Are ESXi Patches Accumulative?

[StephenMoll]

I have a few boxes running ESXi 4.1.0 Build 260247.

Some projects have finished and the boxes have come back into the pool and are being prepped in advance of the next project.

I checked the "Download Patches " for ESXi 4.1.0 and notice that there are several patch updates since build 260247.

A couple of questions though if I may:

(1) Do all the patches have to be applied in sequence, or do I only need to apply the last one? I.e. does the last patch contain an accumulation of all patches to v4.1?

(2) The boxes are HP DL380G6's and were originally installed with a ESXi build downloaded from HP's website. Can I use the patches from VMware's "Download Patches" page, or should I be going back to HP for updates?

Many thanks, in anticipation.

[peetz]

Hi,

ESXi firmware update are cumulative, so

(1) Install the "VMware ESXi 4.1 Complete Update 2" package (this includes the latest firmware + the latest tools package), and you do not need any other VMware patches.

(2) Download the "HP Offline Bundle for ESXi 4.1 Update 2"  from here: http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?swItem=MTX-1a452a67d79b40db...

Import it into Update manager and install it on your HP servers.

(3) With step 2 you will update the HP CIM providers for hardware monitoring, but the package does not include the latest NIC and HBA drivers. So, check at HP for your server model, if there are updated drivers (and also firmwares) avaiable for the devices that are in the server. Install them as needed.

- Andreas

[StephenMoll]

I read that as being a reinstall of ESXi.

Is that suggesting that I shouldn't attempt to update the current installation?

[peetz]

Hi Stephen,

no, this is not a re-install. All three steps are updates done through Update manager.

If you want to re-install then do that with the latest HP customized ISO available for 4.1 at https://h20392.www2.hp.com/portal/swdepot/displayProductInfo.do?productNumber=HPVM06

or with the HP customized ISO for 5.0 at

https://h20392.www2.hp.com/portal/swdepot/displayProductInfo.do?productNumber=HPVM09

Andreas

[StephenMoll]

We are not geared up for using update manager. We have a purchase order in for vCenter Server and so on, but I don't expect to have my hands on the stuff for a while. In the mean time I have to do updates manually for each box as they come back in for servicing, and I know there are some projects expecting to get their hands on boxes during December, and from the end of this week I am off until January.

So I will have to do these the same way I have done it before, upload the bundles to the datastore and SSH into the boxes.

Thanks for your help though.

[abbie11]

Hi please  find you answer below

1-its recomend that install all patches in sequence

2- yes you can install patches from vmware

Yours, Abbie