Upgrade from dell image 8294253 to 10719125-A10 - this is a static file and doesn’t get updated upon updates - message on host

[SASASASdsd31]

Hi All,

In prep for a cluster wide upgrade to the latest dell version DellEMC-ESXi-6.5U2-10719125-A10    I've upgraded my lab server and have the following on the host splash screen

"You are running a DellEMC Customized version of VMware ESXi Image. Note that this is a static file and doesn’t get updated upon updates"

as opposed to the previous "You are running DellEMC Customized Image ESXi 6.5 Update 2 A00 (based on ESXi VMKernel Release Build 8294253)" message.

Does this mean i will be unable to upgrade or patch this version in future??

Thank's in advanced.

[daphnissov]

No, it doesn't mean that. They just stick a file in there that displays text on the splash screen. You can effectively ignore it.

[SASASASdsd31]

Many thanks for your reply!  Appreciated.

[bmstewart]

daphnissov​

What exactly does the message mean, then?

I know that Dell will release updated custom images periodically, and that VMware will also host these custom images, but what does a user have to do to get and apply updates to hosts?

Will Update Manager and the 2 default, pre-configured baselines result in hosts being patched (either automatically or manually via scan & remediate)?

Will Update Manager and the 2 default, pre-configured baselines result in hosts being upgraded (to later builds of 6.7 for example, either automatically or manually via scan & remediate)?

Or, do users have to manually add new Dell images to VUM, make a baseline for them, and add the baseline to the hosts running Dell's customized images?

Thanks

[Tibmeister]

Unfortunately VMware doesn't host the customized ISO's for Dell, you need to download them from Dell directly.  As for VUM, whenever a new upgrade ISO comes out, even in the same patch version just a higher Dell revision, for instance A00 to A01, then yes, you will need to manually upload that new ISO to VUM after downloading it from Dell.

As far as a new baseline, that's more in regards to your method of maintaining the baselines.  For me, I have a upgrade baseline tied to the Update version, such as 6.7 Update 3, and just would edit that for a new image Dell provides for 6.7 Update 3 that may be A01 instead of A00.  The base ESXi install has not changed, just what Dell has included, such as drivers and software, so to me the baseline itself is still the same as it's meant, for me anyway, to bring the host to a specific point then I would use a patch/extension baseline to apply any minor patches or updates.

Hope this helps.

[bmstewart]

Thanks for the reply.

VMware does host the Dell customized ISOs on the web at least.  You can find them on a separate tab of the downloads page.  I don't know if these make it to what Update Manager sees in any way, though.

You can also add the Dell VMware repository to Update Manager, but I think this might just contain the Dell VIBs for the iDRAC Service Module and the Open Manage support.

But it sounds like it's a manual process to check for, add, and update the Dell customized images.  I was hoping to automate at least some of it.

Is Update Manager at least able to correctly detect and apply the latest Dell customized image to hosts?

For example, if I have a host on Dell's 6.7U3 A01, then add Dell's 6.7U3 A02 to a baseline attached to that host, is Update Manager able to detect that the host is on Dell's 6.7U3 A01 and needs Dell's 6.7U3 A02?  Or do you manually track which hosts are on which Dell image, then maintain a baseline that has only the single, latest Dell image, and manually force it to install?

Thanks