6.5.1

Table Of Contents
n
For the esxcli command method: see Upgrading Hosts by Using esxcli Commands.
6 Plan for the tasks that must be performed after the ESXi host upgrade:
n
Test the system to ensure that the upgrade completed successfully.
n
Apply a host's licenses. See Applying Licenses After Upgrading to ESXi 6.5.
n
Consider setting up a syslog server for remote logging, to ensure sufficient disk storage for log
files. Setting up logging on a remote host is especially important for hosts with limited local
storage. vSphere Syslog Collector is included as a service in vCenter Server 6.0 and can be used
to collect logs from all hosts. See Required Free Space for System Logging. For information
about setting up and configuring syslog and a syslog server, setting up syslog from the host
profiles interface, and installing vSphere Syslog Collector, see the vSphere Installation and Setup
documentation.
7 If the upgrade was unsuccessful and you backed up the host, you can restore the host.
Upgrading Hosts That Have Third-Party Custom VIBs
A host can have custom vSphere installation bundles (VIBs) installed, for example, for third-party drivers
or management agents. When you upgrade an ESXi 5.5.x host or ESXi 6.0.x host to ESXi 6.5, all
supported custom VIBs are migrated, regardless of whether the VIBs are included in the installer ISO.
If the host or the installer ISO image contains a VIB that creates a conflict and prevents the upgrade, an
error message identifies the VIB that created the conflict. To upgrade the host, take one of the following
actions:
n
Remove the VIB that created the conflict from the host and retry the upgrade. If you are using
vSphere Update Manager, select the option to remove third-party software modules during the
remediation process. For more information, see the Installing and Administering VMware vSphere
Update Manager documentation. You can also remove the VIB that created the conflict from the host
by using esxcli commands. For more information, see Remove VIBs from a Host.
n
Use the vSphere ESXi Image Builder CLI to create a custom installer ISO image that resolves the
conflict. For more information about vSphere ESXi Image Builder CLI installation and usage, see the
vSphere Installation and Setup documentation.
Media Options for Booting the ESXi Installer
The ESXi installer must be accessible to the system on which you are installing ESXi.
The following boot media are supported for the ESXi installer:
n
Boot from a CD/DVD. See Download and Burn the ESXi Installer ISO Image to a CD or DVD.
n
Boot from a USB flash drive. See Format a USB Flash Drive to Boot the ESXi Installation or Upgrade.
n
PXE boot from the network. PXE Booting the ESXi Installer
n
Boot from a remote location using a remote management application. See Using Remote
Management Applications
vSphere Upgrade
VMware, Inc. 255