6.5.1

VIBs, Image Profiles, and Software Depots
Upgrading ESXi with esxcli commands requires an understanding of VIBs, image profiles, and software
depots.
The following technical terms are used throughout the vSphere documentation set in discussions of
installation and upgrade tasks.
VIB A VIB is an ESXi software package. VMware and its partners package
solutions, drivers, CIM providers, and applications that extend the ESXi
platform as VIBs. VIBs are available in software depots. You can use VIBs
to create and customize ISO images or to upgrade ESXi hosts by installing
VIBs asynchronously onto the hosts.
Image Profile An image profile defines an ESXi image and consists of VIBs. An image
profile always includes a base VIB, and might include more VIBs. You
examine and define an image profile by using vSphere ESXi Image Builder.
Software Depot A software depot is a collection of VIBs and image profiles. The software
depot is a hierarchy of files and folders and can be available through an
HTTP URL (online depot) or a ZIP file (offline depot). VMware and VMware
partners make depots available. Companies with large VMware
installations might create internal depots to provision ESXi hosts with
vSphere Auto Deploy, or to export an ISO for ESXi installation.
Understanding Acceptance Levels for VIBS and Hosts
Each VIB is released with an acceptance level that cannot be changed. The host acceptance level
determines which VIBs can be installed to a host.
The acceptance level applies to individual VIBs installed by using the esxcli software vib install
and esxcli software vib update commands, to VIBs installed using vSphere Update Manager, and
to VIBs in image profiles.
The acceptance level of all VIBs on a host must be at least as high as the host acceptance level. For
example, if the host acceptance level is VMwareAccepted, you can install VIBs with acceptance levels of
VMwareCertified and VMwareAccepted, but you cannot install VIBs with acceptance levels of
PartnerSupported or CommunitySupported. To install a VIB with a less restrictive acceptance level than
that of the host, you can change the acceptance level of the host by using the vSphere Web Client or by
running esxcli software acceptance commands.
Setting host acceptance levels is a best practice that allows you to specify which VIBs can be installed on
a host and used with an image profile, and the level of support you can expect for a VIB. For example,
you would probably set a more restrictive acceptance level for hosts in a production environment than for
hosts in a testing environment.
vSphere Upgrade
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