BL-460C gen-8 Custom Image for VMware ESXi 6.5 U1?

[HPE-admin01]

Hello,

I want to install VMware vSphere 6.x into my current HPE bladeserver environment.Goal: I need to migrate vm's to our new VSAN 6.6 environment. I want to upgrade from vSphere 5.5 to vsphere 6.x so I can use the new cross vcenter vMotion functionality from this current environment to our new environment.

Our new platform will work onVMware vSPhere 6.5 U1 so I prefer to update my current blades to VMware esxi 6.5 U1.

My current environment is as mix of HPE proliant BL460c gen-8 and Gen9 servers.

When I check the VMware compatibility guide I see that esxi 6.5U1 is supported on HPE proliant BL460c gen-8 servers (Intel Xeon E5-2600 series).
https://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/search.php


However when I read the HPE servers support & Certification matrix and check the BL series is notice that vSphere 6.5U1 is supported but exception 23 clearly states the following:
*23 The HPE ESXi custom images for 6.0 U3, 6.5 and 6.5 U1 Oct 2017 and forward only supports HPE ProLiant Gen9 and Gen10 servers.
HPE ProLiant Gen8 server support will be included in a future release which is to be determined.

http://h17007.www1.hpe.com/us/en/enterprise/servers/supportmatrix/vmware.aspx

My conclusion so far: I can't install HPE custom Esxi 6.5U1 on gen-8 blades.  
I can install HPE custom Esxi 6.5U1 on BL460c gen-9 blades.

https://www.hpe.com/us/en/servers/hpe-esxi.html
I'm thinking of using the new HPE Custom Image for VMware ESXi 6.5 U1 Install CD iso.
Release Date: 2017-10-06
Build Number: 5969303

Here are my questions:
- Is there any date soon on the horizon for GEN-8 support with esxi 6.5U1?
- Is is possible to install VMware esxi 6.5u1 onto GEN-8. Which method should I use?
- Is my conclusion right?
- Is Esxi 6.0 U2 supported on BL460c gen-8 blades?
- ESXi 6.0 U3 FEB 2017 - Last gen8 custom image is not downloadable. Is this on purpose?
- Should I mix Esxi 6.5U1  with 6.0U2?
- What are the major issues of esxi 6.0U2?
- What do you guys recommend? Install Esxi 6.0U2 on gen8 and 6.5U1 on gen-9?
- To which degree patch / update the ESXi  6.0U2 environment? https://communities.vmware.com/thread/570328

- TO sum up:  Can I install VMware esxi 6.5U1 on HPE BL460c gen-8 servers and how?

Antoher related topic:
Which Service Pack for ProLiant (SPP) baseline do you recommend?  One generic baseline of SPP 2017.04.0 for gen-8 and gen-9 blades or 2 different SPP baselines?

SPP 2017.04.0 for BL460c gen-8
SPP 2017.07.2  for BL460c gen-9

what do you guys use ans see in the field?

I know this is a lot to ask and I will paralllel ask the question internally to HPE support and our accountmanager.

I hope you guys can shine your light on this topic.

Regards,

FvS.

[HPE-admin01]

Today i notice that  https://www.hpe.com/us/en/servers/hpe-esxi.html has been updated.

The latest working gen-8 recipe is

NEW* vSphere 6.5 May 2017 – Last Gen8 Custom Image

[duke_srg]

Looks like the recent official recommendation is stated in
SPP HPE Custom Image vibsdepot SPP Mapping for Pre-Gen9
which is available at http://vibsdepot.hpe.com
"Install or update using the HPE Custom Image for VMware vSphere 6.5 (08 May 2017) that supports Pre-Gen9 servers available on vmware.com at:
https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/details?downloadGroup=OEM-ESXI65B-HPE&productId=614 and then update the OS using the VMware 6.5 U1
base image."
And it works. However BL460c Gen8 works fine with any 6.5U1 HPE images (at least three of them I've tried - the summer one and two from Oct17). The only issue is with the broken scratch partition configuration caused by the updated iSCSI driver, which could be easily solved with the updated driver from VMware.

[upAndup448768]

I have similar questions.   

Regarding this comment:  

"Install or update using the HPE Custom Image for VMware vSphere 6.5 (08 May 2017) that supports Pre-Gen9 servers available on vmware.com at: https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/details?downloadGroup=OEM-ESXI65B-HPE&productId=614 and then update the OS using the VMware 6.5 U1 base image."

What is meant by VMware 6.5 U1 "base image"?  I assume that "base image" refers to the generic 6.5 U1 image provided by VMware here: https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/details?downloadGroup=ESXI65U1&productId=614&rPId=19692 ?   

