Installing Updates and Patches on the ESXi Host

Because Penguin Solutions supports running Automated Uptime Layer with Smart Exchange together with standard releases of VMware ESXi, you can download patches for VMware ESXi directly from VMware and install them on your system with standard VMware utilities.

Notice: Do not apply security patches to the Ubuntu-based Standby OS or ESX Management VM, as patching of these components could cause operational problems and interfere with future software upgrades. Penguin Solutions will release updates of these components as part of ztC Endurance software upgrades.

To determine which patches have been qualified by Penguin Solutions for use on ztC Endurance systems, see the following web site:

https://www.stratus.com/go/support/esxpatchqualification

Typically, you apply patches to an ESXi host by running VMware Update Manager, which creates a baseline for your host and lists the patches you can install. However, you can also manually download a patch zip file from VMware and install it by running esxcli commands.

For example, start by running a command similar to the following to list the software profiles in the patch bundle:

# esxcli software sources profile list -d /pathname/VMware-ESXi-8.0U3g-24859861-depot.zip
Name                            Vendor        Acceptance Level  Creation Time        Modification Time
------------------------------  ------------  ----------------  -------------------  -----------------
ESXi-8.0U3g-24859861-no-tools   VMware, Inc.  PartnerSupported  2025-07-29T00:00:00  2025-07-29T00:00:00
ESXi-8.0U3g-24859861-standard   VMware, Inc.  PartnerSupported  2025-07-29T00:00:00  2025-07-29T00:00:00
ESXi-8.0U3sg-24853260-no-tools  VMware, Inc.  PartnerSupported  2025-07-29T00:00:00  2025-07-29T00:00:00
ESXi-8.0U3sg-24853260-standard  VMware, Inc.  PartnerSupported  2025-07-29T00:00:00  2025-07-29T00:00:00

Then, run a command similar to the following to apply the patch. Use the -p option to specify the profile to update from the list in the previous command. For example:

# esxcli software profile update -p ESXi-8.0U3g-24859861-standard -d /pathname/VMware-ESXi-8.0U3g-24859861-depot.zip

The output of this command will display the VIB files that have been installed, removed, or skipped as a result of applying the patch.

Notice: Do not use the esxcli software vib install command to apply patches. If you use the -force option to apply patches with this command despite the warnings it displays, it may replace some of the Penguin Solutions VIB files with standard ESXi VIB files. Replacing Penguin Solutions fault-tolerant components will compromise the continuous uptime of your system.

For patches that do not require the ESXi host to be in maintenance mode, you can run the esxcli commands in the ztC Endurance Management VM (or use the VMware Update Manager). If prompted, restart your ESXi host to apply the patch.

For patches that require the ESXi host to be in maintenance mode, properly shut down the Management VM by running the following command in the VM:

# shutdown -h now

After the Management VM shuts down, put your ESXi host into maintenance mode and run the esxcli commands in the ESXi Shell (or use the VMware Update Manager). The Management VM will not automatically restart while the host is in maintenance mode, which allows you to complete the patch process. If prompted, restart your ESXi host to apply the patch. After patching the host, when you disable maintenance mode, you can manually restart the Management VM or allow it to automatically restart within 20 minutes of disabling maintenance mode. Remember that your system is not fault tolerant unless the Management VM is running.

For more detailed information about using the VMware update utilities to apply patches to your ESXi host, see the VMware vSphere documentation.

You may install patches at your own discretion after checking the patch qualification list mentioned earlier in this section. However, before installing a new VMware ESXi maintenance release (for example, "VMware ESX 9.0.1.0") or patch release ("VMware ESX 9.n.n.n. or higher"), ensure that the release has been qualified by Penguin Solutions and determine if the release requires a companion update to Automated Uptime Layer with Smart Exchange. For a list of supported releases, see the following web site:

https://www.stratus.com/go/support/ossupportmatrixes

Use caution when applying software updates from any source. Applying updates indiscriminately may introduce serious problems to your system. For an up-to-date statement of the Penguin Solutions support policy on installing updates and patches to the system software, see the following web site:

https://www.stratus.com/go/support/osupdatereleasepolicy