Upgrade the Management Domain to VMware Cloud Foundation 5.2

Upgrading your management domain to VMware Cloud Foundation 5.2 is a crucial step to ensure you can leverage the latest features, security enhancements, and performance improvements. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you navigate the process smoothly.

Prerequisites

Before starting the upgrade to VMware Cloud Foundation 5.2, ensure that your management domain is at VMware Cloud Foundation 4.5 or higher. If your environment is running a version lower than 4.5, you'll need to upgrade to 4.5 or later before proceeding to 5.2.

Upgrade Order

The upgrade should follow a specific sequence to ensure all components function correctly post-upgrade. Here’s the recommended order:

1. SDDC Manager and VMware Cloud Foundation Services
• The first step is upgrading the SDDC Manager. This ensures that the management plane is ready for subsequent upgrades.
2. VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle
• Next, upgrade the VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle, which is essential for managing the lifecycle of your VMware applications.
3. NSX Manager and NSX Global Managers (if applicable)
• Upgrade NSX components to ensure network virtualization services are up-to-date and compatible with VMware Cloud Foundation 5.2.
4. vCenter Server
• Upgrade the vCenter Server to manage your vSphere environments efficiently with the latest features and improvements.
5. ESXi
• Finally, upgrade the ESXi hosts to complete the upgrade process for the management domain.

Post-Upgrade Steps

After completing the upgrades, follow these post-upgrade steps to ensure your environment is stable and backed up:

1. Remove VM Snapshots
• Remove any VM snapshots you took before starting the upgrade. These snapshots are no longer needed and can consume valuable storage space.
2. Take a Backup
• Perform a backup of all newly installed components to safeguard your environment. This backup will be crucial in case any issues arise in the future.

Additional Considerations

• Upgrade Sequence for Workload Domains:
• Until SDDC Manager is upgraded to version 5.2, you must upgrade the management domain before upgrading VI workload domains. Once SDDC Manager is at version 5.2 or later, you have the flexibility to upgrade VI workload domains either before or after upgrading the management domain, as long as all components in the workload domain are compatible.

By following this guide, you'll ensure a smooth and efficient upgrade to VMware Cloud Foundation 5.2, paving the way for a robust, secure, and high-performing cloud infrastructure.

 

Perform Update Precheck - Versions Prior to SDDC Manager 5.0

Before applying any update or upgrade bundle, it's essential to perform a precheck to ensure your environment is ready. This is especially important if you have not yet upgraded to SDDC Manager 5.0. The precheck process helps identify potential issues that could cause the update to fail.

Precheck for ESXi Bundle

When running a precheck for an ESXi bundle, the system performs both a bundle-level precheck and an environment precheck. For VI workload domains using vSphere Lifecycle Manager baselines, the ESXi bundle precheck validates the following:

• Custom ISO Compatibility: Ensures the custom ISO is compatible with your environment.
• Custom ISO Size: Verifies that the custom ISO size is smaller than the boot partition size.
• Third-Party VIBs Compatibility: Checks that third-party VIBs are compatible with the environment.

Silencing vSAN Skyline Health Alerts

• If a vSAN Skyline Health alert is silenced in the vSphere Client, SDDC Manager skips the related precheck and indicates which precheck it skipped. To include the silenced precheck, click Restore Precheck.
• You can silence failed vSAN prechecks in the SDDC Manager UI by clicking Silence Precheck. Silenced prechecks do not trigger warnings or block upgrades.
• Important: Only silence alerts if you are sure they are incorrect. Do not silence alerts for real issues that require remediation.

Procedure

1. Navigate to Workload Domains:
• In the navigation pane, click Inventory > Workload Domains.
2. Select Workload Domain:
• On the Workload Domains page, click the workload domain where you want to run the precheck.
3. Access Updates/Patches Tab:
• On the domain summary page, click the Updates/Patches tab.
• Click Precheck to validate that the environment is ready to be upgraded.
4. Monitor Precheck Status:
• Once the precheck begins, a message appears indicating the start time.
• Click View Status to see detailed tasks and their status.
• To see details for a task, click the Expand arrow.
5. Address Precheck Failures:
• If a precheck task fails, fix the issue and click Retry Precheck to run the task again. You can also click Precheck Failed Resources to retry all failed tasks.
6. Handle Driver Incompatibility:
• If ESXi hosts display a driver incompatibility issue, identify the controller with the HCL issue.
• Determine the supported driver and firmware versions on the source and target ESXi versions.
• Upgrade the firmware and manually upgrade the driver on the ESXi host. Retry the failed task.
7. Suppress Maintenance Mode Check:
• If the precheck fails at the Enter Maintenance Mode step due to pinned VMs, suppress this check by logging into SDDC Manager using SSH with the username vcf and the specified password.
• Open the /opt/vmware/vcf/lcm/lcm-app/conf/application-prod.properties file.
• Add the following lines to the end of the file:

