How to download and install the correct driver in VMware ESXi 5.x and 6.x from VMware HCL

Table of Contents

Description

Gathering Information from Host

Searching, Dowloading and Installing Driver from the VMware HCL

Further Information

Description

This article explains how to download and install the correct driver for networking and storage components from VMware Hardware Compatibility List (HCL). The process is simple and straightforward, however, there are multiple steps and some information must be gathered beforehand. Please follow the instructions herein to download and install the correct driver for hardware components in a host running VMware ESXi 5.x and ESXi 6.0.

Gathering Information from Host

Before the driver can be downloaded from the VMware HCL, some necessary information must be gathered from the host, so that the correct driver can be identified. In order to do this, the exact version, including the build and update, running in an ESXi host, must first be found.

Please note that screenshots in these examples are from different hosts and hence, show different versions of ESXi. The examples in this article show a network card, however they are also applicable for a storage adapter.

Please connect to the ESXi host via SSH and follow the instructions below to gather the necessary information. Please take note of the information gathered while moving through the steps.

1. Use the command "vmware -vl" and take note of the version and update displayed.
   
   
   Figure 1: Display ESXi version and update number
   
    
2. For details on the network components use the command: "esxcli network nic list". For details on the HBA, Perc and Fibre Channel HBA, use the command "esxcli storage core adapter list"
   
   
   Figure 2: Display details of network components
    
   Please bear in mind that there may be more than one type of network card.

    

3. Use the command: "esxcli system module get -m=tg3" to get the version, build and interface details of the system component
   
   
   Figure 3: Display version, build and interface details of the network components
   
    
4. Use the command "ethtool -i vmnicX" to identify firmware version of the system component
   
   
   Figure 4: Display firmware version of the network components
   
    
5. Use the command: "vmkchdev -l" to gather information about Vendor ID (VID), Device ID (DID), Subvendor Device ID (SVID) and Subvendor ID (SSID).
   
   
   Figure 5: Display firmware version of the network components

Searching, Dowloading and Installing Driver from the VMware HCL

1. Go to VMware HCL - Device IO: https://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/search.php?deviceCategory=io
    
2. Input the information gathered in the previous section into the form. Namely, Vendor ID (VID), Device ID (DID), Subvendor Device ID (SVID) and Subvendor ID (SSID). Then click "Update and View Results":
   
   Figure 6: VMware HCL portal
   
    
3. In the tab "VMware Product Name" select the exact VMware version including Update number gathered in the previous section. Expand the release details using the + and download the driver from the link provided.

  
VMware provide an excellent article, including a step by step instructional video, on installing the relevant drivers in ESXi 5.x/6.x using esxcli and the offline bundle which can be found here.

Further Information

• Identifying correct driver for ESXi/ESX host PCI devices (HBA) using VMware Hardware Compatibility Guide (HCL) (1031534)
  https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/1031534
• "vm-support" command in ESX/ESXi to collect diagnostic information (1010705)
  https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/1010705
• Using ESXi Shell in ESXi 5.x and 6.x (2004746)
  https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2004746
• Collecting diagnostic information for VMware ESX/ESXi (653)
  https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/653