If so, can I still update the HPE drivers and software using VUM and vibsdepot?  Or are drivers released after May 2017 not valid for Gen8 servers?

I ask because the support matrix at http://h17007.www1.hpe.com/us/en/enterprise/servers/supportmatrix/vmware.aspx has a comment (#22) at the bottom that says that the HPE ESXi Offline Bundle v 3.1 and later only support Gen9/Gen10.  However, if I visit the download page for a DL360p Gen 8 server I definitely see a 3.1.5 bundle offered for download:  [ https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/home/driverHome?sp4ts.oid=5194968 ] 

It's all very confusing. 

[HPE-admin01]

Hi duke_srg,

Great advice. This helps a lot, thank you!

Can you maby answer the question of upAndup448768 ?

Would be much appreciated

[duke_srg]

Yes, base image should be vanilla VMware 6.5 Update 1. Oct17 custom image integrates the same driver updates available from Oct17 vibsdepot.

There was at least 3 HPE ESXI 6.5 U1 custom images:

1. VMware-ESXi-6.5.0-Update1-5969303-HPE-650.U1.10.1.0.14-Jul2017
2. VMware-ESXi-6.5.0-Update1-5969303-HPE-650.U1.10.1.3.3-Oct2017
3. VMware-ESXi-6.5.0-Update1-6765664-HPE-650.U1.10.1.5.26-Oct2017

As I can recall, the first one was cancelled (late september ?) due to bugs and replaced with the second one on Oct 6. The second one was silently replaced with the third one in the begining of November, alog with appearance of the new Oct17 vibsdepot, updated SUM documentation and latest Pre-Gen9 supported image notice for VMware-ESXi-6.5.0-OS-Release-5146846-HPE-650.9.6.5.27-May2017 image.

As for now, looks like the latest supported configuration for Gen8 is based on May17 image and vibsdepot driver and Post -production SPP images also do not provide new software updates, only firmware fixes. IMO one should avoid any software driver updates came out after the last production Pre-Gen9 SPP2017.04 and before a special notice from HPE about this situation. Unless you have a real bug mentioned as solved in the updated driver in release notes from vendor.

P.S. Never the less, I have 26 BL460c Gen8 hosts running ESXI 6.5 U1 installed from the early october custom image and upgraded to the latest one.

P.P.S. Oh and once again: both Oct17 images have a bugged elxiscsi driver version that have an issue with scratch partition configuration. If you're not using an image builder or update manager, you should avoid those custom images. Removing this driver or installing the updated one from VMware solves the issue.

[upAndup448768]

I saw that HPE has released a ESXi 6.5 Update 1 ISO for Gen 8 hardware. The ISO was built 2017-November-30.

The ISO has a name of VMware-ESXi-6.5.0-Update1-6765664-HPE-650.U1.9.6.5.1-Nov2017.iso

Download link is available at https://www.hpe.com/us/en/servers/hpe-esxi.html under section "A. HPE Customized ESXi Image" and is named "NEW* vSphere 6.5 U1 Nov 2017 – Last Pre-Gen9 custom image".

[bsdnazz]

Thanks for the heads up!

[CMoon]

Hi,

It appears that the image of Nov2017 (VMware-ESXi-6.5.0-Update1-6765664-HPE-650.U1.9.6.5.1-Nov2017-pre-gen9.iso) is not available for download now.

Is that means that we can use the image Feb2018 (VMware-ESXi-6.5.0-Update1-7388607-HPE-650.U1.10.2.0.23-Feb2018-GEN9.iso) on Gen8 servers?

Anybody with experience on this?

Regards, CMoon

[bsdnazz]

Hi,

I think the pre-Gen9 image is still there but is a few more clicks away.

The link

• https://www.hpe.com/us/en/servers/hpe-esxi.html

shows the options and clicking on 'A. HPE Customized ESXi Image' exands and I click on 'NEW* vShpere 6.5 U1 Nov 2017 - Last Pre-Gen9 custom image' which hakes me to the VMware download page:

• https://my.vmware.com/group/vmware/details?downloadGroup=OEM-ESXI65U1-HPE&productId=614

In the notes on this page there is 'Click Here for Pre-Gen9 Custom Image' which takes me, via a VMware support logon to

• https://my.vmware.com/group/vmware/details?downloadGroup=OEM-ESXI65U1-HPE&productId=491#lastgen8

which has the images at the bottom.

[CMoon]

Hi,

I found it, yes, both images are on the same page, but the Nov2017 is at the bottom (see attached image).

Thanks for your help.

CMoon