VMware has released the vSphere 7.0 U3c on 27 JAN 2022. VMware is continuously working on developing a lot of new features in every release. vSphere 7.0 U3c is now available for download and it contains many bug fixes which are identified in the previous version.
IMPORTANT: VMware removed ESXi 7.0 Update 3, 7.0 Update 3a, and 7.0 Update 3b from all sites on November 19, 2021 due to an upgrade-impacting issue. Build 19193900 for ESXi 7.0 Update 3c ISO replaces build 18644231, 18825058, and 18905247 for ESXi 7.0 Update 3, 7.0 Update 3a, and 7.0 Update 3b respectively. For a list of related VMware knowledge base articles, see 87327.
What’s New with vSphere 7.0 U3c
Intel Driver Name Change Issue
Due to the recent name change in the Intel i40en driver to i40enu and back to i40en, ESXi hosts in some environments later than ESXi 7.0 Update 2a might have both driver versions, which results in several issues, all resolved in vSphere 7.0 Update 3c.
Affected ESXi versions are 7.0 Update 3a, 7.0 Update 3, 7.0 Update 2d, and 7.0 Update 2c.
VMware provides a vSphere_upgrade_assessment.py a script that you can use to identify any ESXi hosts that require remediation before you start a vCenter Server upgrade. To download the script and for more information, see VMware knowledge base article 87258.
Upgrade Pre-check for vCenter Server
To help you upgrade your system correctly, vCenter Server 7.0 Update 3c adds a precheck and detailed scan with warnings:
When you start the update or upgrade of your vCenter Server system, an upgrade precheck runs a scan to detect if ESXi hosts of versions potentially affected by the issues around the Intel driver name change exist in your vCenter Server inventory.
If the precheck identifies such ESXi hosts, a detailed scan runs to provide a list of all affected hosts, specifying file locations where you can find the list, and providing guidance on how to proceed.
IMPORTANT: You must first upgrade the list of affected hosts to ESXi 7.0 Update 3c before you continue to upgrade vCenter Server to 7.0 Update 3c. You can upgrade ESXi hosts that you manage with either baselines or a single image, by using the ESXi ISO image with an upgrade baseline or a base image of 7.0 Update 3c respectively. Do not use patch baselines based on the rollup bulletin.
If the scan finds no affected hosts, you can continue with the upgrade of the vCenter Server first.
For more information, see VMware knowledge article 86447.
Fixes and warnings to vSphere Lifecycle Manager Workflows
vCenter Server 7.0 Update 3c adds fixes and warnings to some vSphere Lifecycle Manager workflows:
In the Updates tab of the vSphere Client, you see a banner to prevent you from updating ESXi hosts to ESXi 7.0 Update 3c with the non-critical host patches predefined baseline, which checks ESXi hosts for compliance only with optional patches. Instead, you must use the ESXi 7.0 Update 3c ISO image.
In the Updates tab of the vSphere Client, you see a banner to prevent you from updating ESXi hosts to ESXi 7.0 Update 3c with the non-critical host patches predefined baseline, which checks ESXi hosts for compliance only with optional patches.
If ESXi hosts of versions potentially affected by the issues around the Intel driver name change exist in your vCenter Server inventory, the vSphere Lifecycle Manager automatically prevents you from changing the update method for such hosts from a cluster that you manage with vSphere Lifecycle Manager baselines to a cluster that you manage with a single image. For more information, see VMware knowledge base article 87308.
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