https://vmiss.net/vmware-esxi-patches/
Keeping your VMware patches up to date is a critical aspect of maintaining your VMware vSphere environment. Luckily, VMware vSphere Update Manager makes this very simple to do for a number of your VMware vSphere components. Let’s take a closer look at how to patch ESXi host using Update Manager.
First things first, before patching ESXi, or any other vSphere component it is importaint to make sure that the version you are patching to is compatible with the rest of your VMware vSphere environment, and anything that touches it.
These are things like:
If it touches your VMware vSphere environment, make sure to check the the VMware Compatibility Guide and Interoperability Matrix before you upgrade.
There are a number of different ways to access VMware vSphere Update Manager in vCenter. One of the easiest ways is to click Menu, then Update Manager in the vSphere Client. When I say vSphere Client, I am referring to the HTML5 based client.
When it comes to VMware Patches, there are a couple of different types offered for ESXi. You can get a better understanding of them by simply taking a look at Update Manager, and the patches available in it:
How to Patch a VMware ESXi Host Using Update Manager 1
There are patches and rollups available for ESXi. I prefer rollups, since they include all patches. You may elect to apply a specific patch if you are trying to solve a specific problem and have been instructed to do so by VMware support, or if the latest patch available does not include a rollup.
If you are already familiar with VMware vSphere Update Manager, a new baseline for patches is just like creating any other baseline.
If not, don’t worry, I will walk you through it. You may want to take a look at some of my other Update Manager guides like: