How to Upgrade from VMware vSphere ESXi 6.7 to 7.0

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VMware vSphere 7, the latest release of VMware's virtualization platform, introduces a number of new useful features and many companies are looking forward to upgrading from vSphere six.7 to 7.0. The ESXi hypervisor is one of the main vSphere components, and for a vSphere upgrade, you lot should perform a VMware vCenter upgrade and a VMware ESXi upgrade. You won't have to perform a clean installation of ESXi 7.0 on servers running ESXi 6.v or ESXi 6.7 as yous can straight upgrade to v7 from these two versions. If you lot're using ESXi 6.0 or earlier in your vSphere surroundings, you lot can upgrade in several steps. For example, upgrade first to version half-dozen.5 and then to version vii.0. Otherwise, practise a clean installation of ESXi 7.0. This weblog mail explains how to upgrade from ESXi 6.7 to ESXi vii.0 in your vSphere environs.

ESXi Upgrade Requirements

The hardware of a server running ESXi six.vii must exist compatible with ESXi 7.0, that is, information technology must meet the hardware requirements for ESXi 7.0. If an unsupported device is present (for example, an old unsupported CPU or disk controller), the ESXi upgrade will not be practical to the server. Run into VMware Hardware Compatibility Guide.

There must be no running VMs on an ESXi host when you start the ESXi upgrade process. There must also exist enough free storage space for the ESXi upgrade.

If an ESXi host is managed past vCenter Server, the vCenter version must be the aforementioned or higher compared to the target version of ESXi after upgrade. VMware vCenter 7.0 can manage ESXi 7.0, ESXi 6.vii and ESXi half-dozen.5, simply vCenter vi.7 cannot manage ESXi seven.0 hosts. Thus, you have to upgrade vCenter first and then become to ESXi upgrade if you want to upgrade vSphere 6.vii to 7.0. Follow this vSphere upgrade social club, otherwise you can lose the connection between an ESXi host and vCenter.

If there are any VMware add-ons or plugins installed, check their compatibility by using the VMware Compatibility Matrix.

ESXi Upgrade Methods

This blog mail covers 2 principal methods for a VMware ESXi upgrade:

  1. Upgrade by using ESXCLI, the command line interface. This method can be used for VMware ESXi 6.7 to seven.0 upgrade for standalone ESXi hosts and ESXi hosts managed past vCenter.
  2. Upgrade by using Lifecycle Manager. This method is applicable simply for ESXi hosts managed past vCenter Server. VMware Lifecycle Managing director for VMware vSphere seven.0 is a modified VMware Update Manager that was used in vSphere half dozen.7. This is the preferred method for upgrading ESXi hosts managed past vCenter and allows you to upgrade multiple ESXi hosts at once by using the aforementioned image.

How long does ESXi upgrade take? An ESXi upgrade takes a few minutes if there are no compatibility issues or other issues.

ESXi Upgrade by Using ESXCLI

Although ESXi upgrade by using ESXCLI is non difficult, yous should still perform an ESXi backup before upgrading. This way, if anything goes incorrect, you lot can roll dorsum to a backup version. Read too how to back up ESXi configuration.

Enable ESXi Shell and SSH to access the command line interface on the ESXi host. You tin can do this by using one of two methods:

  1. In the ESXi direct console (DCUI), open up Organization customization and in Troubleshooting options, hit Enable ESXi Shell and Enable SSH. This configuration enables SSH and ESXi Shell permanently until you manually disable them.
  2. Enter the IP accost of your ESXi host in a web browser. Log into the VMware Host Client past using your ESXi root credentials. In the web interface of the VMware Host Customer get to Manage > Services.

Kickoff the services:

  • TSM
  • TSM-SSH

These services volition be enabled until ESXi reboot if you started the services in VMware Host Client.

Enable-SSH-access-for-VMware-ESXi-upgrade-by-using-ESXCLI

Cheque the current version of ESXi in the ESXi Directly Console or ESXi Beat out past using the vmware -v command or in VMware Host Client by going to Help > About.

Checking-the-current-ESXi-version-before-upgrade

Shut down all VMs running on the ESXi host.

ESXi upgrade by using ESXCLI is divided into two types:

  • The offline method – you have to download the offline bundle from the VMware website manually, upload the file to the ESXi datastore, and apply this bundle for the ESXi upgrade.
  • The online method – you should utilize VMware online repositories to download and install new packages for an ESXi contour update.

