Install or upgrade ESXi from 7.x to 8.x

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

This article intends to be a one-stop place to provide links to step-by-step procedures for installing and upgrading VMware vSphere ESX.

Environment

7.x, 8.x

Resolution

Table of Contents
vSphere ESXi 8.0 - Install
vSphere ESXi 8.0 - Upgrade
vSphere ESXi 7.0 - Install
vSphere ESXi 7.0 - Upgrade

vSphere ESXi 8.0 - Install

1. Review the ESXi requirements documentation.
2. Review the Download Broadcom products and software site KB to download the ESXi installer. 
3. If there is a need to customize the ESXi image with custom updates, patches and drivers, use vSphere ESXi Image Builder CLI. See How the vSphere ESXi Image Builder Works
4. Review the below options to boot the ESXi installer,
   • Boot from a CD/DVD
   • Boot from a USB flash drive
   • Boot from network
   • Boot from a remote location
5. Install ESXi using one of the methods below:
   • Interactively
   • Using a script
   • Using vSphere Auto Deploy
6. Configure / Set Up ESXi
7. Apply licenses to the ESXi host. See After You Install and Set Up ESXi

vSphere ESXi 8.0 - Upgrade

Note: vCenter Server must be upgraded prior to upgrading ESXi hosts. See Update Sequence for VMware vSphere 8.0 and Compatible VMware Products

1. Review the Overview of the ESXi Host Upgrade Process
2. Review Best Practices for Patching vSphere
3. Review product compatibility using the Product Interoperability Matrix
4. Review hardware / ESXi Requirements
5. Review TPM Hardware device. Skip this step if you are not using TPM on the ESXi host. TPM module must be 2.0 or higher. See "TPM 1.2 is deprecated" and "Disable TPM"
6. Review compatibility. Broadcom Compatibility Guide
7. Confirm the current versions of ESXi can be upgraded to a specific version of ESXi 8.x by reviewing the Upgrade Path page.
8. ESXi hosts can be upgraded using one of the methods below:
   1. Interactive upgrade using a CD, DVD, USB or ISO image.
   2. Using esxcli
   3. Scripted upgrade
   4. Auto Deploy
   5. vSphere Lifecycle Manager
9. After upgrading the ESXi host, upgrade virtual machines and VMware Tools

vSphere ESXi 7.0 - Install

1. Review Requirements - ESXi Requirements
2. Download the ESXi Installer. See, Download Broadcom products and software
3. If there is a need to customize the ESXi image with custom updates, patches and drivers, then use vSphere ESXi Image Builder CLI
   For more information, vSphere ESXi Image Builder Overview
4. Review the below options to boot the ESXi installer:
   • Boot from a CD/DVD
   • Boot from a USB flash drive
   • Boot from network
   • Boot from a remote management application
5. Install ESXi using one of the methods below:
   • Interactive ESXi Installation
   • Using a Script
   • Using vSphere Auto Deploy
6. Configure / Set Up ESXi
7. Apply licenses to the ESXi host. See After You Install and Set Up ESXi

vSphere ESXi 7.0 - Upgrade

Note: vCenter Server must be upgraded prior to upgrading ESXi hosts. See, Update Sequence for VMware vSphere 7.0 and Compatible VMware Products

1. Review Overview of the ESXi Host Upgrade Process
2. Review Best Practices for Patching vSphere
3. Review vSphere 7 upgrade best practices
4. Review product compatibility using the Product Interoperability Matrix
5. Review hardware requirements. See, ESXi Requirements
6. Review the Broadcom Compatibility Guide 
7. Confirm the current versions of ESXi can be upgraded to a specific version of ESXi 8.x by reviewing the Upgrade Path page.
8. If VMware NSX is used in the environment see, Upgrading ESXi Hosts in an Environment With VMware NSX
9. ESXi hosts can be upgraded using one of the methods below:
   
   1. Interactive upgrade using a CD, DVD, USB or ISO image.
   2. Using esxcli
   3. Scripted upgrade
   4. Auto Deploy
   5. vSphere Lifecycle Manager
10. Video walkthrough: Quicker ESXi host upgrades with suspend to memory.
11. After upgrade the ESXi host, upgrade virtual machines and VMware Tools

Additional Information

• If you have advanced Support with a Support Account Manager (SAM) and/or Dedicated Technical Support Engineer (DTSE) you are eligible for a proactive upgrade case.
• Please see Proactive Upgrade Case for ESXi for further details.