VMware VS4-ENT-PL-A - vSphere Enterprise Plus Setup Manual page 227

Figure 7‑6. Image Builder Architecture
VIB VIB
Image Builder
PowerCLI
Windows client
Software Depots and Their Components
Understanding how depots, profiles, and VIBs are structured and where you can use them is a prerequisite
for in-memory installation of a custom ESXi ISO, for provisioning ESXi hosts using vSphere Auto Deploy,
and for certain custom upgrade operations.
The following technical terms are used throughout the vSphere documentation set in discussions of
installation and upgrade tasks.
VIB
Image Profile
Software Depot
Image Builder PowerCLI Overview
Image Builder PowerCLI cmdlets allow you to manage image profiles and VIBs.
The Image Builder PowerCLI includes the following cmdlets.
N When you run Image Builder cmdlets, provide all parameters on the command line when you invoke
OTE
the cmdlet. Supplying parameters in interactive mode is not recommended.
VMware, Inc.
depot
image
image
profile
profile
2
1
user-created
image profile
vSphere
Auto deploy
A VIB is an ESXi software package. VMware and its partners package
solutions, drivers, CIM providers, and applications that extend the ESXi
platform as VIBs. VIBs are available in software depots. You can use VIBs to
create and customize ISO images or to upgrade ESXi hosts by installing VIBs
asynchronously onto the hosts.
See "SoftwarePackage Object Properties,"
An image profile defines an ESXi image and consists of VIBs. An image
profile always includes a base VIB, and might include more VIBs. You
examine and define an image profile using the Image Builder PowerCLI.
See "ImageProfile Object Properties,"
A software depot is a collection of VIBs and image profiles. The software
depot is a hierarchy of files and folders and can be available through an
HTTP URL (online depot) or a ZIP file (offline depot). VMware and VMware
partners make depots available. Companies with large VMware installations
might create internal depots to provision ESXi hosts with vSphere Auto
Deploy, or to export an ISO for ESXi installation.
ISO
vSphere Update
Manager
ZIP
esxcli
on page 231.
on page 230.
Chapter 7 Installing ESXi
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