vCenter Server 6.7 does not support host profiles with version earlier than 6.0. Use the present workflow to upgrade your vCenter Server and Host Profiles to version 6.0 or later.

Prerequisites

  • Your cluster contains ESXi 5.1 or ESXi 5.5 hosts.
  • Your vCenter Server is version 6.0 or 6.5.
  • A host profile with version 5.1 or 5.5 is attached to the cluster.
    Note: Use the PowerCLI commands to fetch the list of host profiles with version less than 6.0 in the vCenter Server inventory: Get-VMHostProfile | % { $_.ExtensionData.Config.ApplyProfile.ProfileVersion +"`t"+ $_.Name }

    Or

    Get-VMHostProfile | ? { $_.ExtensionData.Config.ApplyProfile.ProfileVersion -like "5*" }
    Note: List of unsupported host profiles with version less than 6.0 in the installer log can be found at: /var/log/vmware/upgrade/vcdb_req.err when upgrade fails at pre-check.

Procedure

  1. Create a rule with image profile version 6.0.
  2. Activate the rule for all the ESXi hosts version 5.1 or 5.5 in the cluster.
  3. If the host profile contains an Active Directory profile, edit the host profile and disable the Active Directory.
    The Active Directory settings configured in the ESXi host are not retained when the host is upgraded to ESXi 6.0.
  4. Boot one of the hosts with version 5.1 or 5.5 by using the newly created rule.
    The host boots from the image profile with version 6.0 and from the host profile that is attached to the cluster.
    The host is upgraded to ESXi 6.0. If the host has been added to the Active Directory domain before the upgrade, it is no longer joined to this domain.
  5. (Optional) If needed, join the upgraded host back to the Active Directory domain.
  6. Extract a new host profile from the upgraded host.
  7. Boot the remaining hosts with version 5.1 or 5.5 from the vCenter Server inventory.
    All the hosts are upgraded to version 6.0.
  8. Attach the newly extracted host profile to the cluster.
    There might be a change in the host profiles behavior and policy options. For more information, see Host Profiles Upgrade Workflows.
    The host customization data auto-populates (except for security-related options).
  9. Remediate the cluster with the attached host profile.
  10. Remove all host profiles with version 5.1 or 6.0 from the vCenter Server inventory.
  11. (Optional) If hosts are part of Distributed Virtual Switch (DVS) with version 5.1 or 6.0, upgrade the DVS to the same version as your vCenter Server.

What to do next

Proceed with upgrading the vCenter Server to version 6.7. For more information, see Recommended Host Profiles Upgrade Workflows.