Upgrade to ESXi 8U2 using image profiles for Dell
Introduction
As with any other software, servers running ESXi benefit from regular updates and version upgrades so that they remain up-to-date with the latest patches and enhancements. In the following post I will explain how I did a standalone ESXi’s upgrade from version 7U3 to 8 using host profiles on a Dell PowerEdge.
ESXi upgrade methods
If you thought there is still someone in the wild doing the manual, interactive way — that’s what I did last year when I initially setup my Maxtang ESXi server. It’s a standard “click next” sort of an install and you can read about it in this past blogpost.
On the other hand, a more practical way of doing updates and upgrades for a standalone host in production is via SSH and using image profile.
Standalone ESXI Checklist
Note: For updating a clustered ESXi, some extra considerations are needed. I won’t go into lengths in this post, though keep in mind that a vCenter with a higher version than an ESXi host can still manage it, but not the other way around.
- Compatibility
Hardware compatibility check is the first step. This is best done via the OEM site, in my case that’s Dell.
2. Download the proper ISO
Additionally, after compatibility is confirmed between the hardware and software, a customized ISO download can also be downloaded from the OEM and this was done here in my particular case for a Dell PowerEdge.
3. Procedure
The whole procedure step by step, can be found in the official documentation. But I’ll just point out the important steps and some caveats I would have needed reminding of during the process.
After you’ve uploaded the upgrade file to the ESXi datastore, even though you have the version that you need, you still need to choose the correct image profile.
To get the correct profile name, run the following command and its output will provide it:
esxcli software sources profile list -d [/location of the .zip upgrade file]
Else, as explained by this fellow blogger here, you’ll be getting the error:
Error: Missing required parameter -p| — profile
Note: Older versions had 4 types of image profiles from one version. A fellow vexpert Virten offers a clear breakdown of the specifics here.
After that’s all done, enable SSH for the host as it is usually disabled and set the host into maintenance mode.
Next, just build the command as per the example here and press enter
esxcli software profile update -d [/location of the .zip upgrade file] -p DEL-ESXi_802.22380479-A00Once it is done, it will ask for a reboot and on the next login into the vSphere Client you should be able to see the new, desired version.
