KB ID 0000369
Problem
You have an ESXi server running 4.0 and you want to update to 4.1
Note: This procedure is carried out on a stand along ESXi 4.0 host, if you have 4.0 ESXi servers managed by Virtual Center you MUST update your Virtual Center to version 4.1 FIRST. If you don’t you cannot connect to the updated 4.1 ESXi host post upgrade, if you try you will see the following error,
Error: HA agent disabled on {hostname}
And for Virtual Center 4.1 the host server needs to be x64 bit (at time of writing Server 2008 R2 is NOT supported).
Solution
Steps
1. Download the update upgrade-from-ESXi4.0-to-4.1.0-0.0.260247-release.zip
2. Copy the update to a datastore on your ESXi server.
3. Connect to the ESXi server via SSH.
4. Find the “simlink” for the datastore you put the update in with the following command.
[box]ls -l /vmfs/volumes/[/box]
5. Enter maintenance mode with the following command. (In a VCenter environment do this from the VCenter).
[box]vim-cmd /hostsvc/maintenance_mode_enter[/box]
6. Extract the update with the following command. (replace the simlink with your own).
[box]esxupdate –bundle=/vmfs/volumes/4c46df69-78c14cd1-7455-18a9053b3a5c/UPDATE/upgrade-from-ESXi4.0-to-4.1.0-0.0.260247-release.zip stage[/box]
7. Install the update with the following command. (replace the simlink with your own).
[box]esxupdate –bundle=/vmfs/volumes/4c46df69-78c14cd1-7455-18a9053b3a5c/UPDATE/upgrade-from-ESXi4.0-to-4.1.0-0.0.260247-release.zip update[/box]
8. Reboot the ESXi Server.
9. Exit maintenance mode either via the VI client or from command line with the follwing command.
[box]vim-cmd /hostsvc/maintenance_mode_exit[/box]
Note: If you are doing multiple ESXi hosts in a vCenter environment the simlinks will be the same on all the hosts.