HOW TO: Update VMware ESXi 8.0 GA to ESXi 8.0U2 direct from VMware remotely using the ESXCLI tool installed on Windows 10
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Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)
EE Fellow, MVE, Expert of the Year 2021,2017-11, Scribe 2016-2012, Author of the Year 2018-6,2013-2012 VMware vExpert Pro, vExpert 2022-2011
In this video, I will show you how to HOW TO: Update VMware ESXi 8.0 GA (general availability (Build 20513097) ) to ESXi 8.0U2 (Update 2 (Build 22380479) ) direct from VMware using the ESXCLI tool on Windows 10 computer. I've previously published videos here of how this can be completed at the console or remotely via SSH for VMware vSphere Hypervisor ESXi 7.0.
HOW TO: Update VMware ESXi 7.0U2 to ESXi 7.0U2a direct from VMware.
This procedure can be used for any ESXi build providing it's specified in the download URL from the VMware repository online and the ESXi host has internet access.
The ESXCLI tool has a prerequisite of Python being installed on your Windows or Linux desktop. If using Windows you can find the download for Python here - Python for Windows
Download ESXCLI tool.
The ESXCLI tool allows for remote management of ESXi hosts by using the ESXCLI command set. So if you are familiar with using esxcli on the console or remotely via SSH, you can use esxcli on Windows or Linux to perform the same commands, without enabling SSH, and ESXi shell.
These are the commands I used using esxcli on Windows, not the use of --dry-run and --no-hardware-warning
esxcli -s <server FQDN> system maintenanceMode set --enable true
esxcli -s <server FQDN> network firewall ruleset set -e true -r httpClient
esxcli -s <server FQDN> software profile update -p ESXi-8.0U2-22380479-standa
esxcli -s <server FQDN> software profile update -p ESXi-8.0U2-22380479-standa
esxcli -s <server FQDN> network firewall ruleset set -e false -r httpClient
Please note to upgrade to ESXi 8.0 U2 (Build 22380479), you must have a CPU which supports the XSAVE instruction set, which was introduced for the first time in the Intel Sandy Bridge or AMD Bulldozer processors. If you try to use the allowLegacyCPU=true as a kernel option, the upgrade will still fail.
Homelab considerations for vSphere 8
Heads Up - ESXi 8.0 Update 2 requires XSAVE CPU instruction even with allowLegacyCPU=true
HOW TO: Update VMware ESXi 7.0U2 to ESXi 7.0U2a direct from VMware.
This procedure can be used for any ESXi build providing it's specified in the download URL from the VMware repository online and the ESXi host has internet access.
The ESXCLI tool has a prerequisite of Python being installed on your Windows or Linux desktop. If using Windows you can find the download for Python here - Python for Windows
Download ESXCLI tool.
The ESXCLI tool allows for remote management of ESXi hosts by using the ESXCLI command set. So if you are familiar with using esxcli on the console or remotely via SSH, you can use esxcli on Windows or Linux to perform the same commands, without enabling SSH, and ESXi shell.
These are the commands I used using esxcli on Windows, not the use of --dry-run and --no-hardware-warning
esxcli -s <server FQDN> system maintenanceMode set --enable true
esxcli -s <server FQDN> network firewall ruleset set -e true -r httpClient
esxcli -s <server FQDN> software profile update -p ESXi-8.0U2-22380479-standa
esxcli -s <server FQDN> software profile update -p ESXi-8.0U2-22380479-standa
esxcli -s <server FQDN> network firewall ruleset set -e false -r httpClient
Please note to upgrade to ESXi 8.0 U2 (Build 22380479), you must have a CPU which supports the XSAVE instruction set, which was introduced for the first time in the Intel Sandy Bridge or AMD Bulldozer processors. If you try to use the allowLegacyCPU=true as a kernel option, the upgrade will still fail.
Homelab considerations for vSphere 8
Heads Up - ESXi 8.0 Update 2 requires XSAVE CPU instruction even with allowLegacyCPU=true
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