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john1411
Contributor
Contributor
‎02-01-2019 04:17 AM

Need to Update Generic ESXi ISO with Custom HP ISO

Hi,

I have installed a generic ISO (officially downloaded from vmware.com main download section) and installed in on my ProLiant DL389 Gen10. PFB the details below:

Capture.PNGCapture.PNG

I recently got to know that there is a 'better' compatible version of VMWare ESXi out there specifically made for HP Servers available through custom HP Images: https://my.vmware.com/group/vmware/details?downloadGroup=OEM-ESXI67U1-HPE&productId=742

Now I would love to have that version on my servers. Please help on what would be the exact update process which I need to follow. This is the first time I've ever deployed ESXi hence sorry for the noob question. Also, can I even update in the first place? I would like to believe so that I can update since I believe I'm running the 6.7 version whereas the HP custom image is running on 6.7U1. Also, there is no vCenter attached.

Regards,

John

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3 Replies
a_p_
Leadership
Leadership
‎02-02-2019 04:52 AM

Welcome to the Community,

there are several possible ways to patch an ESXi host. The best way to do it depends on a few things.

  • Is it a stand alone host, or is it managed by vCenter Server?
  • Are VM's stored on local disks, or on shared (external) storage?
  • Does the host have any special hardware installed, which requires additional drivers, that need to be installed separately?

André

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john1411
Contributor
Contributor
‎02-02-2019 05:05 AM

Hi Andre,

Thank you for your reply,

  • It is a standalone host (not connected to any vCenter)
  • VMs are stored locally along with other data as well
  • I believe that since it's an HP Gen10 Server, some health sensors as well as Intelligent Provisioning Drivers are there

Regards,

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a_p_
Leadership
Leadership
‎02-02-2019 05:55 AM

In this case you may follow the below steps. Note that the steps include a Firmware Upgrade, which is optional, but I still recommend doing it.

Preparation:

Fimware Upgrade:

  • With an iLO Advanced license: Attach the SPP ISO image to the hosts Virtual Media, let it boot into the firmware update, and run the update in "Automatic Mode" (the latter is important, if an iLO Update is involved!).
  • Without an iLO Advanced license: Create a bootable USB stick using the USB-Key Utility that's included in the ISO image, and run the Firmware Upgrade by booting the host from the USB stick

ESXi Update:

  1. enable SSH on the ESXi host (Host -> Manage -> Services)
  2. create a new folder on a datastore (e.g. "Patches"), and upload the ESXi Offline Bundle to it using the Datasatore Browser
  3. use putty to connect to your ESXi host with the root user (optional: maximize the putty window)
  4. run: esxcli software sources profile list -d /vmfs/volumes/datastore1/Patches/<offline-bundle>.zip to figure out the profile name
  5. run: esxcli software profile install -d /vmfs/volumes/datastore1/Patches/<offline-bundle>.zip -p <profilename> --ok-to-remove
  6. run: reboot if the command returns with "Message: The update completed successfully, but the system needs to be rebooted for the changes to be effective."

Note: You may want to replace the datastore, folder, and zip-file name if required.

After the host's reboot, check whether everything looks as expected (e.g. inventory, datastores, networking, Time server settings, ...), and then exit Maintenance Mode.

André

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