ESXi Version Update

This guide details how to update the ESXi version using the command-line interface (CLI). CLI updates are ideal when you need a controlled, automated update process. Let's dive in!

Online ESXi Update via CLI

Check the ESXi Version:

First, let's verify the current ESXi version. You can find this information in the web interface:
SSH into the ESXi Host:

Enable SSH access (Left navigation, Host Page, ⚙︎ Actions > Services > Enable Secure Shell (SSH)).

Connect to your ESXi host using SSH. Replace the IP address with your host's IP.
```
ssh root@192.168.0.100 # adjust the username and IP address
```
Use the CLI to check the ESXi version:
```
vmware -v

### Output
# VMware ESXi 8.0.2 build-23825572
```

Check the Latest Installation/Update Activity:

Let's check the installation date of the current ESXi version. This helps ensure we're starting from a known point:

esxcli software vib list | grep 'Install\|esx-base'

### Output
# Name                           Version                               Vendor  Acceptance Level  Install Date  Platforms
# esx-base                       8.0.2-0.40.23825572                   VMware  VMwareCertified   2024-05-24    host

Check ESXi Version and Profile Before the Update:

Confirm the current ESXi version and profile using this command:
```
esxcli software profile get
```
Enable Firewall Rule for Internet Access:

Enable the httpClient firewall rule to allow the ESXi host to access the VMware online depot:
```
esxcli network firewall ruleset set -e true -r httpClient
```

Check Available Images in the VMware Online Depot:

Now, let's see which ESXi versions are available for update:

esxcli software sources profile list --depot=https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/main/vmw-depot-index.xml

Or, use this command:

LANG=en_US.UTF-8 /usr/lib/vmware/esxcli-software sources.profile.list -d "https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/main/vmw-depot-index.xml"

⚠️ Note for ESXi 8.x and above:

You might encounter a [MemoryError] due to a fixed memory limit for ESXCLI.

Check the current memory limit:
grep 'mem=' /usr/lib/vmware/esxcli-software

### Output
# #!/usr/bin/python ++group=esximage,mem=300
Increase the memory limit from 300MB to 500MB:
esxcli system settings advanced set -o /VisorFS/VisorFSPristineTardisk -i 0
cp /usr/lib/vmware/esxcli-software /usr/lib/vmware/esxcli-software.bak
sed -i 's/mem=300/mem=500/g' /usr/lib/vmware/esxcli-software.bak
mv /usr/lib/vmware/esxcli-software.bak /usr/lib/vmware/esxcli-software -f
esxcli system settings advanced set -o /VisorFS/VisorFSPristineTardisk -i 1
After increasing the memory limit, rerun the command to check available images.

Filter Images (Optional):

The list of available images can be quite long. Use grep to filter by year or a specific version. In this example, we're filtering for ESXi-8.0U3d-24585383-standard:

esxcli software sources profile list --depot=https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/main/vmw-depot-index.xml | grep 2025

### Output
# ESXi-7.0U3s-24585291-standard     VMware, Inc.  PartnerSupported  2025-03-04T00:00:00  2025-03-04T00:00:00
# ESXi-7.0U3s-24585291-no-tools     VMware, Inc.  PartnerSupported  2025-03-04T00:00:00  2025-02-21T03:24:14
# ESXi-8.0U2d-24585300-standard     VMware, Inc.  PartnerSupported  2025-03-04T00:00:00  2025-03-04T00:00:00
# ESXi-8.0U2d-24585300-no-tools     VMware, Inc.  PartnerSupported  2025-03-04T00:00:00  2025-02-21T03:56:44
# ESXi-8.0U3d-24585383-no-tools     VMware, Inc.  PartnerSupported  2025-03-04T00:00:00  2025-03-04T00:00:00
# ESXi-8.0U3d-24585383-standard     VMware, Inc.  PartnerSupported  2025-03-04T00:00:00  2025-03-04T00:00:00

Enter Maintenance Mode:

Before updating, put the ESXi host into maintenance mode. Important: Shut down all VMs running on the host first!
```
esxcli system maintenanceMode set --enable=true
```

Execute the Update:

Upgrade to the chosen build profile. Replace ESXi-8.0U3d-24585383-standard with the desired profile name.

esxcli software profile update -p ESXi-8.0U3d-24585383-standard -d https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/main/vmw-depot-index.xml

If you encounter a [HardwareError] due to unsupported CPU, use the --no-hardware-warning flag:

esxcli software profile update -p ESXi-8.0U3d-24585383-standard -d https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/main/vmw-depot-index.xml --no-hardware-warning

Wait for Completion:

The upgrade process will take some time. Be patient!
Disable Internet Access:

Once the upgrade completes, disable internet access for security:
```
esxcli network firewall ruleset set -e false -r httpClient
```
Reboot the Host:

Reboot the ESXi host to apply the updates.
```
reboot
```
Enable SSH:

After rebooting, access the web interface and re-enable SSH access.
Disable Maintenance Mode:

Take the ESXi host out of maintenance mode:
```
esxcli system maintenanceMode set --enable=false
```
Check Profile (Again):

Verify the updated ESXi profile:
```
esxcli software profile get
```

ESXi Version Update

Online ESXi Update via CLI​

Reference

Online ESXi Update via CLI