vLCM Image and Async VMware Tools

[rgb99]

FYI, I already know about https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/79442 while searching around for a solution.

I'd like to upgrade my host images to a newer build (7.0 U2e), but since I previously included the additional component, VMware Tools 11.3.5, my hosts are incompatible: "Downgrades of manually added Components VMware Tools Async Release(11.3.5) in the desired ESXi version are not supported."

The Host Version is: 11.3.5.18557794-18558696
The Image Version is: 11.2.6.17901274-18295176

How can I maintain the latest VMware Tools build (now 12.0, just released) while also keeping my ESXi hosts current? Now I have to uninstall VMware Tools from each host before I can update the ESXi build, and then install VMware Tools again. Is there a better solution?

Thanks.

[rgb99 · Accepted solution]

VMware Support acknowledged that this is a major pain point for their customers. The only solutions offered are:

1. Remove VMware Tools from each ESXi host manually, then upgrade/patch ESXi to the desired build. Install/Update VMware Tools for each ESXi host.
2. Create a new cluster that is managed by Baselines, and move the host there. This is very much not ideal!

I hope they come up with a better solution sooner than later.

[erki72]

Is the procedure still the same for this requirement or has something changed in the version upgrades?

I find that quite tedious. Considering that there have recently been some CVE incidents in VMware Tools

[prakash3008]

Use centralized product locked folder cluster wise, download and upload latest vmware tools to product locker to manage hosts and VMs with latest vmware tools. 

[Sree5]

Hi - Can you construct a vLCM desired state image, with esxi base image u2e ; and add on vmtools 12.0 as a component . 

This will result in u2e bringing n vmttols version: 11.2.6; but that will get superseded by the added tools component at version 12.0 ; so that there will be no downgrade in tools version 

[veb101]

This was quite a relief finding that others had the same problem. 

No matter where I look, I can't find a way to uninstall Vmware Tools from my ESXi hosts. Each article or like, I find is all about uninstall vmware tools from a VM.

Please help me here. How did you uninstall vmware tools from your esxi host?

[rgb99]

Here's what I have in my cheat sheet.

Workaround:
SSH into the host and remove VMware Tools

# esxcli software vib remove --vibname=tools-light

Update the ESXi build in the Image Profile and remove the VMware Tools Async release from the additional components list.
Check for compliance
Remediate the cluster to install the new ESXi build.
If the ESXi build doesn't have the desired build of VMware Tools, you'll have to add it to the Image Profile, scan, and then remediate.

I hope this helps you out!