How to add driver in VMware ESX ISO .
While installing or upgrading VMware Vsphere servers some time we have to add the drivers in the ISO .which is not available in the ISO .
In example I have to add Nexus 1000v VEM module in the ESXi 5.5 update 3 ISO . Which required to upgrade my ESXi 5.0 and support current running my Nexus 1000v VSM.
1- we have to get VMware Vsphere 5.5 update 3 bundle as ZIP from VMware website .
2- Now create a folder and copy in it . in My Example I am copying in C:\Patch
3- Add ESXi offline bundle to Software Depot
Now open the VMware PowerCLI and run Below Command
PowerCLI > Add-EsxSoftwareDepot c:\patch\ESXi510-201210001.zip
4- Now Copy the Driver Zip file in to C:\patch folder and add to the software depot
PowerCLI > Add-EsxSoftwareDepot C:\patches\cisco-vem-v260-5.2.1.3.1.15.0-3.2.1.zip
5- Check the Driver is added to Software Depot
PowerCLI> Get-EsxSoftwarePackage -Vendor Cisco
6- Check the Image profiles
PowerCLI> Get-EsxImageProfile
6-Now Clone your offline bundle image to a new image
PowerCLI> New-EsxImageProfile -CloneProfile ESXi-5.5.0-20151204001-standard -name Custom-cisco
7- Now check the vib list created in new Custom-cisco image
PowerCLI> (Get-EsxImageProfile -Name “brain-cisco”).VibList
8- Get the name of vib added to image software depot
PowerCLI> Get-EsxSoftwarePackage -Vendor Cisco
9- Add this vib to custom-cisco image
PowerCLI> add-esxsoftwarepackage -imageprofile Custom-cisco -softwarepackage cisco-vem-v260-esx
10- Now Export the Custom image as ISO
PowerCLI> export-esximageprofile -imageprofile Custom-cisco -exporttoiso -filepath “c:imagebuilderbrian.iso”
11- Now you can compare offline base image to new Cusctom-cisco image
PowerCLI> compare-esximageprofile ESXi-5.5.0-20151201001s-standard Custom-cisco
Source link which helped me to create custom iso .