Log in to ESXI as root and check the version running. In our case we running 6.5.0 (Build 4564106)
Go to manage, services and enable ( start ) SSH
When SSH is running, you can upload the offline bundle installer in to the ESXI host.
Install FileZilla and start FileZilla, and upload the offline installer to the datastore of the ESX host.
How to find the location of the datastore? Go to storage and select datastore.
Now start FileZilla and the address to use is sftp://ip-or-hostename-server
user : root
password : password for the user root.
Now find the datastore go to /vmfs/volumes/the name of the datastore..
Create a folder in the datastore and upload the offline image. Please note!! Do not create a folder with a space, I used Offline bundle, please change this to “Offline-bundle”
After uploading the image tot the datastore close FileZilla, and start Putty to login to the ESXI host.
Go to the directory where the offline bundle is uploaded.
# cd /vmfs/volumes
when in this directory use # ls to show the folders inside cd /vmfs/volumes
# ls
Go to the datastore1
# cd datastore1/
# ls
Now you can see the offline bundle folder. We need to go in to this folder
# cd “Offline bundle” Please note: this must be “Offline-bundle”
And # ls now you see the offline bundle, to upgrade from the command line this server we need to set the server in maintenance mode and all the servers on this host are closed ( shutdown )
Go to the host, Actions, Enter maintenance mode.
When the server is in maintenance mode we can upgrade this host.
Now we start the upgrade process from the command line.
# esxcli software vib update -d /vmfs/volumes/620ca715-ccbe7401-ba50-000c2921f31a/Offline-bundle/VMware_ESXi_6.5.0_Update3_17477841_HPE_Gen9plus_650.U3.10.7.0.90_May2021_depot.zip
Wait 5 minutes or less, then we get the answer from the command line.
Please note: never use space in the ESXI folder structure, when you do this the upgrade will fail.
In my example screenshots I used “Offline bundle”, but had to change it to “Offline-bundle” otherwise the command won’t work! And will the host upgrade fail.
Now reboot the Host # reboot.
And check if the host is upgraded?
