VMware ESXi
Keys
The hypervisor keys are available for free. To obtain one:
- Go to https://my.vmware.com/en/group/vmware/evalcenter?p=free-esxi6
- Log in. Go to "License & Download" and look under the "License Information" section.
The license key 'VMware vSphere Hypervisor 6 License' works on all 6.x hypervisors.
Updating
6.0 to 6.5
Download the offline depot package and apply the update:
# esxcli software profile update -p ESXi-6.5.0-4564106-standard -d /vmfs/volumes/vol/VMware-ESXi-6.5.0-4564106-depot.zip
This package requires a subscription. If you're using the free license, either get the evaluation or install the update by booting with the ISO image.
5.5 to 6.0
To update a ESXi install from 5.5 to 6.0, download the ESXi 6.0 offline bundle and upload it to a datastore on the server.
Log in via SSH and execute
# esxcli software vib update -d /vmfs/volumes/datastore1/ESXi600-201504001.zip
Then reboot to apply the changes.
See Also:
Troubleshooting
IOMMU Hangs
If your ESXi server hangs while "Initializing IOV", disable IOMMU by appending 'noIOMMU' to the kernel immediately after the new kernel boots by hitting Shift-O (letter O, not zero)
To make the changes persistent, add it to the boot arguments in /bootbank/boot.cfg
See Also: