Installation guide

Back Up the ESXi Host Configuration

Back up the host configuration before you begin a host upgrade.

For more information about the VMware vSphere Command-Line Interface and the vicfg-cfgbackup

command, see the vSphere Command-Line Interface Installation and Reference Guide

Procedure

1 Install the vSphere CLI.

2 In the vSphere CLI, run the vicfg-cfgbackup command with the -s flag to save the host configuration to

a specified backup filename.

vicfg-cfgbackup --server <ESXi-host-ip> --portnumber <port_number> --protocol

<protocol_type> --username username --password <password> -s <backup-filename>

Best Practices for Upgrades

Follow best practices when you upgrade on hosts.

To ensure that each upgrade is successful, use the following strategy:

After the upgrade, test the system to ensure that the upgrade was completed successfully.

If the upgrade was unsuccessful, revert to the last good known image. See “Roll Back an ESXi

Upgrade,” on page 71 or “Roll Back an ESX Upgrade,” on page 71.

Chapter 8 Preparing for the Upgrade to ESX 4.1/ESXi 4.1

VMware, Inc. 61