lcm.nsxt.suppress.dry.run.emm.check=true

lcm.esx.suppress.dry.run.emm.check.failures=true

• Restart Lifecycle Management:

systemctl restart lcm

• After restarting, run the precheck again.

Results

The precheck result is displayed at the top of the Upgrade Precheck Details window. If you click Exit Details, the result is shown at the top of the Precheck section in the Updates/Patches tab. Ensure that the precheck results are green before proceeding, as a failed precheck may cause the update to fail.

Perform Update Precheck in SDDC Manager

Performing a precheck in SDDC Manager before applying an update bundle is essential to ensure your environment is ready for the update. This guide outlines the necessary steps to perform the precheck.

Key Points

• Bundle-Level Prechecks for vCenter: Available in VMware Cloud Foundation.
• ESXi Bundle-Level Prechecks: Only work for minor-version upgrades (e.g., ESXi 7.x to 7.y). These prechecks do not run in VMware Cloud Foundation.

Silencing vSAN Skyline Health Alerts

• If you silence a vSAN Skyline Health alert in the vSphere Client, SDDC Manager skips the related precheck and indicates which precheck it skipped. Click RESTORE PRECHECK to include the silenced precheck.
• You can also silence failed vSAN prechecks in the SDDC Manager UI by clicking Silence Precheck.
• Important: Only silence alerts if you are sure they are incorrect. Do not silence alerts for real issues that require remediation.

Procedure

1. Navigate to Workload Domains:
• In the navigation pane, click Inventory > Workload Domains.
2. Select Workload Domain:
• On the Workload Domains page, click the workload domain where you want to run the precheck.
3. Access Updates Tab:
• On the domain summary page, click the Updates tab.
• Click RUN PRECHECK to select the components in the workload domain you want to precheck.
4. Select Components to Precheck:
• You can choose to run a precheck only on vCenter or the vSphere cluster. All components in the workload domain are selected by default. For specific components, choose Custom selection.
5. Target Version Selection:
• If there are pending upgrade bundles, the "Target Version" dropdown contains "General Upgrade Readiness" and the available VMware Cloud Foundation versions to upgrade to. Extra checks (bundle-level prechecks) are available for hosts, vCenter Server, etc.
6. Monitor Precheck Progress:
• When the precheck begins, a progress message appears indicating the time the precheck started and its progress.
7. Parallel Precheck Workflows:
• If you want to precheck multiple domains, you can repeat steps 1-5 for each domain without waiting for the first precheck to finish.
8. Review Precheck Report:
• Once the precheck is complete, the report appears. Click through ALL, ERRORS, WARNINGS, and SILENCED to filter and browse the results.
• To see details for a task, click the expander arrow.
9. Address Precheck Failures:
• If a precheck task failed, fix the issue and click Retry Precheck to run the task again. You can also click RETRY ALL FAILED RESOURCES to retry all failed tasks.
10. Handle Driver Incompatibility:
• If ESXi hosts display a driver incompatibility issue:
• Identify the controller with the HCL issue.
• Determine the supported driver and firmware versions on the source and target ESXi versions.
• Upgrade the firmware if required.
• Manually upgrade the driver on the ESXi host and retry the failed task.
11. Suppress Maintenance Mode Check:
• If the precheck fails at the Enter Maintenance Mode step due to pinned VMs:
• Log in to SDDC Manager using SSH with the username vcf and specified password.
• Open the /opt/vmware/vcf/lcm/lcm-app/conf/application-prod.properties file.
• Add the following lines:

lcm.nsxt.suppress.dry.run.emm.check=true

lcm.esx.suppress.dry.run.emm.check.failures=true

• Restart Lifecycle Management:

systemctl restart lcm

• After restarting, run the precheck again.