The offline method for ESXi upgrade

Download the ESXi vii offline bundle from the VMware website. The zip annal of the offline bundle is available along with the ESXi ISO installation image. In our instance the name of the downloaded VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi) offline package file is:

VMware-ESXi-seven.0.0-15843807-depot.zip

Downloading-the-VMware-ESXi-7-offline-bundle-from-the-VMware-website

Upload the downloaded naught file to the ESXi datastore. You lot can use VMware Host Customer or whatever SFTP client (if you want to upload a file via SSH). Allow's use VMware Host Client to upload the file.

Go to Storage > Datastores, select the datastore (datastore1 in our case), and click Datastore Browser.

Opening-the-datastore-browser-by-using-VMware-Host-Client

Select a directory to store parcel files or create a new directory in the datastore browser. Nosotros create the ESXi7-bundle directory to store the VMware-ESXi-seven.0.0-15843807-depot.nada file. Click Upload to scan a zip packet file and upload the file to the selected directory in the datastore.

The-ESXi-7-offline-installation-bundle-is-uploaded-to-the-ESXi-datastore-for-ESXi-upgrade

Make sure that there are non any VMs in the running state on this ESXi host before starting the ESXi upgrade process.

vmware -v is the command that allows you to check the current version of ESXi running on your server in the console.

Run the update command to upgrade ESXi 6.7 to seven.0:

esxcli software contour update -p ESXi-7.0.0-15843807-standard -d /vmfs/volumes/datastore1/ESXi7-bundle/VMware-ESXi-7.0.0-15843807-depot.zip

where ESXi-7.0.0-15843807-standard is the ESXi profile name that contains the version and build number that is equal to the ESXi version and build number defined in the proper noun of the VMware-ESXi-7.0.0-15843807-depot.zilch file used for ESXi upgrade. A contour consists of VIBs and defines an ESXi prototype. A VIB is an ESXi software package.

Wait for a while until you come across the control output.

Running-the-command-to-upgrade-ESXi-6-7-to-7-by-using-the-offline-method

Subsequently successful execution of the command y'all can see a list of updated packages (VIBs – VMware installation bundles) in the console output.

ESXi-packages-are-updated-and-server-reboot-is-required-to-complete-ESXi-upgrade

Reboot the ESXi host to end the ESXi upgrade:

reboot

Don't forget to assign a serial number for ESXi vii.0 considering the series number for ESXi vi.vii doesn't work for ESXi vii.0. Since the vSphere half dozen license is non valid, the upgraded ESXi 7.0 host starts to work in the total-featured evaluation manner for a 60-day catamenia. Thus, you lot have threescore days after upgrade to enter a vSphere 7 serial number otherwise the functionality of ESXi seven.0 will exist limited.

The online method for ESXi upgrade

When using the online method, yous should configure internet access for the ESXi host that you want to upgrade and identify the host in maintenance mode manually.

List the current image contour and independent packages:

esxcli software profile become

Viewing-the-current-ESXi-profile

Enter ESXi to the maintenance mode:

vim-cmd /hostsvc/maintenance_mode_enter

or

esxcli system maintenanceMode ready --enable true

Allow http traffic by editing settings in the built-in firewall on the ESXi host:

esxcli network firewall ruleset set -e truthful -r httpClient

List profiles provided past VMware for ESXi 7.0 in VMware repositories:

esxcli software sources profile list -d https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/Production/main/vmw-depot-alphabetize.xml | grep ESXi-vii.0.0

A software depot is a collection of VIBs and image profiles that has a hierarchy of files and directories that can be accessed via HTTPS. Companies who take large VMware vSphere environments tin create own depots and use vSphere auto deploy to install updates on numerous ESXi hosts.

Let's utilise this contour:
ESXi-vii.0.0-15843807-standard

You lot can cheque which packages volition be installed before running the ESXi upgrade command:

esxcli software contour update -d https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/Product/primary/vmw-depot-alphabetize.xml -p ESXi-7.0.0-15843807-standard --dry-run

Run the update process:

esxcli software profile update -d https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/main/vmw-depot-alphabetize.xml -p ESXi-vii.0.0-15843807-standard

Configuring-the-firewall-selecting-the-profile-and-starting-the-ESXi-upgrade-process

Wait for a few minutes until the upgrade process is finished.

Prefer using esxcli software contour update rather than esxcli software profile install to prevent overwriting existing packages, drivers, and configuration.

