Convert ESXi Baselines to Images for new vCenter Clusters

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi
• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Transitioning a cluster from legacy Update Manager (VUM) baselines to a single vSphere Lifecycle Manager (vLCM) image ensures host consistency and is required for VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9 readiness.

This article provides the workflow for migrating existing clusters to image-based management.

Symptoms:

• Requirement to standardize cluster lifecycle management.

• HPE Agentless Management Service (AMS) appears inactive or missing on hosts managed by baselines.

• Host not compatible with the image error appears during compliance checks.

Environment

• VMware vSphere ESXi 8.x

• VMware vCenter Server 8.x

Resolution

Option 1: Extract Software Specification from a Reference ESXi Host

1. Log in to the vSphere Client with administrator credentials.

2. Select the target vCenter cluster and navigate to the Updates tab.

3. Under Hosts > Image, select Setup Image.

4. Choose the Use a host option to extract the software specification from a reference host.

5. Click Validate to check for VIB or version incompatibilities.

   • Note: If the host version is newer than the Depot, import the ESXi Offline Bundle (.zip) via the Lifecycle Manager Image Depot.

6. Click Save, and then select Finish Image Setup.

7. Select an ESXi host, navigate to Actions > Remediate, and apply the image.

Option 2: Setup Cluster vLCM Image Manually

1. Log in to the vSphere Client with administrator credentials.

2. Select the target vCenter cluster and navigate to the Updates tab.

3. Under Hosts > Image, select Setup Image.

4. Click Set up image manually.

5. From the ESXi Version drop-down menu, select the target ESXi version (e.g., 8.0 U3).

6. Under Vendor Add-on, click Select and choose the appropriate Vendor Add-on for the hardware generation.

7. Click Validate to check for VIB or version incompatibilities.

   • Note: If the host version is newer than the Depot, import the ESXi Offline Bundle (.zip) via the Lifecycle Manager Image Depot first.

8. Click Save, and then select Finish Image Setup.

9. Select an ESXi host, navigate to Actions > Remediate, and apply the image to align the host with the new desired state.

Additional Information

• For more details, see Managing Host and Cluster Lifecycle.

• For assistance, see Contact Broadcom Support.