Upgrade HX 220c m4's to ESXi 6.5

[chada]

I'm downloading the latest HX data platform 2.6 as well as bundle with ESXi 6.5.  What is the best way to upgrade from the current data platform which I believe is 1.7 and also upgrade ESXi 6.0 to the 6.5 bundle?

[lagranbe]

Hi Chada

The best way forward is to follow the upgrade guide, that can be found here.

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/hyperconverged_systems/HyperFlex_HX_DataPlatformSoftware/HyperFlex_upgrade_guide/2_6/b_HyperFlex_Systems_Upgrade_Guide_2_6.html

[Clifford Aldan]

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Adding to lagranbe's comments
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There is no direct upgrade from 1.7 to 2.6
You must perform an intermediate upgrade to 2.1 - 2.1(1c) - before upgrading to 2.6

Perform the vSphere upgrade from 6.0 to 6.5 after upgrading HX to 2.6

Upgrade vCenter to 6.5 (via the migration tool)

Perform ESXi upgrade via the ESXi CLI

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Do not use VUM or the ESXi ISO to do the upgrade
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From the upgrade guide go to "Upgrading Cisco HyperFlex Software Components" > "Upgrading ESXi" to review the steps

[Wintershall]

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@Clifford Aldan wrote:

Perform ESXi upgrade via the ESXi CLI

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Do not use VUM or the ESXi ISO to do the upgrade
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Could you provide more details on How you upgrade ESXi via the CLI (Links to documentation etc) 

Also, why should I not use the ESXi ISO? 

[jkilleda]

Hello Chad,

Upgrade HX 220c m4's to ESXi 6.5
ESXi Requirements

    To install or upgrade ESXi, your system must meet specific hardware and software requirements.
    Before Upgrading ESXi Hosts

    For a successful upgrade of your ESXi hosts, understand and prepare for the changes that are involved.
    Upgrade Hosts Interactively

    To upgrade ESXi 5.5 hosts or ESXi 6.0 hosts to ESXi 6.5, you can boot the ESXi installer from a CD, DVD, or USB flash drive.
    Installing or Upgrading Hosts by Using a Script

    You can quickly deploy ESXi hosts by using scripted, unattended installations or upgrades. Scripted installations or upgrades provide an efficient way to deploy multiple hosts.
    PXE Booting the ESXi Installer

    You can use the preboot execution environment (PXE) to boot a host. Starting with vSphere 6.0, you can PXE boot the ESXi installer from a network interface on hosts with legacy BIOS or using UEFI.
    Upgrading Hosts by Using esxcli Commands

    By using vSphere CLI, you can upgrade a ESXi 5.5 host or ESXi 6.0 host to version 6.5 and update or patch ESXi 5.5, ESXi 6.0, and ESXi 6.5 hosts.
    After You Upgrade ESXi Hosts

    To complete a host upgrade, you ensure that the host is reconnected to its managing vCenter Server system and reconfigured if necessary. You also check that the host is licensed correctly.