How to upgrade ESXi's local copy of VMware tools?

[hgate73]

Our two ESXi servers have version 8.0.1 of VMware tools on the local disk ( /vmfs/volumes/<ID>/packages/5.0.0/vmtools ), but the current release is 9.0.

Right now I've manually downloaded copies of the tools directly to the guest VM's, but how do I update ESXi's local copy on the disk? I was going to just overwrite the 8.0.1 files, but I noticed there is a manifest file as well, which contains a lot of version numbers and I didn't want to break anything. Is there an officially supported method of updating the local installers?

[jrmunday]

Version 9.0 is for ESXi 5.1, not 5.0 - see below;

ESXi 5.1 = http://packages.vmware.com/tools/esx/5.1latest/windows/x64/index.html

ESXi 5.0 = http://packages.vmware.com/tools/esx/5.0latest/windows/x86_64/index.html

The VM tools version on the host should get updated to match the build number when the hosts are patched - what build number is your host?

If you are already on build number 821926, then you have the current version of the tools for your environment.

This aside, I would recommend installing Update Manager and using this as your central repository and patch management tool.

[hgate73]

Our ESXi build numbers are 5.0.0, 469512.

I don't think I can install update manager as it costs, and we are currently using a free license on the two hosts.

Does it harm anything to be running Tools v9.x.x in guests running on 5.0.0 469512 hosts?

[jrmunday · Accepted solution]

The VM Tools are backwards compatible, so this should work. I would however advise against this, as you will be introducing a manual process that you will need to manage and it I don't belive you will get any benefit by doing so. the more complexity you add, the greater the chance of things going wrong.

I would however suggest patching the hosts to the latest build and using the tools that are bundled with this release.

For information on patching hosts from the command line see this link below;

http://blogs.vmware.com/vsphere/2012/02/quickest-way-to-patch-an-esxesxi-using-the-command-line.html

[hgate73]

This is great information and exactly what I was looking for. Thanks

[jrmunday]

No problem at all