Perform a Dry Run of an ESXCLI Installation or Upgrade

You can use the --dry-run option to preview the results of an installation or upgrade operation. A dry run of the installation or update procedure does not make any changes, but reports the VIB-level operations that will be performed if you run the command without the --dry-run option.

When you specify a target server by using --server=<server_name>, the server prompts you for a user name and password. Other connection options, such as a configuration file or session file, are supported. For a list of connection options, see Getting Started with ESXCLI, or run esxcli --help at the ESXCLI command prompt.

Prerequisites

Install ESXCLI. See Getting Started with ESXCLI. For troubleshooting, run esxcli commands in the ESXi Shell.

Procedure

1. Enter the installation or upgrade command, adding the --dry-run option.

   • esxcli --server=<server_name> software vib install --dry-run

   • esxcli --server=<server_name> software vib update --dry-run

   • esxcli --server=<server_name> software profile install --dry-run

   • esxcli --server=<server_name> software profile update --dry-run

2. Review the output that is returned.
   The output shows which VIBs will be installed or removed and whether the installation or update requires a reboot.