Results

• The precheck result is displayed at the top of the Upgrade Precheck Details window. If you click Exit Details, the result is shown at the top of the Precheck section in the Updates tab.
Ensure that the precheck results are green before proceeding. A failed precheck will not prevent the upgrade but may cause it to fail.

Apply the VMware Cloud Foundation 5.2 Upgrade Bundle

Upgrading to VMware Cloud Foundation 5.2 involves several key steps to ensure a smooth transition and the availability of new functionalities. This guide will walk you through the process of applying the upgrade bundle to your SDDC Manager appliance and VMware Cloud Foundation services.

Prerequisites

Before starting the upgrade, make sure you have completed the following:

Download the VMware Cloud Foundation Update Bundle:

• See the Downloading VMware Cloud Foundation Upgrade Bundles.

Backup SDDC Manager:

• Ensure you have a recent successful backup of SDDC Manager using an external SFTP server.

Snapshot the SDDC Manager Appliance:

• Take a snapshot of the SDDC Manager appliance.

Backup Managed Components:

• Ensure you have recent successful backups of the components managed by SDDC Manager.

Perform Update Precheck:

• Run the update precheck in SDDC Manager and resolve any issues.

Procedure

Navigate to Workload Domains:
In the navigation pane, click Inventory > Workload Domains.

Select Management Domain:
On the Workload Domains page, click the management domain and then click the Updates tab.

Select Target VMware Cloud Foundation Release:
In the Available Updates section, select the target VMware Cloud Foundation release or click Plan Upgrade.

For VMware Cloud Foundation 4.5.x, select the target version.

For VMware Cloud Foundation 5.x, click Plan Upgrade, select a target version, and click Confirm.

Initiate the Upgrade:
Click Update Now or Schedule Update next to the VMware Cloud Foundation Upgrade bundle.
If you selected Schedule Update, select the date and time for the bundle to be applied and click Schedule.

If you clicked Update Now, the VMware Cloud Foundation Update Status window displays the components that will be upgraded and the upgrade status. Click View Update Activity to view the detailed tasks. After the upgrade is completed, a green bar with a check mark is displayed.

Complete the Upgrade:
Click Finish.

When the update completes successfully, you are logged out of the SDDC Manager UI and must log in again.

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Independent SDDC Manager Upgrade

After upgrading SDDC Manager to 5.2, you can independently upgrade SDDC Manager without upgrading the entire VMware Cloud Foundation Bill of Materials (BOM). This new functionality allows for more flexibility in managing your updates.

For more details on the independent SDDC Manager upgrade, refer to the VMware Cloud Foundation documentation.

Share Your Experience

Feel free to share your upgrade experiences and any tips you might have for others undergoing the same process. You can connect with the community on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

For detailed documentation, refer to the VMware Cloud Foundation 5.2 Lifecycle Management guide.

 

Importing Brownfield Environments with VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 5.2

 VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 5.2 introduces a major enhancement: the ability to import existing 'brownfield' environments into SDDC Manager. This significant update simplifies the onboarding process, enabling seamless integration of existing vSphere and vSAN environments into a comprehensive private cloud platform.

Key Features of VCF 5.2 Import

Deploying SDDC Manager as an OVA

One option to utilize the new import feature is to deploy SDDC Manager as an OVA (Open Virtual Appliance). This process involves deploying the OVA and converting an existing cluster into a Management Domain. This setup allows users to leverage SDDC-based automation for their existing environments.

Importing vSphere Infrastructure as a Workload Domain

Another option is to import an existing vSphere Infrastructure into a pre-existing VMware Cloud Foundation instance as a VI workload domain. This is accomplished using a command line (CLI) tool, a self-contained Python script that encompasses all necessary components for the import process.

Topologies Supported by VCF Import

Supported Topologies:

vSphere Infrastructure environments with FiberChannel storage.

vSphere Infrastructure environments with NFS storage.

vSphere Infrastructure environments with vSAN storage.

Unsupported Topologies:

vSphere Infrastructure with NSX environments.

vSphere Infrastructure environments with LACP (Link Aggregation Control Protocol) configurations.

Advantages of VCF Import

One of the most notable benefits of VCF 5.2 is the decoupling of SDDC Manager from the entire Bill of Materials (BOM) when managing the lifecycle of the VCF environment. This update enhances flexibility by allowing independent updates to SDDC Manager as new releases become available. This means users can benefit from the latest features and improvements in SDDC Manager without needing to update the entire VCF environment simultaneously.

