There is no longer the possibility to patch your VM's guest OS with vCenter Update Manager 5.0
If some of you (many), did use this functionality, then you'll be a bit disappointed. VMware vSphere 5 did not continue in it's release to develop and maintain this feature and so the latest release which is possible to patch your VMs through the Shavlik's technology is the vSphere 4.1 Update 1.
In fact the new release of vCenter Update Manager lucks this feature. One can read on the vCenter Update Manager page that this functionality will be discontinued. And with the VMware vSphere 5.0 release is now effective, you better plan before your upgrade… -:).
Now is it good or bad? I personally did not use this feature, since most of the small shops here at the Reunion Island did not needed it, and if yes there has been already Microsoft's WSUS on the client's site. This was not a feature which was the most demanded by customers.
A quick quote from the VMware vCenter Update Manager Release Notes:
Update Manager 4.1 Update 1 and its subsequent update releases are the last releases of the product to support scanning and remediation of patches for Windows and Linux guest operating systems and applications running inside a virtual machine. (A list of such operating systems and applications is available in the section Scanning and Remediation of Virtual Machines and Applications.) This capability will be discontinued in the next major release. If you use this capability today, you should start planning your transition.
The VMware KB which discuss this subject can be found here – Unable to scan, remediate, or apply patches to guest operating systems using vCenter Update Manager 5.0
