6.7
Table Of Contents
- VMware ESXi Upgrade
- Contents
- About VMware ESXi Upgrade
- Introduction to vSphere Upgrade
- Upgrading ESXi Hosts
- ESXi Requirements
- Before Upgrading ESXi Hosts
- Upgrading Hosts That Have Third-Party Custom VIBs
- Media Options for Booting the ESXi Installer
- Download and Burn the ESXi Installer ISO Image to a CD or DVD
- Format a USB Flash Drive to Boot the ESXi Installation or Upgrade
- Create a USB Flash Drive to Store the ESXi Installation Script or Upgrade Script
- Create an Installer ISO Image with a Custom Installation or Upgrade Script
- PXE Booting the ESXi Installer
- Installing and Booting ESXi with Software FCoE
- Using Remote Management Applications
- Download the ESXi Installer
- Upgrade Hosts Interactively
- Installing or Upgrading Hosts by Using a Script
- Enter Boot Options to Start an Installation or Upgrade Script
- Boot Options
- About Installation and Upgrade Scripts
- Install or Upgrade ESXi from a CD or DVD by Using a Script
- Install or Upgrade ESXi from a USB Flash Drive by Using a Script
- Performing a Scripted Installation or Upgrade of ESXi by Using PXE to Boot the Installer
- PXE Booting the ESXi Installer
- Upgrading Hosts by Using esxcli Commands
- VIBs, Image Profiles, and Software Depots
- Understanding Acceptance Levels for VIBS and Hosts
- Determine Whether an Update Requires the Host to Be in Maintenance Mode or to Be Rebooted
- Place a Host in Maintenance Mode
- Update a Host with Individual VIBs
- Upgrade or Update a Host with Image Profiles
- Update ESXi Hosts by Using Zip Files
- Remove VIBs from a Host
- Adding Third-Party Extensions to Hosts with an esxcli Command
- Perform a Dry Run of an esxcli Installation or Upgrade
- Display the Installed VIBs and Profiles That Will Be Active After the Next Host Reboot
- Display the Image Profile and Acceptance Level of the Host
- After You Upgrade ESXi Hosts
- Using vSphere Auto Deploy to Reprovision Hosts
- Collect Logs to Troubleshoot ESXi Hosts
When you specify a target server by using --server=server_name, the server prompts you for a user
name and password. Other connection options, such as a configuration file or session file, are supported.
For a list of connection options, see Getting Started with vSphere Command-Line Interfaces, or run
esxcli --help at the vCLI command prompt.
Prerequisites
n
Install vCLI or deploy the vSphere Management Assistant (vMA) virtual machine. See Getting Started
with vSphere Command-Line Interfaces. For troubleshooting, run esxcli commands in the
ESXi Shell.
n
Determine whether the update requires the host to be in maintenance mode or to be rebooted. If
necessary, place the host in maintenance mode.
See Determine Whether an Update Requires the Host to Be in Maintenance Mode or to Be
Rebooted. See Place a Host in Maintenance Mode.
n
If the update requires a reboot, and if the host belongs to a VMware HA cluster, remove the host from
the cluster or disable HA on the cluster.
Procedure
1 Determine which VIBs are installed on the host.
esxcli --server=server_name software vib list
2 Find out which VIBs are available in the depot.
Option Description
from a depot accessible by URL
esxcli --server=server_name software sources vib list --
depot=http://web_server/depot_name
from a local depot ZIP file
esxcli --server=server_name software sources vib list --
depot=absolute_path_to_depot_zip_file
You can specify a proxy server by using the --proxy argument.
3 Update the existing VIBs to include the VIBs in the depot or install new VIBs.
Option Description
Update VIBs from a depot accessible
by URL
esxcli --server=server_name software vib update --
depot=http://web_server/depot_name
Update VIBs from a local depot ZIP file
esxcli --server=server_name software vib update --
depot=absolute_path_to_depot_ZIP_file
Install all VIBs from a ZIP file on a
specified offline depot (includes both
VMware VIBs and partner-supplied
VIBs)
esxcli --server=server_name software vib install --depot
path_to_VMware_vib_ZIP_file\VMware_vib_ZIP_file --depot
path_to_partner_vib_ZIP_file\partner_vib_ZIP_file
Options for the update and install commands allow you to perform a dry run, to specify a specific
VIB, to bypass acceptance level verification, and so on. Do not bypass verification on production
systems. See the esxcli Reference at http://www.vmware.com/support/developer/vcli/.
VMware ESXi Upgrade
VMware, Inc. 62