Updating HP ESXi image using vSphere Update Manager

When using HP servers, recommended practice is to use customized HP ESXi image for installation, which contains base VMware ESXi plus HP specific utilities, tools and drivers (similar goes for other server vendors, which all usually have their own customized ESXi installation images). The following post describes how to proceed with patching hosts running HP ESXi 5.x image, while the complete HP official document on HP ESXi deploying and patching can be found here - Deploying and updating VMware vSphere 5.0 on HP ProLiant Servers.

Host with installed HP ESXi image can be updated using vSphere Update Manager and default download repositories, but it is necessary to assure that HP-specific VIBs that are a part of the customized image are also regularly updated. This can be accomplished by adding HP VIB depot as one of the Download Sources in vSphere Update Manager, creating a baseline that contains HP updates and attaching this baseline to the hosts running HP ESXi image.

First, connect with vSphere Client to your vCenter, go to Home -> Solutions and Applications -> Update Manager (if you don't see this option, you probably need to install vSphere Update Manager plugin in your vSphere Client - check Plug-ins -> Manage Plug-ins on top of vSphere Client screen).

In order to add HP's patch repository, go to Configuration tab -> Download Settings -> Add Download Source and paste the following URL:  http://vibsdepot.hp.com/index.xml . You can validate this address, and when you make sure everything's OK in connecting to HP depot, select Apply below the list of Download Sources. Then choose Download Now in order to check the new patch repo for patches.

Next, we need to create a baseline with HP updates. Click on the Baselines and Groups tab, then select Create above the list of existing baselines. Name the new baseline, select Host Patch as the baseline type, Next, choose Dynamic and then Next again. 

Now it's necessary to define rules which patches need to match in order to be a part of the baseline. In the Patch Vendor column, select both "hp" and "Hewlett-Packard Company" and then you can click Next to the finish of the wizard.

After we created a baseline, we need to attach it to hosts. Go to Home -> Host and Clusters view and select a vCenter, datacenter, cluster or a single host to which you want to attach the baseline. Then go to the Update Manager tab, and choose Attach... in the upper right corner, select the newly created baseline and click Attach.

After attaching the baseline, each new Scan operation will result in hosts also being checked for compliance with the updates released for HP specific VIBs.