In this post I will go over upgrading Aria Operations 8.18.x appliance to 9.0 using Aria Suite Lifecycle. As a pre requirement we do need to have Aria Suite Lifecycle upgraded to 8.18 Patch 2. Instructions can be found here. Uploading the 9.0 Upgrade Binaries To get started we can go to Aria Suite Lifecycle -> Lifecycle Operations -> Settings -> Binary Mapping. ...

Patch 2 prepares Aria Suite Lifecycle Manager (ASLCM) for VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 migrations. It does not deliver new features or hot-fixes, so only install it if VCF 9.0 (or the new VCF Operations appliance) is on your near-term roadmap. Why Patch 2 Matters Patch 2 updates the appliance-level services that let ASLCM recognize and orchestrate VCF 9.0 components (for example, Aria Operations 9.0). Without it, the 8.18 lifecycle UI cannot import or upgrade those binaries. If you are staying on VCF 5.x/8.x for a while, you can safely defer this patch. ...

With the release of VCF 9 I wanted to get my lab upgraded. The release blog can be found here and the release notes are here Please note that some of the components within the VCF will still need additional upgrading. Please read the release notes for additional details. Planning the Upgrade We can start by going to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the domain -> Updates -> Plan Upgrade. ...

This lab procedure upgrades an ESXi 8 host to ESXi 9 with esxcli. Review the VCF 9 platform release information and confirm that this standalone method is supported for your environment before continuing. Prepare the Host and Enter Maintenance Mode Do not apply an image profile while the host is carrying workloads. Broadcom’s esxcli patching procedure requires maintenance mode before esxcli software profile update. Before continuing: Confirm the target ESXi release, server firmware, hardware, vCenter Server and integrated products are compatible. Use the hardware vendor’s custom image when required. Back up the ESXi host configuration and verify the recovery path. Migrate or shut down every user VM. DRS can evacuate workloads when configured; do not manually power off or migrate vCLS VMs unless Broadcom Support directs you to do so. Confirm that the remaining cluster can satisfy the intended vSphere HA failover policy while this host is unavailable. For vSAN, verify cluster health and object compliance, confirm there are no active resynchronizations, select the data-migration option appropriate to the storage policies and available capacity, and wait for evacuation to finish. Do not choose No data migration without understanding the resulting availability risk. If the host is NSX-prepared, follow the matching NSX kernel-module and upgrade requirements in Broadcom KB 312013. For a VCF-managed host, use the supported VCF lifecycle workflow rather than this standalone process. Enter maintenance mode from the vSphere Client, then confirm the state from the ESXi shell: ...

Upgrading Aria Operations (formerly VMware vRealize 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 Aria Operations using a .pak file. Preparing for the Upgrade Prerequisites Before starting the upgrade, ensure the following prerequisites are met: Backup the Existing Deployment: Take a snapshot of all nodes in the Aria Operations (Master, Cloud proxies, and any other nodes). ...

In this blog we will go over deploying a VCF 9 instance using existing components. This assumes the VCF Installer appliance is already deployed and configured. Once logged on and binaries downloaded we can go through the Deployment wizard Click Deployment Wizard to bring up the menu Click on VMware Cloud Foundation Because I do not yet have any environments upgraded to the new fleet management this will be a new VCF Fleet. ...

With the release of VCF 9 (Official What’s New blog can be found here) I wanted to get my lab environment upgraded so I can try out all of the new features. In my previous post we went over the deployment of the appliance. In this post we will be covering the configuration. Configure the VMware Cloud Foundation Installer appliance Once the appliance is deployed we can navigate to https://ip_address/ui or https://hostname/ui of the appliance. If everything is working properly we should be presented with a login screen. ...

With the release of VCF 9 (Official What’s New blog can be found here) I wanted to get my lab environment upgraded so I can try out all of the new features. To get started we need to download the VMware Cloud Foundation Installer from the VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0.0.0 page found here. In this post we will cover only the deployment. The configuration is available in another post. Deploy the VMware Cloud Foundation Installer appliance Once the appliance is downloaded we need to get the ova deployed. ...

The Problem When trying to connect to a vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA) using WinSCP, many admins encounter the following error: Received too large (1433299822 B) SFTP packet. Max supported packet size is 1024000 B This occurs because the default shell used by the vCenter appliance (/bin/appliancesh) is not compatible with SFTP, which WinSCP attempts to use by default. The Solution To successfully connect to VCSA and transfer files using WinSCP, you need to: ...

Overview: Why and When to Replace the vIDM Certificate VMware Identity Manager (vIDM), also known as Workspace ONE Access, uses an SSL certificate to secure its web interface and establish trust with integrated VMware products (like vRealize/Aria Automation and Operations). Replacing this certificate is important in scenarios such as: Certificate Expiry: SSL certificates have expiration dates. You should replace the vIDM certificate before it expires to avoid service disruptions. An expired certificate can cause login failures and management tasks (like powering on vIDM or updating it) to fail. Self-Signed to CA-Signed: Out-of-the-box or lab deployments often use self-signed certificates, which trigger browser warnings and may not be trusted by other systems. Replacing a self-signed certificate with one signed by a trusted Certificate Authority (CA) eliminates these trust warnings and meets security compliance requirements. Security or Policy Requirements: Your organization might require using specific corporate CA certificates or updating certificates periodically for security. If the current certificate was compromised or if the domain name of the vIDM appliance changes, a replacement is needed. Integration Trust Issues: vIDM acts as the authentication provider for other VMware products. If those products do not trust vIDM’s certificate (e.g., after an update or if using a new CA), you should replace or re-trust the certificate to ensure seamless integration. In summary, proactively replace the vIDM certificate before it expires or whenever you need to switch to a certificate signed by a trusted CA. This ensures uninterrupted user access and integration with other services. Always schedule certificate updates during a maintenance window, as the process will restart services on vIDM and could temporarily disrupt logins. ...