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.

I'm about to install VMware ESXi on a new HP DL380p g8 server. This server will not be connected to a SAN. It's a lab box used by about a dozen people, and does not run mission critical software. We ...

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.