Hpe Custom Image For Esxi Patched Today

Hpe Custom Image For Esxi Patched Today

HPE Custom Image for ESXi (Patched) — Content

Step 2: Download the Base Image and Patches

You need two components: the Base Image (the main OS) and the Patch/Driver Offline Bundle.

  1. Log in to the Broadcom Support Portal.
  2. Navigate to Software > VMware vSphere > VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi).
  3. Download the Base Image:
    • Find the version you need (e.g., ESXi 8.0U2).
    • Download the Offline Bundle. This is a ZIP file (e.g., VMware-ESXi-8.0U2-xxxxx-depot.zip). Do not download the ISO; you need the ZIP depot.
  4. Download the HPE Custom Patch (Optional but Recommended):
    • HPE releases specific "Custom Add-Ons" or updated driver bundles.
    • Search for "HPE Custom Image for ESXi" or specific driver bundles (e.g., "HPE Smart Array Driver for ESXi").
    • Download the Offline Bundle (ZIP) format for your specific ESXi version.

Pitfall 3: Losing the HPE Bootbank

Sometimes a pure VMware patch will overwrite the bootbank partition layout. After patching, run:

esxcli system coredump partition list

If the HPE coredump partition (often /dev/disks/...:5) is missing, your hardware support module is corrupted. Re-install the HPE VIB immediately. hpe custom image for esxi patched

Download HPE offline bundle directly to host

wget -O /tmp/hpe-bundle.zip http://vibsdepot.hpe.com/.../hpe-bundle.zip

Pitfall 2: Upgrading Across Major Versions (e.g., 7.0 to 8.0)

You cannot simply "patch" from ESXi 7.0 (HPE custom) to ESXi 8.0 (HPE custom) via esxcli. This requires a fresh install using the new HPE Custom Image for ESXi 8.0 patched ISO. The driver architecture changed from hpe- to vmw_ prefix in many cases. HPE Custom Image for ESXi (Patched) — Content

Part 7: Common Pitfalls When Patching HPE Custom Images

Even experienced admins mess this up. Here are the top three failure modes when seeking a patched HPE image.

5. Critical: Patch Compatibility Rules

| Component | Can you patch standalone? | Recommendation | |-----------|--------------------------|----------------| | VMware ESXi core | Yes, via VMware patches | Apply to HPE image | | HPE native drivers (hpvsa, i40en, etc.) | Yes, via HPE VIBs | Must match HPE SPP version | | HPE AMS / Management agents | Yes, via HPE offline bundle | Keep in sync with iLO firmware | | iLO firmware | No (separate process) | Update before ESXi patching | | Server BIOS | No | Update via SPP before major ESXi upgrades | Log in to the Broadcom Support Portal

Golden Rule: Always update firmware (BIOS, iLO, Smart Array) using HPE SPP before patching ESXi with HPE custom VIBs.

Real-World Scenario

You apply VMware's critical ESXi702-202405001 patch. It updates the vsan and esx-base VIBs. Two days later, your HPE BL460c Gen10 servers lose network connectivity to a specific iSCSI VLAN. Cause? The patch included a generic vmxnet3 driver that overwrote the HPE-customized hpe-vmxnet3 VIB.

The solution: Always source a HPE Custom Image for ESXi patched—meaning an image where HPE has tested the VMware patch in conjunction with their driver stack and hardware firmware.