Updating ESXi 6.0

[kevindd992002]

If all ESXi patches are cumulative, why is build 3029758 (6.0U1) 700MB in size compared to the latest patch (build 3247720) which is just around 300MB?

[rcporto]

Take in mind that updates releases are different from patches releases, take a look here: VMware KB: Understanding ESXi 5.x Patching Model

Release Contents

Both patch and update releases have bulletins that can be used by the vSphere Update Manager users to patch the ESXi host. Patch and update releases also have VIB files and image profiles that can be used by the ESXCLI users to patch the ESXi host. Even though patch and update releases are structured in the same manner, they are different in the following aspects:

• An update release contains more bug fixes than a patch release.
• A patch release only contains high severity fixes whereas an update release contains high and low severity fixes and probably important features and hardware enablements.
• Update release has a rollup bulletin that contains the latest VIBs with all the fixes since the initial release of an ESXi release (ESXi 5.0, ESXi 5.1, or ESXi 5.5).
• Update release is delivered as an additional install ISO.

[kevindd992002]

Well, that explains it. So if I initially installed the base version of ESXi 6.0 (ESXi600-201504001), is it correct that these updates and patches are the only ones I need to have my hypervisor fully up-to-date?

update-from-esxi6.0-6.0_update01

ESXi600-201511001

Does it mean that the updates release (update-from-esxi6.0-6.0_update01) contain, cumulatively, all updates/patches releases before it? And then the latest patches release (ESXi600-201511001) contains all the patches releases in between the "update-from-esxi6.0-6.0_update01" and "ESXi600-201511001"?

What will I do if I only applied "ESXi600-201511001"? Should I apply "update-from-esxi6.0-6.0_update01" and then re-apply "ESXi600-201511001"?

[kevindd992002]

BUMP! Anyone here?

[kevindd992002]

BUMP! Anyone please?

[rcporto]

Well, that explains it. So if I initially installed the base version of ESXi 6.0 (ESXi600-201504001), is it correct that these updates and patches are the only ones I need to have my hypervisor fully up-to-date?

Seems like for me that ESXi600-201504001 is just a patch, then you will not be able to install this from scratch, you will need a GA or Update release, and I will recommend you install already the latest release (the Update 1).

Does it mean that the updates release (update-from-esxi6.0-6.0_update01) contain, cumulatively, all updates/patches releases before it? And then the latest patches release (ESXi600-201511001) contains all the patches releases in between the "update-from-esxi6.0-6.0_update01" and "ESXi600-201511001"?

Yes for both.

What will I do if I only applied "ESXi600-201511001"? Should I apply "update-from-esxi6.0-6.0_update01" and then re-apply "ESXi600-201511001"?

Not sure what will happen, I believe that you will don't need reapply the path, but I will recommend you apply on correct order, or use the Update Manager that will handle the updates correctly.

[a_p_]

Applying the latest patch will be ok.

https://vibmatrix.v-front.de/ shows each patch bundle's contents, and you can see that the latest bundle covers all of them.

André

[kevindd992002]

rcporto‌

Ok. Sorry, I was wrong about the build number of GA. So technically, here's what I have currently. I have GA + ESXi600-201511001 (ESXi-6.0.0-20151104001-standard). From that, do I still have to apply Update1 (update-from-esxi6.0-6.0_update01) and then re-apply ESXi600-201511001 (ESXi-6.0.0-20151104001-standard)?

Does ESXi600-201511001 (ESXi-6.0.0-20151104001-standard) also contain all updates/patches before Update1?

a.p.‌

Do you mean ESXi600-201511001 (ESXi-6.0.0-20151104001-standard, the latest patch) already include all updates since GA and that I did the correct process of skipping Update1? If so, how do you explain my original post?

"If all ESXi patches are cumulative, why is build 3029758 (6.0U1) 700MB in size compared to the latest patch (build 3247720) which is just around 300MB?"

[a_p_]

As you can see in the table, some bundles include two bulletins - general and security-only bulletins - and some only contain the general (standard) bulletins. That's the reason for the bundles' different sizes.

André

[kevindd992002]

a.p.‌

Ok, but basically "ESXi-6.0.0-20151104001-standard" already contains all up-to-date general and security-only bulletins, if I read the table correct, right?

[a_p_]

Yes, if you install this bundle on a host using the esxcli software update ... command you host will be up-to-date. Please remember that this only applies if you are using the default VMware release, i.e. not a vendor specific OEM release. Btw. you can always run the esxcli software update ... command by appending --dry-run to the command line. This will only display the changes, but not apply them.

André

[kevindd992002]

a.p.‌

How will I know if I'm using the default VMWare ESXi 6.0 release? And here's the syntax that I've used to update my ESXi 6.0 GA (the filename I've used to install is "VMware-VMvisor-Installer-6.0.0-2494585.x86_64.iso):

esxcli software profile update -d /vmfs/volumes/55ce51be-5cb90b19-1f61-386077b466e8/ESXi600-201511001.zip -p ESXi-6.0.0-20151104001-standard

Is that the correct syntax? It did seem to be successful.

[gcarson73]

These are my steps

Step 1. Power down all VM’s

Step 2. Enter Maintenance mode

Step 3. Ensure SSH is ON

SSH into ESXi host

Step 4.  esxcli software vib install -d /vmfs/volumes/datastore28/patch/ESXi600-201505001.zip

Step 5. Reboot ESXi host

Step 6. Exit Maintenance Mode

Step 7. Manually power up VM’s or Restart ESXi server for VMs to auto-start

*"datastore28" is name of my datastore

*"patch" is the place downloaded and placed the VMware zip file

esxcli software vib install -d /vmfs/volumes/datastore28/patch/ESXi600-201507001.zip

esxcli software vib install -d /vmfs/volumes/datastore28/patch/update-from-esxi6.0-6.0_update01.zip

esxcli software vib install -d /vmfs/volumes/datastore28/patch/ESXi600-201510001.zip

FYI, I restarted host and applied each patch (in above order)

[kevindd992002]

gcarson73‌

Thanks for the steps. Why did you not go directly to "ESXi600-201510001.zip" as recommended by Andre here in this thread? Or is it that you were applying these patches as soon as they were released?

I'm reading a lot about the difference between "esxcli software profile update vs. esxcli software vib install" and I'm still confused. What is their real difference? From what I understand, it is always better to use software profile update because it updates everything compared to the vib wherein it only updates things that were added on that specifuc patch/update release.

[gcarson73]

It was my first time doing an ESXI upgrade...so I just upgraded and went in the order they were release.