In summary, VCF 5.2's import capabilities mark a significant advancement in the simplification of integrating existing vSphere and vSAN environments into a fully automated private cloud infrastructure. By offering flexible deployment options and supporting various storage topologies, VCF 5.2 empowers organizations to modernize their data centers with ease.

Detailed Guide to Using the VMware License Calculator for VCF, VVF, and vSAN

 

Managing licenses for VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF), VMware Validated Framework (VVF), and VMware vSAN can be a complex task. To simplify this process, the VMware License Calculator allows users to input configuration data and run simulations to determine the required subscription licenses. This blog will walk you through the process of using this tool effectively.

Supported Environments

The License Calculator supports the following VMware environments:

• VMware vSphere ESXi 6.0
• VMware Cloud Foundation 4.5.x
• VMware vSAN 7.0.x
• VMware vSAN 6.0.x
• VMware vSphere ESXi 8.0
• VMware vSphere ESXi 7.0
• VMware Cloud Foundation 5.1.x

Instructions for Using the VCF/VVF Calculator

Prerequisites

Ensure that you have the necessary permissions to execute scripts and access to the input files required by the calculator.

Dot Source the Function

First, you need to dot source the calculator script to make the functions available in your PowerShell session. Use the following command:

. ./vcf-vvf-calculator.ps1

Running the Calculator

Example Calculator for VCF

To calculate the licenses required for a VCF deployment, use:

Get-VCFandVVFCalculator -InputFile sample-input.csv -DeploymentType VCF

Example Calculator for VVF

For a VVF deployment, the command is:

Get-VCFandVVFCalculator -InputFile sample-input.csv -DeploymentType VVF

Exporting Results to CSV For VCF

If you need to export the results of the VCF calculation to a CSV file, use:

Get-VCFandVVFCalculator -InputFile sample-input.csv -DeploymentType VCF – CSV

For VVF

Similarly, to export VVF results to a CSV file, use:

Get-VCFandVVFCalculator -InputFile sample-input.csv -DeploymentType VVF – CSV

Sample Results

Sample Result for VVF with vSAN Capacity Licensing

Below is an example of the output you might see when running the calculator for VVF with vSAN capacity licensing:

Sample Result for VCF with vSAN Capacity Licensing

An example output for VCF with vSAN capacity licensing might look like this:

Using the VMware License Calculator simplifies the process of determining the required licenses for your VCF, VVF, and vSAN deployments. By following the instructions outlined in this blog, you can quickly and accurately assess your licensing needs.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to reach out in the comments section below. Happy computing!

For details, please refer to this KB

Why Choose VMware Cloud Foundation 5.x for Your Enterprise Private Cloud

 

In today's rapidly evolving IT landscape, enterprises are under constant pressure to optimize their cloud infrastructure, reduce operational complexity, and accelerate time-to-value. VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 5.x emerges as a robust solution that addresses these needs by providing a comprehensive and integrated platform for managing private and hybrid clouds. Here’s a detailed look at why VCF 5.x is the optimal choice for enterprises aiming to enhance their cloud strategies.

1. Comprehensive Integrated Solution

VMware Cloud Foundation 5.x is an integrated software platform that combines several key VMware technologies:

• VMware vSphere: The industry-leading virtualization platform for compute resources, offering high performance, availability, and efficiency.
• VMware vSAN: A software-defined storage solution that pools direct-attached storage devices to create a shared datastore optimized for virtual machines.
• VMware NSX: A network virtualization platform that provides micro-segmentation, automated network provisioning, and advanced networking and security features.
• VMware vRealize Suite: A comprehensive cloud management platform that provides capabilities for infrastructure automation, operations management, and intelligent analytics.

This integration ensures seamless interoperability and simplifies the management of the entire cloud stack, providing a unified and cohesive environment for private cloud operations.

2. Simplified Operations with Automated Management

VCF 5.x significantly reduces the complexity of cloud operations through automation:

• Automated Deployment: VCF automates the deployment of the entire cloud infrastructure stack, including the physical and virtual layers. This reduces setup times and minimizes human errors.
• Lifecycle Management: The platform includes VMware SDDC Manager, which automates the lifecycle management of the software-defined data center components. This includes patching, upgrading, and configuration management, ensuring that your environment is always up-to-date and secure.
• Workload Management: VCF integrates with VMware Tanzu, enabling enterprises to manage both traditional and containerized applications from a single platform. This simplifies operations and enhances agility in deploying modern applications.

