Error "ESXi version change is not allowed using esxcli software vib commands..."

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Unable to update ESXi 8.0 Update 2 or apply patches using the Command-Line Interface (CLI) / not able to patch the latest version. 

The update process may fail with errors, preventing successful patch installation.

"ESXi version change is not allowed using esxcli software vib commands. Please use a supported method to upgrade ESXi"

Environment

ESXi 8.0.2 or later

Cause

Beginning with ESXi 8.0 Update 2, VMware has deprecated support for upgrading or updating ESXi using the below commands:

• esxcli software vib update
• esxcli software vib install 

Attempts to use these commands for patching will fail with the error: "ESXi version change is not allowed."

This change requires administrators to use alternative supported methods for updating ESXi.

Resolution

To successfully update ESXi 8.0 Update 2 and apply patches, use the profile-based update commands, as esxcli software vib update/install is no longer supported.

Recommended steps to Update ESXi 8.0 Update 2 (or later):

1. Visit the Broadcom Support Portal to download the offline bundle ZIP file.
2. Upload the offline bundle to a datastore accessible to Esxi.
3. Log in to Esxi host using ssh
4. List image profiles available in the bundle
   

   esxcli software sources profile list -d /vmfs/volumes/<datastore>/depot.zip

   Sample:

   Name                           Vendor        Acceptance Level  Creation Time        Modification Time
-----------------------------  ------------  ----------------  -------------------  -----------------
ESXi-8.0U3c-24414501-no-tools  VMware, Inc.  PartnerSupported  2024-12-12T00:00:00  2024-12-12T00:00:00
ESXi-8.0U3c-24414501-standard  VMware, Inc.  PartnerSupported  2024-12-12T00:00:00  2024-12-12T00:00:00


5. Use following command to update the host. (Use profile name from output above)

Validate changes before applying the update using dry run.

esxcli software profile update --dry-run -d /vmfs/volumes/<datastore>/depot.zip -p <profile_name>

To apply the update.

esxcli software profile update -d <depot_location> -p <profile_name>

Sample:

esxcli software profile update --d /vmfs/volumes/<datastore>/depot.zip -p ESXi-8.0U3c-24414501-standard


Refer: Upgrade or Update a Host with Image Profile

Additional Information

For further guidance, refer to the official VMware documentation:

• Download Broadcom products and software
• vSphere ESXi 8.0 Update 2b Release Notes
• vSphere ESXi Upgrade Guide

By following these steps, the ESXi update can be successfully completed while ensuring compatibility with VMware's supported upgrade process.