Intel 82599 Driver update ESXi 4.1 installation question

[prudkowski]

Hello,

We recently got the Intel x520-T2 NICs which use the 82599 chipset. The card does not detect and I suspect I need to update/install the driver.

I should added my host version is: ESXi, 4.1.0 build 348481

I found this driver:

VMware ESX/ESXi 4.x Driver CD for Intel 82598 and 82599 10 Gigabit Ethernet Controllers

http://downloads.vmware.com/d/details/esx4x_intel_8259882599_dt/ZHcqYnRlQCVidGR3

And the file comes down in ISO format.

My preferred method is to use the update manager in vCenter Server but I have also tryed it via the vSphere CLi

I converted the ISO file to zip and go to the patch repository>import patch and I get the following error:

Cannot find patch metadata.Check host agent, vpxa and esxupdate logs for details. If you are importing a bundle, make sure it is valid.

So I unzipped the ISO file and went to the offline directory and I am lost as all the references to this update method refer to a zip file, but when I look I don't see a zip file I see the offline bundle with no extension.

I followed the readme direction inside the driver file and I still get this error:

No matching bulletin or VIB was found in the metadata. No Bulletins for this platform could be found.

copy of the read me

B) To update or add drivers on existing ESX installations using esxupdate:
   (for ESX only)

1. Power on the ESX host and log into an account with administrator capability.
2. Place the driver CD in the CD-ROM drive of the ESX host.
3. Mount the driver CD.
4. Navigate to <cd mount point>/offline-bundle/ and locate the
   <offline-bundle>.zip file.
5. Run the esxupdate command to install drivers using the offline bundle.

   esxupdate --bundle=<offline-bundle>.zip update

C) To update or add drivers on existing ESX and ESXi installations using
   vihostupdate: (for both ESX and ESXi)

1. Power on the ESX or ESXi host.
2. Place the driver CD in the CD-ROM drive of the host where either the vSphere
   CLI package is installed or vMA is hosted.
3. Mount the driver CD.
4. Navigate to <cd mount point>/offline-bundle/ and locate the
   <offline-bundle>.zip file.
5. Run the vihostupdate command to install drivers using the offline bundle.

   vihostupdate <conn_options> --install --bundle <offline-bundle>.zip

Following the readme, I should see a zip file inside the offline-bundle directory but I dont see one. Can someone point me in the right direction please?

thank you

[AndreTheGiant]

Have you used the vMA?

Mount the ISO directly in the vMA appliance and use vihostupdate from there.

Andre

[prudkowski]

Thanks for the reply. I am downloading the vMA now. I will update the post shortly.

One question, when I mounted it and use the normal vSphere command line interface why did it not work? does the vihostupdate.pl not work from there at all or just in this case?

[Walfordr]

These worked for me on some intel built in NICs that I had.  You'll need to have VWware CLI installed:

http://www.ewams.net/?view=upgradingvsphere4nicdrivers

For step 5. You would grep igb instead of bnx2x.  The igb is the driver for  the intel NICs that HP is rebranding.

i.e:

~ # esxupdate query --vib-view |grep igb

deb_vmware-esx-drivers-net-igb_400.1.3.19.12.2-2vmw.1.4.348481             installed     2011-01-13T01:34:35+00:00

~ #

[jjgunn]

This is completely stupid. Intel X520-2 DA (SFP+) I downloaded the driver from vmware (& Intel too). Inside the offline-bundle folder is a file named...

INT-intel-lad-ddk-ixgbe-400.3.4.23-1.249663-offline_bundle-45509  It's about 102K in size

Copy the file to your harddisk. Simply add a ".zip" extension. I named it {ixgbe.zip} You can use vihostupdate.pl to install the driver now.

ESXi 4.1 build 433742

Dell PE R710

Intel X520

Hopefully this helps somebody

[jjgunn]

Spoke with vmware support. No solution for this via version 4.1 (not yet anyway)

The INTEL X520 card uses a software FCoE which is available on ESXi 5.0

If you're using FCoE, use a QLOGIC card or other hardware solution for your FCoE needs on ESXi 4.x

I'm currently using the Intel X520 cards (w/FCoE enabled) successfully in dell R710 & R610 servers with ESXi 5.0 (Nexus 5000 series switches/Netapp & EMC)

[edsonh]

Hi jgumn,

i used you tips, and it worked fine.

It's just a ashame the Vmware and Intel let something like this hapenned.

I worked 3days on this issue until I finde your tips. tkx a lot.

note:

instead wma or vihostupdate, I used the esxupdate on my esxi 4.1u2. (I have the vcenter and could attach the esxi host on it, and upload the zip offline driver file).

in attach is the driver(it's the most update from vmware site..), all u need is put it on the esxi host and use esxupdate command. (esxupdate --bundle=<file.zip> update)

[ozwil]

Thanks jjgunn, this worked for me as well

Extracted files and folders from ISO and renamed "INT-intel-lad-ddk-ixgbe-400.3.7.13-1.249663-offline_bundle-53042" to "ixgbe.zip" and used vCLI command

vihostupdate.pl --server xxxx  --username xxx --password xxxx -i -b C:\temp\Intel10GBDriver\offline-bundle\ixgbe.zip

ESXi 4.1 Build 582267

Dell R910

Intel XF SR

Cheers