Note to self: updating my standalone ESXi host

I’m running a fully nested homelab on a single SuperMicro server. In order to update and patch it, I need to follow an offline procedure using the command line. Although this is a really straightforward procedure, I always need to resort to Google twice per year or so to find the correct commands. I haven’t dealt hands-on with patch management of vSphere in customer environments in ages :-).

So, this short blogpost is nothing more than a note to myself. If it happens to help somebody else … perfect!

Place the host in Maintenance Mode

[[email protected]:~] esxcli system maintenanceMode set -e true
[[email protected]:~] esxcli system maintenanceMode get
Enabled

Download the patch bundle

Patches are cumulative https://blogs.vmware.com/vsphere/2018/07/new-rollup-bulletins-simplify-vmware-esxi-updating.html so grab the latest patch from https://my.vmware.com/group/vmware/patch#search

Upload the offline patch bundle to the host using the Datastore Browser

Install the patch using ESXCLI

[[email protected]:~] esxcli software vib install -d /vmfs/volumes/ SSD960/Patches/ESXi670-201912001.zip

[[email protected]:/vmfs/volumes/5a8c8a49-2cf99aca-545e-ac1f6b1de514/Patches] esxcli software vib install -d /vmfs/volumes/5a8c8a49-2cf99aca-545e-ac1f6b1de514/Patches/ESXi670-201912001.zip

Installation Result

   Message: The update completed successfully, but the system needs to be rebooted for the changes to be effective.

   Reboot Required: true

   VIBs Installed: VMW_bootbank_bnxtnet_20.6.101.7-24vmw.670.3.73.14320388, VMW_bootbank_brcmfcoe_11.4.1078.25-14vmw.670.3.73.14320388, VMW_bootbank_ [...]

Reboot the host

[[email protected]:~] Reboot

Take the host out of Maintenance Mode

[[email protected]:~] esxcli system maintenanceMode set -e false
[[email protected]:~] esxcli system maintenanceMode get
Disabled

Verify the version

[[email protected]:~] vmware -vl
VMware ESXi 6.7.0 build-15160138
VMware ESXi 6.7.0 Update 3