VMware recently released its latest vSphere version 6.7 update 3 and it is generally available. ESXi can be upgraded using multiple ways and one of the easy ways is the command line. Many cases like lab or testing you may not have vCenter server to manage or update from VUM, in that case, the command line is the easiest option.
In this article, we will share the procedure to Upgrade to VMware vSphere ESXi 6.7 Update3 with the command line and see how this is accomplished.
There are two options available install and update
- update command is the recommended method for patch application. This command applies all of the newer contents in a patch, including all security fixes. Contents of the patch that are a lower revision than the existing packages on the system are not applied
- install command overwrites the existing packages in the system with the contents of the patch you are installing, including installing new packages and removing old packages. The install command may downgrade packages on the system and should be used with caution
Note: The install method has the possibility of overwriting existing drivers. If you are using third-party ESXi images or the ESXi host is part of a vSAN cluster, VMware recommends using the update method to prevent an unbootable state or a vSAN node that no longer contributes storage to the cluster.
To Install or Update you need ESXi offline bundle, which you can download from VMware site and upload to the datastore which is accessible for ESXi hosts.
Download VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi) Offline Bundle
Navigate to Datastore and browse to upload the file
Install the vSphere 6.7 Update3 Using the local setup
You can follow the below command to install the update3 on top of your current ESXi version.
Here we’ve performed an upgrade from vSphere 6.7 Update2 to Update 3.
#esxcli software vib install -d “/vmfs/volumes/Datastore/DirectoryName/vsphere6.7update3.zip”
Note: vSphere6.7update3.zip is the name of the file you uploaded to the datastore.
Note: Alternatively, you can use the datastore’s UUID instead of the Directory Name.
# esxcli software vib install -d “/vmfs/volumes/ /5d66ada0-bb61f01a-dabf-005056b8b67b/DirectoryName/vsphere6.7update3.zip “
To Update Using Local Setup
# esxcli software vib update -d “/vmfs/volumes/Datastore/DirectoryName/ vsphere6.7update3.zip “
Where vsphere6.7update3.zip is the name of the patch file you uploaded to the datastore.
Note: You can use the datastore’s UUID instead of the DirectoryName as mentioned in the install option
After the patch has been installed, reboot the ESX host:
# reboot
After the host has finished booting, exit maintenance mode and you can power on the virtual machines if required
# vim-cmd hostsvc/maintenance_mode_exit
Install the vSphere 6.7 Update3 directly from VMware Repository
To perform this, you need to collect some information from the ESXi console and make some modifications. Follow the below procedure:
1. Check ESXi Version and Profile Information
You can use esxcli command to check the ESXi version current profile:
Check ESXi Version – # esxcli system version get
Check the ESXi Image Profile – # esxcli software profile get
2. Allow the ESXi host to connect the Internet
Create a firewall rule to allow the ESXi host to connect the Internet to pull down the required patches and put the host into maintenance mode.
#esxcli network firewall ruleset set -e true -r httpClient
To upgrade/update ESXi from repository run the below esxcli command
#esxcli software profile update -d
https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/main/vmw-depot-index.xml -p ESXi-6.7.0-20190402001-standard
Note: Before performing the update you have to place the host into maintenance mode
Conclusion
Upgrading a VMware ESXi host from the command line is one of the easiest ways and is useful for the customers having a standalone ESXi host or need to upgrade a host to a specific version for some special requirements.
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