3. Enhanced Security and Compliance

Security is a paramount concern for enterprises, especially in private cloud environments. VCF 5.x incorporates VMware’s intrinsic security features:

• Micro-Segmentation: With NSX, VCF offers micro-segmentation capabilities, allowing enterprises to implement granular security policies and isolate workloads to prevent lateral movement of threats.
• End-to-End Encryption: vSAN provides end-to-end encryption for data at rest, ensuring that sensitive information is protected against unauthorized access.
• Compliance Management: VCF supports compliance with various industry standards and regulations through automated security policies and continuous monitoring. This helps enterprises maintain compliance without additional overhead.

4. Scalability and Flexibility

VCF 5.x is designed to scale effortlessly to meet the growing demands of modern enterprises:

• Elastic Resource Allocation: The platform allows enterprises to scale compute, storage, and network resources independently, ensuring optimal resource utilization based on workload requirements.
• Multi-Cluster Support: VCF supports multiple clusters within a single environment, enabling organizations to manage diverse workloads and applications efficiently.
• Global Management: VCF's centralized management capabilities allow IT administrators to manage distributed environments from a single console, simplifying operations across geographically dispersed data centers.

5. Unified Management for Hybrid Cloud Environments

Enterprises often operate in hybrid cloud environments, leveraging both private and public clouds to meet their diverse needs. VCF 5.x provides unified management for hybrid clouds:

• Seamless Integration: VCF integrates seamlessly with VMware Cloud on AWS, Microsoft Azure VMware Solution, and Google Cloud VMware Engine. This enables enterprises to extend their private cloud capabilities to the public cloud, providing a consistent operational model across all environments.
• Hybrid Cloud Services: With hybrid cloud services, enterprises can easily migrate workloads between private and public clouds, ensuring flexibility and agility in resource allocation.

6. Optimized Resource Utilization and Cost Efficiency

By providing a consolidated platform for managing compute, storage, and networking resources, VCF 5.x helps enterprises optimize resource utilization:

• Intelligent Workload Balancing: The platform’s intelligent workload balancing capabilities ensure that resources are allocated efficiently, reducing waste and maximizing performance.
• Automated Resource Management: Automated resource management features help ensure that resources are used optimally, leading to lower operational costs.
• Cost Tracking and Optimization: VCF’s ability to manage multi-cloud environments from a single pane of glass simplifies cost tracking and optimization across different cloud platforms. This helps enterprises maintain control over their cloud spending and avoid unexpected costs.

7. Accelerated Time-to-Value

Deploying a private cloud can be a time-consuming process, but VCF 5.x accelerates this journey:

• Pre-Validated Components: The platform provides pre-validated and pre-integrated software components, reducing the time required for setup and configuration.
• Rapid Deployment: VCF’s automated deployment capabilities enable enterprises to quickly set up their cloud infrastructure and start delivering services faster.
• Streamlined Operations: By simplifying and automating routine operational tasks, VCF allows IT teams to focus on innovation and strategic initiatives, further accelerating time-to-value.

8. Future-Proofing Your Cloud Strategy

VCF 5.x is built on VMware’s cutting-edge technologies and is designed to evolve with the latest advancements in cloud computing:

• Continuous Innovation: VMware regularly updates VCF with new features and enhancements, ensuring that enterprises can take advantage of the latest innovations in cloud technology.
• Ecosystem Integration: VCF supports a broad ecosystem of VMware and third-party solutions, providing enterprises with the flexibility to integrate additional tools and technologies as needed.
• Investment Protection: By adopting VCF 5.x, enterprises can ensure that their cloud infrastructure remains up-to-date and aligned with industry best practices, safeguarding their investments and future-proofing their cloud strategy.

VMware Cloud Foundation 5.x stands out as a powerful solution for enterprises looking to optimize their private cloud infrastructure. Its integrated approach, automated management, robust security features, and scalability make it an ideal choice for modern enterprises. By adopting VCF 5.x, businesses can reduce operational complexity, enhance resource utilization, and achieve faster time-to-value, ultimately driving greater efficiency and innovation in their cloud initiatives.

For enterprises committed to staying ahead in the digital transformation journey, VMware Cloud Foundation 5.x offers the tools and capabilities to build and maintain a resilient, efficient, and secure private cloud infrastructure.