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  • 1.  VUM & updating NIC drivers

    Posted Feb 25, 2018 04:44 PM

    Hi,

    I have Fujtisu server installed with OEM esxi ISO version ESXi 6.5 Update 1 build 5969303.

    I use vSphere Update Manager to update my esx server. I have realized that updating my ESX server does not update NIC drivers.

    Example - host installed with above mentioned iso image, patched with all available critical and non-critical updates using VUM left old NIC driver for i40en.

    Driver Info:

             Bus Info: 0000:20:00:1

             Driver: i40en

             Firmware Version: 5.05 0x80002928 1.1693.0

             Version: 1.3.1

    i40en driver version is still 1.3.1, but in mean time VMware published new driver for i40en - version 1.5.8 on 9.2.2018. (https://my.vmware.com/group/vmware/info/slug/datacenter_cloud_infrastructure/vmware_vsphere/6_5#drivers_tools​)

    VUM synchronizes with update sources (vmware repository) hourly.

    Driver is not in VUM repository - picture attached.

    How come NIC drivers do not come automatically to VUM and how can we be sure our hosts are up to date with latest drivers? By checking manually?

    Thank you!



  • 2.  RE: VUM & updating NIC drivers

    Posted Feb 25, 2018 08:19 PM

    Please upload /var/log/esxupdate.log from the attempted host on this post to check further.



  • 3.  RE: VUM & updating NIC drivers

    Posted Feb 25, 2018 08:45 PM

    Hi,

    I have attached esxupdate.log file with relevant contents.



  • 4.  RE: VUM & updating NIC drivers

    Posted Feb 25, 2018 09:12 PM

    You are using image Fujitsu-VMvisor-Installer-6.5-5969303-v411-1

    As I can see the version of driver on image is still same you have, so in this case this will not be upgraded as this is the up to date version in image you are using.

    You can also see the following entries in log :

    2018-02-25T04:10:25Z esxupdate: 70083: imageprofile: DEBUG: VIB VMW_bootbank_i40en_1.3.1-5vmw.650.1.26.5969303 is being removed from ImageProfile (Updated) Fujitsu-VMvisor-Installer-6.5-5969303-v411-1

    There are repos for Dell & HP which you can add in VUM to get custom vibs updates but I don't think there's any for fujitsu. In that case if you find any driver/vib updated which is not included and download from fujitsu or that vendor's site, do your investigation, check for feedback and updates and if you find it correct > upload to VUM and update.

    Dell: http://vmwaredepot.dell.com/index.xml

    HP: http://vibsdepot.hp.com/index.xml



  • 5.  RE: VUM & updating NIC drivers

    Posted Feb 25, 2018 09:20 PM

    Thank you for your reply!

    Image Fujitsu-VMvisor-Installer-6.5-5969303-v411-1 is original image I used to install my ESXI host last year, just after image was made available to download.

    This means If we installed ESXi using customized OEM image that contains customized i40en NIC driver, that driver will not be updated with regular VUM updates (vmware drivers), it can only be updated with next/future OEM customized image or by updating VIB itself if available from OEM site?  Just want to have procedure clear in my head.

    P.S. Another question - if OEM manufacturer publishes new OEM ESXI ISO on vmware site, will VUM be aware of it and download newer patches/drivers from/for newer ISO/profile or we must download it manually and create baseline in VUM ourself? Lets say esxi 6.5 update 2 came up.



  • 6.  RE: VUM & updating NIC drivers

    Posted Feb 26, 2018 06:28 AM

    Download NIC driver

    Download VMware vSphere

    And install driver on esxi host through cmdline.

    # unzip /tmp/patchname.zip

    # esxcli software vib install -d “/tmp/patchname.zip

    For check the nic driver version status

    # esxcli network nic list