Using vCenter Update Manager with only 1 ESXi Host?

[mensa84]

Hello,

in a test environment I have 1 ESXi host with some VMs and the VCSA running on it.

As far as I know, the Update Manager of the vCenter is only able to patch the ESXi host, if the ESXi is in maintenance mode. Right?

So in my case, it would be impossible to use Upate Manager for patching the ESXi host? Because if I put the ESXi host to maintenance mode, I would have to shutdown all VMs running on it and therefore also the VCSA. So the Update Manager is unavailable, when the only ESXi host is in maintenance mode.

Or did I understand something wrong?

It's only a very little test environment. But maybe anyone does know a way, how I could use Update Manager with only 1 ESXi host?

Or is it just impossible?

[a_p_]

That's correct, you cannot patch a host with powered on VMs.

However, since this is a test environment, you could simply create another ESXi host as a virtual machine, which you then can manage/update in the same way as a physical host.

André