We are using the IBM ESXi 5 customized Image whic his suppleid only as an ISO file, I would like to update it to the latest build of ESX but I can't work out if its possible to actually modify the .ISO file. Anyone have any thoughts around this? I'm thinking my options are probably pretty limited here?
Using Vmware image builder you can customize the image and export it again as ISO.
refer the below link for the details.
refer this
Thanks for the suggestions, unfortunately unless I missed it neither guide discusses how to use the .ISO as a starting point, image builder documentation seems to refer to using offline bundles, which we haven't been supplied.
I want to do this too, did you ever find a way?
I don't think you can, and I don't think IBM provides offline bundles for ESXi; I have yet to find any.
What I had to do was download the offline bundle from VMware, add the FCoE and network drivers for my servers, add security patches, and export to ISO using Image Builder.
So what you are saying is you want to take the IBM ESXi Customized ISO and then update it to include all ESXi 5 updates that have come out since IBM released the ISO? Download the ESXi updates from VMware(offline bundles!) and integrate them using -
Holy crap, didn't realize this thread is a year old ^_^
Here is the link to download individual updates from VMware that theoretically can be applied with the ISO customizer -
http://www.vmware.com/patchmgr/download.portal
I'll give it a try tomorrow.
We would like to start with the IBM Customized ESX Image ISO and be able to add to it. You can not load an ISO into Image Builder just the .zip file and IBM does not furnish the offline bundle with their drivers neither does Dell. In my case I would like to add the VEM offline bundle to the Dell Customized ISO. I have successfully added to the VEM to VMWare's image, works great, but it's missing all the Dell drivers. I think the only way is to start with the VMWare .zip bundle and add the VEM or whatever offline bundle and then add your vendor's drivers individually in image builder. I opened a case with Dell and they said they will have a driver offline bundle but it's not released yet. So it's prolly not gonna happen.
Look at the link I posted above the comment you just replied to. You can import an ISO(Such as your customized one) and add offline-bundles to it effectively allowing you to keep your version of ESXi up to date. I do it all the time.
I'm not sure what VEM is. Can you elaborate?
What you would do is:
1. Download the IBM or Dell customized CD
2. Use ESXi Customizer to implement whichever changes you desire(Updates, drivers, CIM...)
3. Out pops a customized ISO