Creating a Custom ESXi VIB for vSphere Lifecycle Manager (vLCM) Remediation

As a Technical Adoption Manager (TAM), I recently received a request from one of our customers to create a custom ESXi VIB that could be used with vSphere Lifecycle Manager (vLCM) and would only require the ESXi host to reboot as part of the remediation. This might sound like a strange request, but there are good reasons for this approach. In this blog post, I will outline the steps to create such a custom VIB and how it can be used with vLCM.

Background

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vSphere Lifecycle Manager (vLCM) is the successor to vSphere Update Manager (VUM), and it provides a more comprehensive set of features for managing updates and remediation across vSphere environments. One of the key benefits of vLCM is that it allows for offline bundles, which can be used to create custom VIBs that can be imported into vLCM for remediation.

Custom VIB Requirements

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To create a custom ESXi VIB for vLCM remediation, we need to follow certain requirements:

1. The VIB must be signed with a valid certificate.

2. The VIB descriptor.xml file must set the live-install-allowed and live-remove-allowed options to allow the host to reboot after installation and removal of the VIB respectively.

3. The VIB must be compatible with both vSphere 7.x and 8.x.

Creating a Custom ESXi VIB

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To create a custom ESXi VIB, we can follow these steps:

Step 1 – Download the pre-built offline bundle from the Github repo or build your own using the instructions provided in my previous blog post.

Step 2 – Ensure the ESXi software acceptance level is configured with Community Support since the custom VIB would not be signed. You can do so by following the instructions provided here using either the vSphere UI or ESXCLI.

Step 3 – Use the vSphere UI to import the offline bundle by navigating to Lifecycle Manager->Actions and then clicking on the Import Updates operation.

Step 4 – Create or edit a vSphere Cluster that is managed by a vLCM Image by navigating to Update->Image->Edit and then clicking on the Add Components operation to select the ESXi reboot component and then click save.

Step 5 – Lastly, apply the remediation to the vSphere Cluster and a reboot will be required after the ESXi component has been installed on the host as demonstrated in the screenshot below.

[Insert Screenshot]

Benefits of Custom VIBs for vLCM Remediation

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Using custom VIBs for vLCM remediation offers several benefits, including:

1. Flexibility – Custom VIBs can be created to address specific issues or requirements that are not covered by the standard vSphere updates.

2. Efficiency – By using a custom VIB, we can avoid the need for a full reboot of the ESXi host, which can save time and reduce downtime.

3. Automation – Custom VIBs can be automated using vLCM, allowing for more efficient and consistent remediation across multiple hosts.

Conclusion

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In this blog post, we have explored the process of creating a custom ESXi VIB for vSphere Lifecycle Manager (vLCM) remediation. By following these steps, you can create a custom VIB that can be used with vLCM to perform remediation with minimal downtime and increased efficiency. As vSphere environments continue to evolve, the ability to create custom VIBs for vLCM remediation will become increasingly important.