VCF Operations policy definition interface showing capacity-management settings

Superseded: 90-Day Capacity Configuration in VCF Operations 9

Correction (August 25, 2026): This article previously treated a 90-day Time Remaining threshold as if it also configured 90 days of historical input. Those controls have different meanings. The original procedure has been retired so it cannot be followed accidentally. Use the corrected follow-up instead: Using a 90-Day Planning Horizon Correctly in VCF Operations The follow-up separates three independent goals: Alerting when capacity is projected to run out within a future planning period. Choosing how much historical demand the projection may consider. Setting the future horizon used for VM Recommended Size calculations. It also corrects the earlier maintenance-window advice. For capacity forecasting, use the product’s projection reset and time-range exclusion controls when you need to disregard anomalous history; do not assume that an alert-maintenance schedule is equivalent to a historical-data exclusion. ...

March 30, 2026 · Cosmin Trif
VMware Aria Operations dashboard showing alerts with options like "Cancel Alert" and "Delete Canceled Alerts".

Bulk Delete Alerts in VCF Operations (formerly known as Aria Operations)

API correction (August 25, 2026): The UI workflow below remains useful, but the API request bodies originally published in this article were incorrect. Use the reviewed follow-up, Safely Canceling and Deleting Alerts with the VCF Operations API, for the supported query, cancel, and targeted-delete sequence. If you manage a VMware Aria Operations (formerly vROps) environment, you know how quickly alert fatigue can set in. In this guide I will focus specifically on the “Guest OS Experiencing CPU queue” alert. While helpful in identifying CPU-constrained VMs, it can quickly generate thousands of entries if you have a heavily over provisioned environment. ...

March 17, 2026 · Cosmin Trif

Temporarily Bypassing VCF Compatibility Checks: A Reversible, Version-Specific Procedure

VCF compatibility checks are safety controls, not generic obstacles to an upgrade or bring-up. Broadcom documents temporary bypasses for two narrowly defined missing-compatibility-data failures. The files and properties differ by release and workflow, so the procedures must not be mixed. This article covers: VCF 5.x and VCF on VxRail 5.x upgrades that match Broadcom KB 323368. VCF 9.0.x bring-up failures on the VCF Installer appliance that match Broadcom KB 403075. Do Not Use This as a General Compatibility Bypass Use the applicable workaround only after confirming that the error matches the linked KB and that the compatibility data is current. ...

February 9, 2026 · Cosmin Trif

Salt vs. BigFix: The Speed of Light vs. The Heavyweight Champion

In the world of infrastructure management, we are often forced to choose between the legacy reliability of the past and the high-speed automation of the future. For years, HCL BigFix (formerly IBM BigFix) has been the “Heavyweight Champion”: a massive, unmovable force in endpoint management. But a challenger has matured into a dominant player: Salt (SaltStack). If you are building a modern, self-healing infrastructure, the conversation shouldn’t just be about “patching.” It should be about reaction time, extensibility, and developer experience. ...

January 27, 2026 · Cosmin Trif
VMware Aria Operations Control Panel showing various management options like Access Control, Authentication Sources, and Audit.

Troubleshooting notification plugins in VCF Operations

In the world of modern infrastructure operations, observability is only as good as the actions it drives. Integrating VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) Operations (formerly Aria Operations) with ITSM platforms like ServiceNow is a critical step for many of my clients. It transforms passive monitoring into active incident management. However, as with any integration involving webhooks and external APIs, things don’t always go according to plan. Recently, while implementing a ServiceNow integration following standard deployment guides (kudos to Brock Peterson for his excellent documentation on ServiceNow Management Packs and Webhooks), I hit a roadblock. My instance was failing to send notifications, and the standard UI errors were vague. ...

November 26, 2025 · Cosmin Trif
VMware Cloud Foundation Operations Orchestrator download page with release version 9.0.1.0 and file details.

Deploying an External VCF Operations Orchestrator 9 Appliance

VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9 brings a suite of powerful automation tools, and for many administrators, deploying the Operations Orchestrator (formerly vRO) as a standalone, external appliance provides greater flexibility and isolation. In this guide, I will walk you through the process of deploying VCF Operations Orchestrator 9 using the OVA method, followed by the necessary command-line configurations to get your authentication up and running. Prerequisites Before you begin, ensure you have the following: ...

November 21, 2025 · Cosmin Trif
VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0.1.0 download page showing installer and tools versions.

Upgrading VCF Operations to 9.0.1 Using a .PAK File

Upgrading VCF Operations (formerly VMware Aria Operations) is a crucial task to ensure you’re using the latest features, security patches, and performance improvements. In this guide, we’ll walk through the step-by-step process of upgrading VCF Operations using a .pak file. If you are still on an older release, I covered the initial jump in Upgrading Aria Operations to 9.0 Using a .PAK File. Before You Begin Prerequisites Before starting the upgrade, ensure the following prerequisites are met: ...

November 12, 2025 · Cosmin Trif
VMware Cloud Foundation Operations UI showing SDDC Manager update details for VCF 9.0.

Upgrading VCF 9.0 SDDC Manager to 9.0.1: A Step-by-Step Guide

Upgrading your SDDC Manager from version 9.0 to 9.0.1 is a relatively straightforward process when done through the integrated Lifecycle interface. Below is a guide to go over this patch upgrade. 1. Navigate to the Update Section Log into Operations → Fleet Management. Under Lifecycle → VCF Instances, select the VCF instance you want to upgrade. Look for the available update section. If you see SDDC Manager Update 9.0.1, click the Download icon. If no update appears, double-check your depot configuration and ensure your binary repositories are correctly set up. ...

October 9, 2025 · Cosmin Trif
VMware Cloud Foundation Operations fleet management download page shows release details and file info.

Deploying VCF Fleet Management 9 from OVA: A Step-by-Step Guide

Deploying the VCF Fleet Management (Operations / Fleet Manager) appliance using an OVA is a common approach when standing up a new VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9 environment or re-deploying the component. Below is a refined guide covering the deployment, configuration, and integration steps. 1. Prerequisites & Downloading Binaries Before you deploy the OVA: Log into the Broadcom Support Portal and obtain the required binaries and OVA files for the Fleet Manager. Direct link can be found here. ...

October 9, 2025 · Cosmin Trif
VCF 9.0.1 binary management for fleet management upgrade.

Upgrading VCF 9.0.0 Fleet Management to 9.0.1: A Step-by-Step Guide

Upgrading your VCF Fleet Management from version 9.0.0 to 9.0.1 is a relatively modest patch update, but careful execution ensures minimal disruption. Below is a step-by-step guide to walk you through the process safely. Download the Patch Download the patch by going to Fleet Management -> Binary Management -> Patch Binaries -> Select fleet management -> Download. ...

October 9, 2025 · Cosmin Trif