You can export an image profile to an ISO image or a ZIP file of component files and folders. You cannot create both by running the cmdlet once. You can use the ISO image as an ESXi installer or upload the ISO into vSphere Update Manager for upgrades. You can use the ZIP file, which contains metadata and the VIBs specified in the image profile, for upgrades to ESXi 5.0 and later.

Prerequisites

Install the PowerCLI and all prerequisite software. See Install vSphere ESXi Image Builder and Prerequisite Software.

Procedure

  1. In a PowerCLI session, run the Add-EsxSoftwareDepot cmdlet for each depot you want to work with.
    Option Action
    Remote depot Run Add-EsxSoftwareDepot -DepotUrl depot_url.
    ZIP file
    1. Download the ZIP file to a local file system.
    2. Run Add-EsxSoftwareDepot -DepotUrl C:\file_path\offline-bundle.zip
    The cmdlet returns one or more SoftwareDepot objects.
  2. Run Export-EsxImageProfile to export the image profile.
    Export Format Cmdlet
    ISO images Export-EsxImageProfile with the -ExportToIso parameter
    Offline depot ZIP files Export-EsxImageProfile with the -ExportToBundle parameter

Results

For the ISO image, vSphere ESXi Image Builder validates VIB signatures, adds VIB binaries to the image, and downloads the image to the specified location. For the ZIP file, vSphere ESXi Image Builder validates VIB signatures and downloads the VIB binaries to the specified location.

Example: Exporting an Image Profile

Follow these steps to export an image profile to an ISO image.

  1. Add the software depot. 
    Add-EsxSoftwareDepot -DepotUrl url_or_file
  2. View all available image profiles to find the name of the image profile to export. 
    Get-EsxImageProfile
  3. Export the image profile. 
    Export-EsxImageProfile -ImageProfile "myprofile" -ExportToIso -FilePath iso_name

Follow these steps to export an image profile to a ZIP file of component files and folders.

  1. Add the software depot. 
    Add-EsxSoftwareDepot -DepotUrl url_or_file
  2. View all available image profiles to find the name of the image profile to export. 
    Get-EsxImageProfile
  3. Export the image profile. 
    Export-EsxImageProfile -ImageProfile "myprofile" -ExportToBundle -FilePath C:\my_bundle.zip

What to do next

Use the ISO image in an ESXi installation or upload the ISO image into vSphereUpdate Manager to perform upgrades.

Use the ZIP file to upgrade an ESXi installation.

  • Import the ZIP file into vSphere Update Manager for use with patch baselines.
  • Download the ZIP file to an ESXi host or a datastore and run esxcli software vib commands to import the VIBs in the ZIP file.

See the vSphere Upgrade documentation.