6.0 to 6.7 Missing Dependency VIBs error - how to see if in use?

[Jacob29]

Good Afternoon,

I am trying to update my R730 from esxi 6.0 to esxi 6.7, but when doing so there seems to be some remaining esxi 5.x VIBs stopping me from doing so.

After looking at other posts on here and elsewhere, this should be fixable by removing the incompatible VIBs and updating. However, I have a question on how do I know if I am using said VIB or not. A few of them I figured out, but wasn't sure on the rest of them. Here are, almost all (can't get them all right now), the ones causing issues.

QLogic_bootbank_scsi-qla4

Brocade_bootbank_net-bna

Broadcom_bootbank_scsi-bnx2i

Broadcom_bootbank_net-cnic

QLogic_bootbank_net-qlcnic

LSI_bootbank_scsi-mpt3as

Broadcom_bootbank_scsi-bnx2fc

Braodcom_bootbank_net-bnx2x

LSI_bootbank_scsi-megaraid-perc9...

LSI_bootbank_scsi-mpt3sas

LSI_bootbank_scsi-mpt2sas

LSI_bootbank_scsi-mpt2sas (yes two of the same, even version numbers not sure why)

LSI_bootbank_scsi-megaraid-sas

Broadcom_bootbank_net-bnx2_2.2.5f

Brocade_bootbank_net_bna

I have removed most version numbers to avoid.. well too much typing, but if theyre necessary I have them (didnt think they were though).

Please let m eknow how i can make sure none of these are in use, for safe re

[a_p_]

Welcome to the Community,

unless you have individual drivers installed, you may download the current Offline Bundle "VMware-VMvisor-Installer-6.7.0.update03-15160138.x86_64-DellEMC_Customized-A04.zip" from the Dell support web site, and basically follow the steps I described at Re: Esxi upgrade from 5.5 to 6.0U3 HPE custom offline bundle VMware-ESXi-6.0.0-Update3-6921384-HPE-6...

André

[Jacob29]

Hi Andre,

Thanks for the reply.

I have previously been trying to upgrade via the ISO method using the .iso instead.

But I am willing to give it a go that way instead... would you recommend that method over doing it with an .iso? Would this not run into a similar issue?

Also, as testing, I had already removed the net-bna VIB - could this cause an issue if i now do it via SSH .zip?

Excuse the potentially silly questions...

[IRIX201110141]

I use the Dell Custom ISOs since the beginning and normaly only 2-4 VIBs are effected.  I see it often when ESXi is upgraded trough different major releases  like 5.5 -> 6.x -> 6.7.

Whats comming back when searching for

esxcli software vib list | grep 500

?

Regards,
Joerg

[Jacob29]

Hi Joerg,

Unfortunately I have inherited these with an unknown past, so it is not known how they were upgraded previously, but it is decently old now.

Searching for anything with 500 in it comes back with this list:-

misc-cnic-register         1.710.30.v50.1-1OEM.500.0.0.472560            Broadcom 

net-bnx2                       2.2.5f.v50.6-1OEM.500.0.0.472560                 Broadcom 

net-bnx2x                     2.710.39.v50.2-1OEM.500.0.0.472560            Broadcom

net-cnic                        2.710.35.v50.5-1OEM.500.0.0.472560            Broadcom 

net-tg3                         3.137d.v50.1-1OEM.500.0.0.472560               Broadcom 

scsi-bnx2fc                  1.710.35.v50.2-1OEM.500.0.0.469512            Broadcom 

scsi-bnx2i                    2.710.30.v50.4-1OEM.500.0.0.472560            Broadcom 

net-bna                        3.2.4.0-1OEM.500.0.0.472560                        Brocade

scsi-bfa                        3.2.4.0-1OEM.500.0.0.472560                        Brocade

ima-be2iscsi                10.2.250.0-1OEM.500.0.0.472629                   Emulex  

scsi-be2iscsi                10.2.250.0-1OEM.500.0.0.472629                  Emulex   

net-igb                          5.2.7-1OEM.500.0.0.472560                           Intel 

net-ixgbe                      3.21.5-1OEM.500.0.0.472560                         Intel   

scsi-megaraid-perc9    6.901.55.00-1OEM.500.0.0.472560                LSI     

scsi-megaraid-sas       06.803.73.00-1OEM.500.0.0.472560              LSI    

scsi-mpt2sas               19.00.00.00.1vmw-1OEM.500.0.0.472560      LSI     

scsi-mpt3sas                04.00.00.00.1vmw-1OEM.500.0.0.472560     LSI    

scsi-mtip32xx-scsi        2.13.2-1OEM.500.0.0.472560                        Micron  

ima-qla4xxx                  500.2.01.31-1vmw.0.3.100400                       QLogic

net-qlcnic                      5.3.191-1OEM.500.0.0.472560                      QLogic

net-qlge                        2.0.0.59-1OEM.500.0.0.472560                     QLogic

scsi-qla4xxx                  644.5.34.0-1OEM.500.0.0.472560                QLogic

