Where to find vSphere Host Update Utility?

[MrSpock77]

I've installed ESX 4.1.0 (build 260247, free) and the vSphere Client. I have searched for hours, but cannot find the vSphere Host Update Utility 4.0. I didn't get any chance to add it during the vSphere Client install.

Thanks

[gary1012]

Uninstall and then reinstall the vSphere client and select Host Update. That should take care of it.

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[MrSpock77]

I have reinstalled it, both on my computer with Vista and on another clean machine with XP, but there is no option to select Host Update. These are the only dialogs shown.

Would you mind give it a try and install the latest client and see if you are able to select Host Update, please? Thank you.

[MarekZdrojewski · Accepted solution]

Hi,

According to this blogthe Host Update utility that installed with the vSphere Client is now gone in 4.1.

hth

Marek.Z

[MrSpock77]

Marek, thank you. That explains it all.

So there is no way to "automatically" install patches on the free version of ESXi 4.1? I guess the Update Manager requires vCenter and the CLI commands require offline patches to be downloaded manually.

[derbbre]

Am I the only one here who thinks it's a little odd that VMware offers a file named "ESXi 4.1 (upgrade ZIP from ESXi 3.5)" but offers no way to actually use it? Am I the only one here who thinks it odd that VMware offers in their ESXi 4.x upgrade help: "Upgrade ESXi Hosts: You can use vSphere Host Update Utility to upgrade ESXi 3.5 hosts to ESXi 4.x." when the function was removed in 4.1 (which, IMHO fits the 4.x category)? Lastly, am I the only one here who finds it odd that there is no official explanation of the disappearance of the Host Upgrade Utility?

If VMware would like to stop any and all actual functionality of ESXi Free, fine, but what's the point of offering a product, free or otherwise, that is difficult to install and maintain? Am I just supposed to trust that the paid version is better supported?

[microkid]

No, it's not odd, because if you would have read the upgrade PDF you would have learned that you need the vihostupdate tool to update from 4.0 to 4.1. Updating from 3.5 to 4.0 can still be done with the host update utility. So yes, it has been announced officially everywhere, if you would have read the releasenotes and upgrade documents.

[derbbre]

Thanks for your snotty tone, "microkid", you're a great help. I did read the PDF, thank you again, and I found it odd that there is a 3.5 to 4.1 update, not a 4.0 to 4.1 update. Did you read my post? Try helping people instead of being snotty. Posts like that will drive people to other solutions... this "community" is getting full of know-it-alls.