LCM (Life Cycle Manager) is a feature that allows Nutanix administrators to perform one-click firmware and software upgrades for Nutanix clusters and components. LCM fetches inventory and update information from a pre-configured URL that contains the latest versions of firmware and software packages. However, upgrading Nutanix AOS does not automatically update the fetch URL. To update the fetch URL, the administrator needs to update the LCM framework. The LCM framework is the core component of LCM that provides the logic and functionality for inventory, download, and upgrade operations1.
To upgrade the LCM framework, the administrator needs to perform an LCM inventory. An LCM inventory is a process that scans the cluster and its components for their current firmware and software versions and compares them with the available versions from the fetch URL. If there is a newer version of the LCM framework available, it will be shown as an update option under Cluster Software Component in the Available Updates page. The administrator can then select and apply the LCM framework update to upgrade it to the latest version2.
The administrator can perform an LCM inventory using Prism Element or Prism Central. The steps are as follows3:
In Prism Element, go to the Network Configuration page and click Life Cycle Management.
In Prism Central, go to the Services page and click Life Cycle Management.
Click Inventory in the toolbar and select Perform Inventory from the drop-down menu.
Wait for the inventory process to complete and check for any available updates.