[IRIX201110141]

Oh!... thats a long list and most likely the same as you list above.

About qlogic, emulex, brocade, micron iam pretty sure that you dont have hardware in your host which requires one of those and it  would be safe to remove them. But iam not sure about the others.

If this is a small environment or stand alone ESXi please consider a fresh 6.7 install rather than an upgrade. If you have ESXi installed on dual SD or a small install lun its very safe. Its not so save if you have ESXi in front of your one and only VMFS Datastore.

If you enable the log file within putty and capture the output of

esxcfg-vswitch -l

esxcfg-vmknic -l

esxcfg-nics -l

cat /ets/ntpd.conf

cat /etc/resolv.conf

cat /etc/hosts

df -h

you can rebuild the host within minutes.  If you use vDS, Horizon or other fancy stuff than think about first.

Regards,
Joerg

[IRIX201110141]

Maybe you can identify which driver (broadcom,install, LSI) are in use and try to update these to 6.0 at least.

You can easily uninstall the unwanted with:

esxcli software vib remove -n ima-qla4xxx -n net-qlcnic   -n net-qlge  -n scsi-qla4xxx 

Regards,

Joerg

[sudeshnas]

Hi Jacob29,

run the following command to find out what driver is being used by the storage vmhba and the network vmnic:

esxcfg-scsidevs -a

esxcfg-nics -l

If the nics coming in dependency list is not part of the above list , you can remove the vibs and the continue with the esxi upgrade.

Esxcli software vib remove --vibname=xxx.

Regards,

Sudeshna Sarkar

Install-Upgrade Specialist

[Jacob29]

Hi Joerg,

Sadly a fresh 6.7 install might not be on the cards due to the datastore on the machine.

Afaik the ESXi is on an SD card though.

[Jacob29]

Hi Sudeshna,

Thanks for the advise, I ran both of those and didn't see any crossover.

The nics are only vmnic0 to vmnic5, and the scsidevs-a command gave me a few of them but it is only sata.vmhba's, and a usb.vmhba, so to me this would imply they are safe to remove for the install?

[IRIX201110141]

When ESXi is installed on the Dual SD than there is no risk when trying to reinstall ESXi.

Even when is in front of the Datastore and on the same LUN the Installer ask to preserve the existing VMFS. Question is only what to do if something goes wrong because there is no parachute.

Regards,
Joerg

[sudeshnas]

Hi Jacob29,

If the dependency vibs and the o/p of the vibs in use by the nics and storage hba is different then definetly you can go ahead and remove the vibs.

Perform a reboot and then proceed with the upgrade.

Please mark the answer correct if it had helped you to resolve the issue.

Regards,

Sudeshna Sarkar

Install-Upgrade Specialist

[Jacob29]

Hi All,

So I tried again this Saturday, after removing most of the issue causers, however there are a few more I need to get rid that I must have missed.

However, I noticed that some of them are ones that are not on the system at all, so I can't remove them, but if thats the case how can I resolve it?

So this is what I get;

MISSING_DEPENDENCY_VIBS ERROR:

VMW_bootbank_net-bnx2_2.2.4f.v60.18-2vmw.670..

VMW_bootbank_net.bnx2x_1.78.88.v60.12-2vmw.670...

VMW_bootbank_scsi-bnx2i.2.78.76.v60.80-1vmw.670...

VMW_bootbank_net_cnic.1.78.76.v60.13-2vmw.670...

VMW_bootbank_net-cnic.1.78.76.v60.13-2vmw.670...

The rest are .500's so should be removable, but not sure what I can do about missing VIBs on 670 versions??

Any guidance appreciated

[sudeshnas]

Hi Jacob29,

Please let me know the command that you are using to perform the esxi upgrade.

Regards,

Sudeshna Sarkar

Install-Upgrade Specialist