with the same name as the update. The folder can also be copied to a network share that is reachable from the device.

  7. Open the copied folder, you should see a Microsoft Update Standalone Package file WindowsTH-KB3011067-x64. This file is used to install the update or hotfix.

Install the update or the hotfix

Prior to the update or hotfix installation, make sure that you have the update or the hotfix downloaded either locally on your host or accessible via a network share.

Use this method to install updates on a device running GA or Update 0.1 software versions. This procedure takes less than 2 minutes to complete. Perform the following steps to install the update or hotfix.

To install the update or the hotfix

  1. In the local web UI, go to Maintenance > Software Update.

    Screenshot shows Software update selected from the Maintenance menu.

  2. In Update file path, enter the file name for the update or the hotfix. You can also browse to the update or hotfix installation file if placed on a network share. Click Apply.

    Screenshot shows the Update file path text box in the Software update page.

  3. A warning is displayed. Given this is a single node device, after the update is applied, the device restarts and there is downtime. Click the check icon.

    Screenshot shows a dialog box warning of downtime.

  4. The update starts. After the device is successfully updated, it restarts. The local UI is not accessible in this duration.

    Screenshot shows a success message for the update.

  5. After the restart is complete, you are taken to the Sign in page. To verify that the device software has updated, in the local web UI, go to Maintenance > Software Update. The displayed software version should be 10.0.0.0.0.10289.0 for Update 0.4.

    Note

    We report the software versions in a slightly different way in the local web UI and the Azure portal. For example, the local web UI reports 10.0.0.0.0.10289 and the Azure portal reports 10.0.10289.0 for the same version.

    Screenshot shows the Software update page with the current software version.

Use the Azure portal

If running Update 0.2 and later, we recommend that you install updates through the Azure portal. The portal procedure requires the user to scan, download, and then install the updates. This procedure takes around 7 minutes to complete. Perform the following steps to install the update or hotfix.

To install updates via the Azure portal

  1. Go to your StorSimple Device Manager and select Devices. From the list of devices connected to your service, select and click the device you want to update.

    In Recent, Device Manager MySSDevManager is highlighted and selected, Devices is highlighted and selected, and device MYSSIS1103 is highlighted and selected.

  2. In the Settings blade, click Device updates.

    Information for MYSSIS1103 is shown. In Settings, Device updates is highlighted.

  3. You see a message if the software updates are available. To check for updates, you can also click Scan.

    The Device updates pane says "New updates are available", and "Last scanned / 18/01/2017 2:42 PM / Software version / 10.0.10288.0". The version is highlighted.

    You will be notified when the scan starts and completes successfully.

    The notification says "Scanning updates for device MySSIS1103. 2:12 PM / Successfully complete the operation."

  4. Once the updates are scanned, click Download updates.

    In the The Device updates pane there is the message "New updates are available". The Download updates button is highlighted.

  5. In the New updates blade, review the information that after the updates are downloaded, you need to confirm the installation. Click OK.

    The New updates pane says "After the updates are downloaded, you will need to confirm the installation". The OK button is highlighted.

  6. You are notified when the upload starts and completes successfully.

    The notification says "Downloading updates for device MySSIS1… 2:13 PM".

  7. In the Device updates blade, click Install.

    Device updates says "Confirm installing updates". There is an Install button.

  8. In the New updates blade, you are warned that the update is disruptive. As virtual array is a single node device, the device restarts after it is updated. This disrupts any IO in progress. Click OK to install the updates.

    The message in the New updates pane is "Your device will have a downtime when these updates are installed". The OK button is highlighted.

  9. You are notified when the install job starts.

    The notification says "Installing updates for device MySSIS1103. 2:15 PM".

  10. After the install job completes successfully, click View Job link in the Device updates blade to monitor the installation.

    In the Device updates pane, there is a link labelled "Installing updates. View Job".

    This takes you to the Install Updates blade. You can view detailed information about the job here.

    The Install Updates pane has installation information, including device, status, duration, start time, and stop time.

  11. After the updates are successfully installed, you see a message to this effect in the Device updates blade.

After the installation is complete (as indicated by job status at 100 %), go to your StorSimple Device Manager service. Select Devices and then select and click the device you want to update from the list of devices connected to this service. In the Settings blade, go to Manage section and select Device updates. The displayed software version should be 10.0.10289.0.

Next steps

Learn more about administering your StorSimple Virtual Array.