Create Custom ISO using Image Builder with vSphere Client

To create a custom ISO, we have to use Auto Deploy with Image Builder feature in
vCenter. By default, this is disabled and you have to enable it. Only the administrator
role has privileges to use the vSphere ESXi Image Builder service.

Steps involved

 Enable Auto Deploy and Image Builder

 Create Custom Depot
 Import offline bundles ( ESXi updates, patches, ESXi and third-party Drivers etc )
 Clone the Profile to Custom Depot
 Export the Custom Depot
 Download the Custom ISO

Log in to the vCenter Server system by using the vSphere Web Client. On the vSphere
Web Client Home page, click on Auto Deploy:

1
We can enable only Image builder service or both services (Auto Deploy and Image
builder). In our case, we will only enable Image builder:

2
Once Image builder is started, we must create a custom depot. From Software Depots option, click on
"NEW":

Select "Custom Depot", provide a Name and click "ADD". In our example, we will create a software
depot called "ESXi-6.7.0-STD-16316930"

3
The next step is to import the ESXi offline bundle (zip file) from local computer and previously
downloaded from VMware website, to vSphere ESXi Image builder inventory:

From "Software Depot", click on "IMPORT":

Provide a name and browse to select the Zip file from the local computer and then click "UPLOAD"

4
Wait for few seconds and the file will be uploaded successfully:

As we can see, the depot contains 4 Image Profiles:

In the following step, and using the same method, we'll import the zip file of the latest ESXi 6.7 patch
(released on June 9th, 2020.

5
6
After Uploading the patch, we can see the two (02) Image profiles contained in this software depot:

The next step is to clone the image profile:

 On the "Software Depots" tab, use the drop-down menu to select the software depot that
contain the image profile, in our case  "ESXi670-STD-15160138"
 Select the image profile to clone: in our case  "ESXi-6.7.0-20191204001-standard"

Click on "CLONE"

Enter a unique Image profile name, Vendor and Description. From the Software depot drop-down menu,
select in which custom depot to add the new image profile and click "NEXT"

7
Select the latest versions of packages esx-base et esx-update. Here, we have to check esx-base version
6.7.0-3.108.16316930 and esx-update version 6.7.0-3.108.16316930 instead of those selected (6.7.0-
3.89.15160138).

Go to page 2 to select to correct versions of vsan and vsanhealth packages:

8
Check versions 6.7.0-3.108.16243518 for vsan package and version 6.7.0-3.108.16243519 for vsanhealth
package:

Click "NEXT":

Click "FINISH":

9
Click on "EXPORT" to generate the ISO image:

Leave default settings and click "OK":

After generation, "DOWLOAD" link appears:

10
Cliquer "DOWNLOAD" to get the ISO image:

11