If your ESXi host is unsupported, manually upgrade your ESXi host to the supported version.

Prerequisites

Verify that the ESXi host is supported. See Supported Hypervisor Upgrade Path.

Procedure

  • ♦ Upgrade the ESXi host using one of the following options.
    • Perform the upgrade from the ESXi CLI:
      1. Place your ESXi host in maintenance mode.
      2. Run the following command from the ESXi CLI:
        esxcli software profile update --depot <path-to-depot-file> ESXi-X.X.X-XXXXXX-standard --allow-downgrades --no-sig-check
      3. Download the NSX kernel module for VMware ESXi x.x.
      4. Install the NSX kernel module. 
        esxcli software vib install -d <path_to_kernel_module_file> --no-sig-check
      5. Reboot the ESXi host.
      6. Move your ESXi host out of maintenance mode.
    • Upgrade ESXi in an offline environment using vSphere Update Manager:
      1. Upgrade to a supported version of vCenter Server.
      2. Log in to the upgraded vCenter Server.
      3. Download and add the supported ESXi software depot to the image builder inventory.
      4. Download and add the NSX kernel module for VMware ESXi x.x to the image builder inventory.
      5. Create a customized software depot, create a new image profile, and select the packages from the software depots that you added to the image builder inventory.
      6. Export the image to ISO.
      7. Upload the installation ISO image to the vSphere Update Manager repository.
      8. Create a baseline based on the uploaded ISO image in vSphere Update Manager, and attach it to a cluster.
      9. Start the remediate process and wait for the upgrade process to complete.
      10. Run the remediate process again if you see any upgrade failures.
    • Perform the upgrade using a baseline group:
      1. Upgrade to the supported version of vCenter Server.
      2. Log in to the upgraded vCenter Server.
      3. In the lifecycle manager, upload the ESXi x.x installation ISO and import the NSX kernel modules for VMware ESXi x.x .
      4. Create an upgrade baseline using the imported ESXi x.x installation ISO
      5. Create an extension baseline using the uploaded NSX kernel modules.
      6. Create a baseline group using the baselines you created in the preceding steps.
      7. Attach the baseline group to a cluster. Ensure the vmknics on the hosts have been configured. If the vmknics are configured to use DHCP, make sure the DHCP server is running.
      8. Start the remediate process and wait for the upgrade process to complete.
      9. Run the remediate process again if you see any upgrade failures.
    • Starting NSX-T Data Center 3.1.1 and vSphere 7.0 update 1, for vSphere Lifecycle Manager-enabled clusters, you can upgrade your ESXi host along with NSX-T Data Center, using vSphere Lifecycle Manager.
      1. Upload the ESXi host image to vSphere Lifecycle Manager depot.
      2. Update the ESXi host version for the cluster image.
      3. From the NSX Manager UI, select Stage in vSphere Lifecycle Manager when configuring the host upgrade. See Configure Hosts.
      4. Follow the steps in Upgrade a vSphere Lifecycle Manager-enabled Cluster to complete the upgrade.