If yous run into the mistake message

Got no data from procedure: LANG=en_US.UTF-8 /usr/lib/vmware/esxcli-software profile.update  -d "https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/chief/vmw-depot-alphabetize.xml" -p "ESXi-7.0.0-15843807-standard",

check whether there is a persistent scratch partitioning. A persistent scratch sectionalization may be absent if you run ESXi from a USB flash drive. Read the blog postal service about running ESXi from the USB flash drive to learn more nearly ESXi partitions.

If everything is right, reboot the ESXi host for the changes to take effect.

reboot

Get out the maintenance mode with the command:

vim-cmd /hostsvc/maintenance_mode_enter

or

esxcli system maintenanceMode ready --enable false

ESXi Host Upgrade in vCenter

Open up VMware vSphere Customer in your spider web browser to access vCenter.

There are two ESXi 6.7 hosts in this example and these hosts are managed by vCenter. Shut down virtual machines on ESXi hosts that must be upgraded or migrate those VMs to other ESXi hosts. You tin practice upgrading ESXi hosts in virtual environment by running ESXi hosts and vCenter every bit virtual machines.

Let's upgrade the ESXi host with IP address is 192.168.11.27. Select the needed ESXi host and check the electric current hypervisor version. As you can meet on the screenshot beneath, the current version of our ESXi host before upgrade is half-dozen.7.0 build 10302608. If you lot want to upgrade multiple ESXi hosts, you lot tin can select a cluster or a datacenter.

Checking-the-current-ESXi-version-in-VMware-vSphere-Client-before-starting-ESXi-upgrade

Open up Lifecycle Director. You lot tin can do it past using multiple methods.

  1. Click Home and in the left pane (navigation pane) click Lifecycle Managing director.
  2. Click Menu in the top of the vSphere Customer window, and striking Lifecycle Manager.

Once y'all have opened VMware Lifecycle Director in vSphere Client, select the Imported ISOs tab and click Import ISO.

Importing-the-ESXi-7-installation-ISO-image-for-performing-VMware-ESXi-upgrade

Hit Scan and select the ESXi 7 installation ISO image file. You lot can download the ESXi installation image from the VMware website after registration (a VMware account is required).

Browsing-the-installation-ISO-image-for-ESXi-6-7-to-7-upgrade

Once you have selected the ISO file, the importing process starts. In this instance, we use the VMware-VMvisor-Installer-7.0.0-15843807.x86_64.iso file.

The-ESXi-7-installation-ISO-image-is-uploading-to-the-repository-of-Lifecycle-Manager

After importing the ISO file, you tin can encounter that the ESXi seven.0 installation image in the Imported ISOs tab.

Click New baseline to create a new baseline.

Creating-a-new-baseline-after-importing-the-ISO-image

Name and Description. Enter the baseline name and description, for example, ESXi7-0 and ESXi 7.0 baseline.

Entering-a-name-and-description-for-a-new-baseline

Select ISO. Select the ESXi 7 ISO image you have uploaded before (VMware-VMvisor-Installer-seven.0.0-15843807.x86_64.iso).

Selecting-the-ESXi-7-installation-ISO-image-for-a-new-baseline

Summary. Review your selections before finishing creating a baseline.

Checking-the-summary-for-a-new-baseline-creation

A baseline is now created.

Get back to the Hosts and clusters screen, select the ESXi host that must be updated (192.168.11.27 in our case), and in the top right corner of the interface click the Updates tab.

Selecting-the-Updates-tab-after-selecting-the-ESXi-host-that-must-be-upgraded

When a baseline is created, yous accept to attach that baseline to ESXi hosts y'all want to update. Every bit you remember, we are going to update a single ESXi host in this walkthrough.

Hit Baselines, curl downwards and discover the Attached Baselines department, then click Attach and in the carte that opens, click Attach Baseline or Baseline Group.

Attaching-a-baseline-or-baseline-group-to-the-selected-ESXi-host-for-configuring-VMware-ESXi-upgrade

Select the ESXi7-0 baseline you have created before and click Attach. If there are any other baselines attached, remove those baselines by selecting them and clicking Disassemble.

VMware-upgrade_selecting-the-baseline-to-attach

At present you take to check compliance. This footstep is needed to cheque whether the ESXi host has already the update installed. If you lot see the non-compliant status, it means that the update is not installed on your ESXi host. Click Check Compliance.

Checking-compliance-before-performing-ESXi-upgrade

As you lot can see on the adjacent screenshot, the ESXi status after checking is non-compliant and information technology means that you tin can install the needed update and upgrade ESXi 6.7 to ESXi 7.0.

