Installing async drivers in ESXi using esxcli and async driver VIB file

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

This KB gives instructions for installing async drivers in ESXi using esxcli and async driver VIB file.

Resolution

To install async drivers using esxcli and the async driver VIB file:

1. Extract the contents of the async driver zip file.
2. Identify the offline-bundle.zip file(s).
3. Extract the contents of the offline-bundle.zip file(s).
4. Identify the async-driver.vib file(s).
5. Log in to the ESXi host using the vSphere Client with administrator privileges, such as root.
6. Using Datastore Browser, upload the async-driver.vib file(s) to an ESXi host’s datastore.
7. Enter the host into maintenance mode.
8. Log in as root to the ESXi console through SSH or iLO/DRAC.
9. Run this command to install drivers from the VIB file:
   
   esxcli software vib install –v /path/async-driver.vib
   
   Note: This command requires an absolute path.
   
   Example:
   
   esxcli software vib install –v /vmfs/volumes/datastore/async-driver.vib
   
   Note: If hostd is not responding, try using localcli instead of esxcli.
   
   Example:
   
   localcli software vib install –v /vmfs/volumes/datastore/async-driver.vib
    
10. Restart the ESXi host.
11. To confirm if the VIB is installed successfully, run this command:
    
    esxcli software vib list | grep -i vib_name
     
12. Exit maintenance mode.

Note: An ESXi host can be updated remotely using the esxcli utility, which is part of the vSphere CLI. For more information on using esxcli, see the vSphere Command-Line Interface Documentation.