Using VMware HCL

May 31, 2021 · 2 min read · VMware firmware drivers  ·
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In order to check that the correct firmware and matching driver is in use, you will need to refer to the VMware Hardware Compatibility List (HCL). In order to narrow down the search on the HCL, we need to obtain some values from the hardware. These are namely:

  • VID (Vendor ID)
  • DID (Device ID)
  • SVID (Sub-Vendor ID)
  • SSID (Sub-Device ID)
  1. In vCenter, click on the Configure tab, then click on PCI Devices under the Hardware section.
  2. Select "All PCI" devices and then go through the list until you find the hardware you are interested in under the Vendor Name column and select it.
  3. Under "General Information", you will find the VID, DID, SVID and SSID
  4. In this example I am using a "QLogic 2x25GE QL41262HMKR CNA" with the following values:
VIDDIDSVIDMax SSID
107780701077000F
  1. We can then put these values in the VMware Compatibility Guide and we can also filter for a specific version of ESXi, in this case 7.0 U1. HCL Input
  2. Click "Update and View Results"
  3. Scroll down to see the results and click on the link under "Model" HCL output
  4. You can now see what VMware minimum supported driver and firmware combinations are. Driver and firmware detail
  5. If this is expanded out, a link will be provided to allow the customer to download the driver

    NOTE: A free VMware account will be needed in order to download drivers.