ESXi Image Builder CLI: How to Add Drivers to an ESXi Image Profile

"No Network Adapters "- I recently had to build up a few ESXi 5.1 hosts procured with Broadcom 57800/57810 10GbE Network Cards.  During the install, I was met with the following message:

Back in the old 4.1 days, you just had to present the “custom drivers” ISO during the install process. 

vSphere 5 introduces the “ESXi Image Builder CLI” to create custom ESXi images.

First, we have to get familiar with some new terms:

vSphere Installation Bundle (VIB): VIBs are the building blocks of the ESXi image. A VIB is similar to a tarball or ZIP archive in that it is a collection of files packaged into a single archive.

Software Depot: Software depots are used to package and distribute VIBs. A Software Depot (sometimes referred to as a Software Bundle) is a collection VIBs specially packaged for distribution. There are two types of depots – online and offline. An online software depot is accessed remotely using HTTP. An offline software depot is downloaded and accessed locally.

Image Profile: An Image Profile is the logical collection of VMware and third-party VIBs needed to install an ESXi host. Image profiles created with the Image Builder CLI can be saved as ZIP archives or ISO files.

Ok, now lets begin the Image Profile Build process:

1. First, download the software depot files.  In my case, I downloaded the Broadcom drivers and Vmware ESXi-5.1.0 zip files to my D:\software_depot directory

2. Next, Import the software depots.  Start your PowerCLI session and import the software depots using the following comdlet: Add-EsxSoftwareDepot 

3.To view the existing Image Profiles, run the following cmdlet: Get-ESXImageProfile

 

The "s" in the profile names is "security only"

 

 





4.I then made a clone of the “standard” Image Profile.  The clone was named ESXi-5.1.0-799733_BCM

5.To view the existing Packages, run the following cmdlet: Get-ESXSoftwarePackage

6. To add VIBs, use the following cmdlet: Add-EsxSoftwarePackage. 

7. To Remove VIBs, use the following cmdlet: Remove-EsxSoftwarePackage
8. Once all the necessary changes have been made, export the Image profile to an ISO file:



 9. I attached the newly created ISO to the server via DRAC, and it recognized the new NICs without a hitch.