The vCenter Server Appliance can be updated from a public repository on the http://www.vmware.com domain. If your Internet access is restricted, you might want to set up your own internal repository for updates. One distribution format for vCenter Server Appliance patches is a zipped update bundle, which you can use to update the vCenter Virtual Appliance.

For more information, see the Upgrade the VMware vCenter Server Appliance section of the vSphere Upgrade documentation.

VMware vCenter Server Appliance 5.1.x
VMware vCenter Server Appliance 5.0.x

Note: Before updating the vCenter Server Appliance, VMware highly recommends creating a backup of your existing vCenter Server database.

To set up a repository for a vCenter Server Appliance zipped update bundle:

1. Download the zipped bundle from the VMware.com web site.
2. On a web server, under the document root, create a repository directory. For example, create a directory named vc_update_repo.
3. Extract the zipped bundle into the repository directory. The files are extracted in two subdirectories, manifest and package-pool.
4. Open the management vCenter Server Appliance web interface on port 5480.
5. In the Update tab, click Settings.
6. Select Use Specified Repository.
7. In the Repository URL text box, enter the URL of the repository you created. For example, if the repository directory is vc_update_repo, the URL should be similar to:
   
   http://web_server_name.your_company.com/vc_update_repo
   
   
8. If required, enter the user name and password for access to the repository.
9. Click Save Settings.

To install or check on the status of updates:

1. In the Update tab of the management Web interface for the vCenter Server Appliance, click Status.
2. Under Actions, click Check Updates or Install Updates.