I have a HP ProLiant DL380 G7 server running VMware ESXi 5.0.0 Build 474610 with BIOS HP System BIOS P67. The maximum supported version of ESXi for this hardware is VMware ESXi 6.0 U3 which I want to upgrade to. I want to upgrade to 5.5 first.
Currently the version is VMware ESXi 5.0.0 Build 474610, profile below:
> esxcli software profile get
Name: HP-ESXi-5.0.0-20110904001-standard-iso
Vendor: Hewlett-Packard
Creation Time: 2012-02-12T15:48:31
Modification Time: 2019-09-05T12:03:04
Stateless Ready: False
Description:
HP Custom Base Image Profile for ESXi 5.0.0
VIBs: ata-pata-amd 0.3.10-3vmw.500.0.0.469512, ata-pata-atiixp 0.4.6-3vmw.500.0.0.469512, ata-pata-cmd64x 0.2.5-3vmw.500.0.0.469512, ata-pata-hpt3x2n 0.3.4-3vmw.500.0.0.469512, ata-pata-pdc2027x 1.0-3vmw.500.0.0.469512, ata-pata-serverworks 0.4.3-3vmw.500.0.0.469512, ata-pata-sil680 0.4.8-3vmw.500.0.0.469512, ata-pata-via 0.3.3-2vmw.500.0.0.469512, block-cciss 3.6.14-10vmw.500.0.0.469512, char-hpcru 5.0.0.8-1OEM.500.0.0.434156, char-hpilo 500.9.0.0.8-1OEM.500.0.0.434156, ehci-ehci-hcd 1.0-3vmw.500.0.0.469512, esx-base 5.0.0-0.3.474610, esx-tboot 5.0.0-0.0.469512, hp-esx-license 1.0-05, hp-smx-provider 500.02.10.13.44-434156, hpbootcfg 01-00.10, hpnmi 2.0.11-434156, hponcfg 03-02.04, ima-be2iscsi 4.0.317.1-1OEM.500.0.0.406165, ima-qla4xxx 2.01.07-1vmw.500.0.0.469512, ipmi-ipmi-devintf 39.1-4vmw.500.0.0.469512, ipmi-ipmi-msghandler 39.1-4vmw.500.0.0.469512, ipmi-ipmi-si-drv 39.1-4vmw.500.0.0.469512, misc-cnic-register 1.1-1vmw.500.0.0.469512, misc-drivers 5.0.0-0.0.469512, net-be2net 4.0.355.1-1OEM.500.0.0.406165, net-bnx2 2.0.15g.v50.11-5vmw.500.0.0.469512, net-bnx2x 1.61.15.v50.1-1vmw.500.0.0.469512, net-cnic 1.10.2j.v50.7-2vmw.500.0.0.469512, net-e1000 8.0.3.1-2vmw.500.0.0.469512, net-e1000e 1.1.2-3vmw.500.0.0.469512, net-enic 1.4.2.15a-1vmw.500.0.0.469512, net-forcedeth 0.61-2vmw.500.0.0.469512, net-igb 2.1.11.1-3vmw.500.0.0.469512, net-ixgbe 2.0.84.8.2-10vmw.500.0.0.469512, net-mlx4-en 1.6.1.2-1OEM.500.0.0.406165, net-nx-nic 4.0.557-3vmw.500.0.0.469512, net-r8168 8.013.00-3vmw.500.0.0.469512, net-r8169 6.011.00-2vmw.500.0.0.469512, net-s2io 2.1.4.13427-3vmw.500.0.0.469512, net-sky2 1.20-2vmw.500.0.0.469512, net-tg3 3.110h.v50.4-4vmw.500.0.0.469512, ohci-usb-ohci 1.0-3vmw.500.0.0.469512, sata-ahci 3.0-6vmw.500.0.0.469512, sata-ata-piix 2.12-4vmw.500.0.0.469512, sata-sata-nv 3.5-3vmw.500.0.0.469512, sata-sata-promise 2.12-3vmw.500.0.0.469512, sata-sata-sil 2.3-3vmw.500.0.0.469512, sata-sata-svw 2.3-3vmw.500.0.0.469512, scsi-aacraid 1.1.5.1-9vmw.500.0.0.469512, scsi-adp94xx 1.0.8.12-6vmw.500.0.0.469512, scsi-aic79xx 3.1-5vmw.500.0.0.469512, scsi-be2iscsi 4.0.317.1-1OEM.500.0.0.406165, scsi-bnx2i 1.9.1d.v50.1-3vmw.500.0.0.469512, scsi-fnic 1.5.0.3-1vmw.500.0.0.469512, scsi-hpsa 5.0.0-17vmw.500.0.0.469512, scsi-ips 7.12.05-4vmw.500.0.0.469512, scsi-lpfc820 8.2.2.105.36-1OEM.500.0.0.406165, scsi-megaraid-mbox 2.20.5.1-6vmw.500.0.0.469512, scsi-megaraid-sas 4.32-1vmw.500.0.0.469512, scsi-megaraid2 2.00.4-9vmw.500.0.0.469512, scsi-mpt2sas 06.00.00.00-5vmw.500.0.0.469512, scsi-mptsas 4.23.01.00-5vmw.500.0.0.469512, scsi-mptspi 4.23.01.00-5vmw.500.0.0.469512, scsi-qla2xxx 901.k1.1-14vmw.500.0.0.469512, scsi-qla4xxx 5.01.03.2-3vmw.500.0.0.469512, tools-light 5.0.0-0.3.474610, uhci-usb-uhci 1.0-3vmw.500.0.0.469512
When I tried to boot from ISO VMware-ESXi-5.5.0-1746974-HP-5.72A.3-Jun2014.iso to try to upgrade to version 5.5 I run into an issue. The installer cannot locate an installation of ESXi on the SD card. It recognizes the VMFS with the datastore. It detects the SD card but says there isn't an ESXi installation on it.
Is there a way use the CLI to update to version 5.5 and then to version 6.0 U3 ? Or is there a way to fix my current ESXi installation so that it is detected by the ISO installer? I have tried multiple ISO's with different versions and they all fail to detect an ESXi installation.