Working with standalone ESXi 5 hosts presents unique patch management challenges, especially when dealing with vendor-specific builds like HP's customized ESXi images. The core question revolves around whether patches are truly cumulative and what the safest update path looks like.

VMware's patch system operates on a VIB (vSphere Installation Bundle) level. Each patch contains updated VIBs for specific components. While individual VIB updates within a patch are cumulative for their respective components, the entire patch bundle isn't necessarily cumulative across all previously released patches.

# Example of checking installed VIBs on ESXi
esxcli software vib list | grep esxi-base
esxcli software vib list | grep hp

For HP ProLiant servers running build #474610, here's the recommended approach:

1. First verify your current build version:

vmware -v

2. Download the HP-specific ESXi 5.0 Update 2 bundle (build #914586) rather than individual patches
3. Apply using the following command:

esxcli software profile update \
-d /vmfs/volumes/datastore1/HP-ESXi-5.0.0-201204001.zip \
-p HP-ESXi-5.0.0-201204001-standard

In cases where full image updates aren't feasible (due to bandwidth constraints or change control requirements), you can apply critical patches individually. For example, to patch just the esxi-base VIB:

esxcli software vib install -v /path/to/ESXi500-201301001/metadata.zip \
--no-sig-check --maintenance-mode

After patching, verify all required VIB versions:

esxcli software vib get -n esxi-base
esxcli software vib get -n hp-ams
esxcli software vib get -n hp-smx-provider

Cross-reference these with VMware's KB articles for the specific build you're targeting. HP maintains a separate patch repository for their customized components.

For environments with multiple standalone hosts, consider this PowerShell snippet to automate patch verification:

$hosts = Get-VMHost | Where {$_.Version -like "5.0*"}
foreach ($vmhost in $hosts) {
    $session = New-SSHSession -ComputerName $vmhost.Name
    $output = Invoke-SSHCommand -SSHSession $session 
             -Command "esxcli software vib list | grep -E 'esxi-base|hp'"
    [PSCustomObject]@{
        Host = $vmhost.Name
        ESXiBase = ($output.Output -match "esxi-base").Split(" ")[1]
        HPAMS = ($output.Output -match "hp-ams").Split(" ")[1]
    }
}

HP's ESXi builds include additional drivers and CIM providers. When patching:

• Always check HP's SPP (Service Pack for ProLiant) release notes
• Monitor for firmware dependencies - some VIB updates require specific iLO or BIOS versions
• HP components may follow a different update cadence than VMware's base ESXi patches

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VMware ESXi 5 patches follow a semi-cumulative model, which often causes confusion. This means:

1. When a patch updates specific VIBs (vSphere Installation Bundles), it includes all previous fixes for those components
2. Patches don't automatically include updates for unrelated VIBs that weren't modified in that release

For HP-specific ESXi builds (like your #474610 starting point), follow this approach:

# First check current ESXi version
esxcli system version get

# Sample output:
#   Product: VMware ESXi
#   Version: 5.0.0
#   Build: Releasebuild-474610
#   Update: 0

Key considerations when patching:

• Vendor customizations: HP bundles include hardware-specific drivers (hpacucli, hp-smx-provider)
• Build dependencies: Some updates require intermediate patches for dependency resolution

For your scenario (474610 → 702118):

1. Download the HP Customized ESXi 5.0 Update 2 bundle (build 702118)
2. Verify checksum before installation

# Example patch installation command
esxcli software vib install -d /vmfs/volumes/datastore1/update-from-esxi5.0-5.0_update02.zip

# Verify installation
esxcli software vib list | grep esxi-base

For limited bandwidth situations:

• Use the offline bundle download option (smaller than ISO)
• Consider using the --dry-run flag first to validate requirements

# Dry-run example
esxcli software vib install -d /path/to/update.zip --dry-run

After updating to build 702118:

# Check all security bulletins are addressed
esxcli software vib get -n esx-base

# Compare against VMware's KB:
# https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2143832

Remember that HP maintains its own patch repository for customized builds. Always cross-reference:

• VMware's Patch Portal
• HP's ESXi Download Page