Update ESXi Hosts by Using Zip Files

You can update hosts with VIBs or image profiles by downloading a ZIP file of a depot.

VMware partners prepare third-party VIBs to provide management agents or asynchronously released drivers.

Important: If you are upgrading or updating ESXi from a zip bundle in a VMware-supplied depot, either online from the VMware Web site or downloaded locally, the esxcli software vib update and esxcli software vib install commands are not supported. VMware supports only the update and upgrade methods specified for VMware-supplied depots in the topic Upgrade or Update a Host with Image Profiles. If the depot is not supplied by VMware and does not have an image profile, you can use the esxcli software vib update and esxcli software vib install commands for individual or multiple VIB updates as described in Update a Host with Individual VIBs and the procedure in this topic.

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.

• Download the ZIP file of a depot bundle from a third-party VMware partner.

• Determine whether the update requires the host to be in maintenance mode or to be rebooted. If necessary, place the host in maintenance mode.

  See See if ESXi Host Update Requires Maintenance Mode or Reboot. See Place a Host in Maintenance Mode.

• If the update requires a reboot, and if the host belongs to a vSphere HA cluster, remove the host from the cluster or deactivate HA on the cluster.

Procedure

• ♦ Install the ZIP file.

  esxcli --server=<server_name> software vib update --depot=/<path_to_vib_ZIP>/<ZIP_file_name>.zip