Does the server have light-out mgmt? You can upgrade the BIOS via that. That takes care of the host. ESXi updates can be done through a vCenter.

VMware made a long-anticipated move July 22 when it announced that its ESXi hypervisor would be free. That doesn’t mean VMware customers can avoid pricey fees for support and management tools, though.

VMware ESXi 8.0 Update 3e brings back the free version of the hypervisor It was removed in February 2024 when VMware went subscription-only Broadcom has addressed customers’ concerns VMware has ...