Create the Remastered ISO (ESXi 5.x)

This procedure assumes that you are using the working directory \images\New for the user named adminA.

1. Install PowerShell on the Windows server if you have not already done so.
2. Install the vSphere PowerCLI plug-in if you have not done so already.
3. Download the VMware-5.x.x.zip file to the Windows server.
4. If you have not already done so, download the current host drivers for ESXi 5.x hosts.

   See Download the Host Drivers.

5. Start PowerCLI and connect to the vCenter server.

   PowerCLI C:\images\New PowerCLI> Connect-VIServer 192.168.11.12

   This example shows connecting to a vCenter server with the IP address 192.168.11.12, but you can also connect by using a fully-qualified domain name.

6. In PowerCLI, import the ESXi 5.x bundle and the host drivers for ESXi 5.x hosts in the PowerCLI application.

   This example adds the VMware distribution bundle (.zip file) and host drivers to a template.

   This documentation uses VMware-ESXi-5.5.0-1331820-depot.zip and xsigo-5.5.1-ESX1 drivers for illustrative purposes. Follow the same procedure for other versions.

   PowerCLI C:\images\New PowerCLI> Add-EsxSoftwareDepot -DepotUrl ’C:\Users\
   Administrator\Downloads VMware-ESXi-5.5.0-1331820-depot.zip
   
   PowerCLI C:\images\New PowerCLI> Add-EsxSoftwareDepot -DepotUrl C:\Users\
   Administrator\Desktop\ESX5.5Drivers\xsigo_5.5.1.ESX.1-1vmw.550.0.0.1331820.zip

   This example imports the VMware distribution bundle (VMware-ESXi-5.5.0- 1331820-depot.zip) and host drivers (xsigo_5.5.1.ESX.1-1vmw.550.0.0.1331820.zip) to a template.

   When you upload the ESXi software depot, it creates VMware standard profiles by default. The profiles can be either cloned or created to make a Custom-ESXi ISO. This procedure uses the cloned-profile installation procedure.

7. List the ESXi image profiles.

   PowerCLI C:\images\New PowerCLI > Get-EsxImageProfile
   Name                          Vendor        Last Modified    Acceptance Level
   ----                          ------        -------------    ----------------
   ESXi-5.5.0-1331820-standard   VMware, Inc.  9/19/2013 6:...  PartnerSupported
   ESXi-5.5.0-1331820-no-tools   VMware, Inc.  9/19/2013 6:...  PartnerSupported

   As shown in this example, two ESXi image profiles are available by default. To make the remastered ISO, you will clone the ESXi-5.5.0-1331820-standard profile.

8. Create an image profile to make the Custom-ESXi-5.5.0 ISO.

   PowerCLI C:\images\New PowerCLI> New-EsxImageProfile -CloneProfile ESXi-5.5.0-
   1331820-standard -Name "Custom-ESX-5.5.0" -Vendor VMware

   In this example, a new ESXi image profile named Custom-ESXi-5.5.0 is created by cloning the default ESXi image profile.

9. Verify that the custom ESXi image profile is present.

   PowerCLI C:\images\New PowerCLI > Get-EsxImageProfile
   Name                           Vendor       Last Modified    Acceptance Level
   ----                           ------       -------------    ----------------
   Custom-ESX-5.5.0               VMware       9/19/2013 6:...  PartnerSupported
   ESXi-5.5.0-1331820-standard    VMware, Inc. 9/19/2013 6:...  PartnerSupported
   ESXi-5.5.0-1331820-no-tools    VMware, Inc. 9/19/2013 6:...  PartnerSupported

   When the custom image profile is present, you can add and remove necessary packages to make a custom ISO.

10. Remove the net-mlx4-en and net-mlx4-core packages from the depot so that they are not included in the remastered ISO.

    PowerCLI C:\images\New PowerCLI> Remove-EsxSoftwarePackage -ImageProfile
    Custom-ESX-5.5.0 -SoftwarePackage net-mlx4-en
    
    PowerCLI C:\images\New PowerCLI> Remove-EsxSoftwarePackage -ImageProfile
    Custom-ESX-5.5.0 -SoftwarePackage net-mlx4-core

11. Add the packages in the order shown.

    PowerCLI C:\images\New PowerCLI> Add-EsxSoftwarePackage -ImageProfile Custom-
    ESX-5.5.0 -SoftwarePackage net-ib-core
    
    PowerCLI C:\images\New PowerCLI> Add-EsxSoftwarePackage -ImageProfile Custom-
    ESX-5.5.0 -SoftwarePackage net-mlx4-core
    
    PowerCLI C:\images\New PowerCLI> Add-EsxSoftwarePackage -ImageProfile Custom-
    ESX-5.5.0 -SoftwarePackage net-ib-mad
    
    PowerCLI C:\images\New PowerCLI> Add-EsxSoftwarePackage -ImageProfile Custom-
    ESX-5.5.0 -SoftwarePackage net-ib-sa
    
    PowerCLI C:\images\New PowerCLI> Add-EsxSoftwarePackage -ImageProfile Custom-
    ESX-5.5.0 -SoftwarePackage net-ib-ipoib
    
    PowerCLI C:\images\New PowerCLI> Add-EsxSoftwarePackage -ImageProfile Custom-
    ESX-5.5.0 -SoftwarePackage net-mlx4-ib
    
    PowerCLI C:\images\New PowerCLI> Add-EsxSoftwarePackage -ImageProfile Custom-
    ESX-5.5.0 -SoftwarePackage net-ib-cm
    
    PowerCLI C:\images\New PowerCLI> Add-EsxSoftwarePackage -ImageProfile Custom-
    ESX-5.5.0 -SoftwarePackage net-xscore
    
    PowerCLI C:\images\New PowerCLI> Add-EsxSoftwarePackage -ImageProfile Custom-
    ESX-5.5.0 -SoftwarePackage net-xsvnic
    
    PowerCLI C:\images\New PowerCLI> Add-EsxSoftwarePackage -ImageProfile Custom-
    ESX-5.5.0 -SoftwarePackage net-xve
    
    PowerCLI C:\images\New PowerCLI> Add-EsxSoftwarePackage -ImageProfile Custom-
    ESX-5.5.0 -SoftwarePackage scsi-xsvhba

12. Export the modified image profile to the remastered ISO.

    PowerCLI C:\images\New PowerCLI> Export-EsxImageProfile -ImageProfile Custom-
    ESX-5.5.0 -FilePath C:\Users\Administrator\Desktop\ESX5.5Drivers\Custom-5.5.0-
    OVN.iso -ExportToIso

13. (Optional) Export the modified image to the remastered bundle.

    This step is required if your deployments use a bundle for installation.

    PowerCLI C:\images\New PowerCLI> Export-EsxImageProfile -ImageProfile Custom-
    ESX-5.5.0 -FilePath C:\Users\Administrator\Desktop\ESX5.5Drivers\Custom-ESX-
    5.5.0-OVN.zip -ExportToBundle

14. Reboot the server using the remastered ISO.