VMware: Best practices for maintaining HP firmware, driver, and system software using the HP Service Pack for ProLiant (SPP) and the HP Software Delivery Repository (SDR)

Technical white paper | VMware: Best practices for maintaining HP firmware, driver, and system software
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For information on how to use Insight Control for vCenter to perform online firmware updates, see:
„ The white paper Deploying and updating VMware vSphere 5.0 on HP ProLiant servers
„ Insight Control for vCenter information hp.com/go/icvcenter
Using firmware smart components directly
We do not recommend using firmware smart components directly on the ESXi and vSphere host. To do so requires
enablement of the Direct Console User Interface. It also requires an understanding of all the interdependencies between
the specific versions of firmware and specific installation order requirements.
If you must use firmware smart components directly on the ESXi and vSphere host, perform the following the steps:
1. Enable the ESXi and vSphere Shell and Secure Shell (SSH) on the ESXi host through the Direct Console User Interface
(DCUI)
2. Copy the smart component to a local directory on the ESXi host.
3. Log in to the ESXi host.
4. Manually execute the smart component with desired options.
HP Online Depot in the Software Delivery Repository (SDR)
The SDR provides access to various software products for your use. The HP Online Depot, also known as the vibsdepot, is
the VMware part of the SDR.
To deploy driver or software updates in VMware environments, use the VUM or VMware ESXCLI commands with the
driver and software bundles from the HP Online Depot.
HP Online Depot is a web-based repository that hosts individual bundles and vSphere Installation Bundles (VIBs). These
bundles provide HP value-add software, and all the necessary drivers for ProLiant servers. The HP Online Depot is VUM
compliant and works with VUM to update software and drivers. The HP Online Depot includes the “HP ProLiant server and
option firmware and driver support recipe” that specifies the versions of firmware and software that are recommended
for use with VMware in conjunction with the SPP.
For information on the bundles in the HP Online Depot and how to use them to deploy driver and software updates, see
the white paper Deploying and updating VMware vSphere 5.0 on HP ProLiant servers.
The HP Online Depot is available at vibsdepot.hp.com.