The-non-compliant-status-notifies-you-that-updates-have-not-been-installed-on-an-ESXi-host-yet

Pre-check remediation checks for whatsoever compliance issues that may occur after installing updates and the ESXi upgrade.

Running-pre-check-remediation-to-check-for-any-compliance-issues-that-may-occur-after-VMware-ESXi-upgrade

As y'all tin encounter on the screenshot below, there are no issues later running remediation pre-check. Hitting Washed and go to upgrade the ESXi host.

VMware-upgrade_no-issues-found-after-remediation-pre-check

In the Attached Baselines section select your ESXi7-0 baseline created before and click Remediate to beginning the ESXi half-dozen.7 to 7.0 upgrade procedure.

Clicking-Remediate-to-start-the-upgrade-process-of-ESXi-6-7-ESXi-7

A popular-up screen appears. Read the End User License Agreement (EULA) and select the I accept the terms and license understanding checkbox. Hit OK to go along.

The-end-user-license-agreement-must-be-accepted-to-perform-upgrade-to-ESXi-7

Make certain that your ESXi host is selected and hit Remediate to upgrade ESXi half-dozen.7 to vii.0. Don't forget that virtual machines must be powered off or migrated from the ESXi host that is being upgraded.

Remediating-the-selected-ESXi-6-7-host-for-upgrade-to-the-version-7

You can see the ESXi upgrade progress in the Recent task toolbar that can exist expanded in the bottom of the VMware vSphere Customer interface. The ESXi host is automatically entered into the maintenance way to install the upgrade.

The-ESXi-host-is-entered-the-maintenance-mode-and-the-upgrade-process-is-started

When the ESXi upgrade process is finished, the maintenance style is turned off for the host and the upgraded ESXi host is ready to piece of work. You tin can select the ESXi host in the Hosts and Clusters view and check the version after ESXi upgrade. As y'all can run into on the screenshot below, the version of ESXi is now ESXi 7.0.0, 15843807.

The-ESXi-host-has-been-upgraded-to-the-version-7-successfully

If you see that a license is expired later on an ESXi six.7 to 7.0 upgrade on the upgraded host, y'all should use a vSphere seven.0 license.

If you demand to upgrade an ESXi host on which a vCenter VM (virtual appliance) is running you can apply one of the approaches:

  • Migrate a vCenter VM to another ESXi host and upgrade the source ESXi host.
  • Shut down a vCenter VM and other VMs running on the ESXi host and upgrade ESXi by using ESXCLI every bit explained in the get-go function of this blog postal service. Notice, that SSH admission must be enabled and the lockdown mode must be disabled (you must exist able to manage an ESXi host directly without vCenter).

Note: If any of explained ESXi upgrade methods are not suitable for you, you tin can write the ESXi ISO installation image to a DVD deejay or USB flash drive, boot from that medium, run the ESXi seven.0 installer, and select the disk where ESXi 6.7 is installed as the destination disk. The upgrade is performed in the interactive mode in this case. Some other more circuitous ESXi upgrade method is a scripted upgrade by using a traditional boot medium like DVD and wink drive or the preboot execution environment (PXE) to run the installer. The scripted method allows you to utilise predefined settings for upgrading multiple ESXi hosts.

What is VM compatibility upgrade? VM compatibility upgrade is the upgrade of VM hardware version. A VM hardware version defines which emulated devices (virtual hardware) are used by a virtual automobile running on a VMware hypervisor.

Should y'all upgrade VMware hardware version? It is recommended to upgrade the hardware version of virtual machines subsequently an ESXi upgrade and to update VMware Tools.

Determination

Afterwards the release of vSphere seven, many VMware customers want to upgrade from vSphere 6.7 to 7.0. VMware ESXi upgrade is a role of VMware vSphere upgrade. This blog post has covered ESXi 6.7 to 7.0 upgrade by using multiple methods. VMware ESXi upgrade in ESXCLI, which is a command line interface, is the universal method that can be used to upgrade standalone ESXi hosts and ESXi hosts managed by vCenter if information technology is non restricted by vCenter configuration. If you lot employ vCenter to manage a high number of ESXi hosts, consider ESXi upgrade past using VMware Lifecycle Director that is component of vCenter seven.0 and is a successor of VMware Update Managing director. Information technology is recommended to perform ESXi backup before going to VMware ESXi upgrade. Don't forget to back upwardly your VMware VMs on a regular basis to protect your data. NAKIVO Backup & Replication can perform VMware backup, including for vSphere 7, and provide comprehensive information protection for your environment.

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