VCF Upgrades on Cosmin.us

Upgrading VCF 9.1 to 9.1.0.0300 Step by Step

Cosmin Trif — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 17:30:00 +0000

The 9.1.0.0300 patch train for VMware Cloud Foundation 9.1 is applied through a few different lifecycle views. In my lab, the update covered the Fleet Lifecycle component, VCF Operations, SDDC Lifecycle, and SDDC Manager.

Before starting, review the official Broadcom release notes:

Broadcom describes these patch releases as time-sensitive fixes that can be applied between major, minor, and maintenance releases. That also means every component may not move at the same time, so check what is actually offered in your environment instead of assuming the whole VCF bill of materials changes together.

Versions in This Upgrade

Here is what was upgraded in this run.

Component	From	To
Fleet Lifecycle	9.1.0.0.25371109	9.1.0.0300.25536195
VCF Operations	9.1.0.0200.25500350	9.1.0.0300.25531073
SDDC Lifecycle	9.1.0.0200.25495903	9.1.0.0300.25536194
SDDC Manager	9.1.0.0200 build 25496021	9.1.0.0300 build 25536191

As always, take backups or snapshots that match your normal rollback procedure, confirm that the Broadcom depot is reachable, and make sure no other lifecycle operations are running before you start.

Start in VCF Management

Log in to VCF Operations and go to Build -> Lifecycle -> VCF Management -> Upgrade. If the lifecycle metadata has not synced recently, use Sync before checking for available target versions.

The Fleet Lifecycle card is the first item I updated.

Click the target version selector and choose the 9.1.0.0300 target.

After selecting the target, the Fleet Lifecycle card should show the upgrade path to 9.1.0.0300.25536195. Click Upgrade.

Upgrade Fleet Lifecycle

Once the task starts, the Fleet Lifecycle card changes to Upgrade in progress.

Open Upgrade details to monitor the subtask list. In my run, the task staged binaries, ran component stage prechecks, and initialized the VCF component stage.

When this finishes, the Fleet Lifecycle card should show the new current version.

Set the VCF Management Target Version

Next, set the management component target version. In the Target Version 9.1.0.* section, click Change Target Version.

In my lab I used the wildcard 9.1.0.* global version. Select the patch release for VCF Operations and any other management components that might need to be upgraded.

Click Set Version and then run the prechecks. The page should show the components that are ready for upgrade.

Upgrade VCF Operations

Start with VCF Operations. The row in my environment moved from 9.1.0.0200.25500350 to 9.1.0.0300.25531073.

Click Upgrade for the VCF Operations row.

Use Upgrade details to monitor the precheck and update process. In this run, the task started an appliance precheck, initiated the VCF Ops precheck, and then began applying the system update.

When the VCF Operations update completes, the Tasks tab should show the refresh and upgrade tasks as completed.

Upgrade SDDC Lifecycle

After VCF Operations is done, return to the upgrade list. SDDC Lifecycle should still show as ready if you did not upgrade everything at once.

In my environment, SDDC Lifecycle moved from 9.1.0.0200.25495903 to 9.1.0.0300.25536194.

Click Upgrade for SDDC Lifecycle and monitor the upgrade details.

The details panel should show the SDDC Lifecycle plugin being staged in the VCF services runtime.

Wait for the task to complete before moving on to the SDDC Manager upgrade plan.

Download the SDDC Manager Patch Binary

Now go to Build -> Lifecycle -> VCF Instances -> instance-a -> Binary Management.

Set VCF Version to 9.1, select Patch Binaries, and confirm the SDDC Manager 9.1.0.0300 binary is downloaded. In this run the binary was released on Jun 29, 2026 and was 2.41 GB.

If it is not downloaded yet, select the binary and click Download.

Edit the Workload Domain Upgrade Plan

Go to the management domain under the VCF instance, then open the Upgrades tab. In this example the management domain is mgmt-a.

Click Edit Plan.

In Plan Component Upgrade, select SDDC Manager and choose target version 9.1.0.0300. In my run, ESX, NSX, and vCenter were already on 9.1.0.0100 and were not selected for this 0300 SDDC Manager patch plan.

Click Next and review the plan. The wizard notes that SDDC Manager is upgraded first so it can continue orchestrating the remaining component lifecycle work.

Click Submit Plan.

Start or Schedule the SDDC Manager Upgrade

The upgrade sequence should now show the SDDC Manager 9.1.0.0300 upgrade as the available step. You can run it immediately with Upgrade Now or schedule it for a maintenance window.

After starting the upgrade, monitor the VMware Cloud Foundation Upgrade Status page. You can also click View Upgrade Activity for deeper task progress.

In my run, the visible steps included:

Run VCF Prerequisite
Setup Common Appliance Platform
Validate Services Before Upgrade
Remove Packages Pre Upgrade

Do not refresh services or reboot appliances manually while the upgrade is running. Let the lifecycle workflow complete.

Validate the Upgrade

After the workflow completes, return to the management domain and open Component Versions.

The SDDC Manager row should show the same current and target version, with status On Target.

I also recommend checking:

VCF Management -> Tasks for failed or partially completed tasks
VCF Operations health and adapters
SDDC Manager service health
Fleet password management for accounts showing EXPIRED — I covered the remediation in Fixing Expired Password Sync in VCF 9.1 Fleet Management
Workload domain upgrade status
Depot/binary cleanup after you are comfortable with the rollback window

If you keep older bundles around for too long, they can consume a lot of space. I covered bundle cleanup separately in Cleaning up VCF Bundles.

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

Cosmin Trif — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 13:44:04 +0000

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.

3. Launch the Upgrade

After the download completes:

Click Update Now to initiate the upgrade process.

A confirmation pop-up will appear. Click Start Upgrade to proceed.

4. Monitor the Upgrade Progress

Once the upgrade begins, you’ll be directed into the SDDC Manager’s interface, where you’ll see a detailed progress view of each component being upgraded.
Watch carefully as each element is updated in sequence.

5. Finalize & Validate

When the upgrade finishes, click Finish to wrap up the process.
Return to your Lifecycle → VCF Instances view and check that SDDC Manager now shows version 9.0.1.
Review logs, dashboards, and health indicators to confirm that everything is functioning normally.

The rest of the fleet has its own 9.0.1 updates as well — I covered upgrading VCF 9.0.0 Fleet Management to 9.0.1 and upgrading VCF Operations to 9.0.1 using a .PAK file in separate guides.

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

Cosmin Trif — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 12:49:44 +0000

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.

Upload & Stage the Patch

Once the download is complete go to Settings -> System Patches -> New Patch

Select the Patch that was just downloaded and click Next to proceed

Review the release notes and click Install

This will create a Task that patches the appliance. Click Return to Tasks

Wait & Confirm

Allow several minutes for the task to complete. Do not interrupt the process. Once the patch job is finished, go to the Settings tab and verify that the Fleet Management component now shows 9.0.1.

The SDDC Manager side of the 9.0.1 patch is covered in this guide, and if PostgreSQL won’t start after a reboot on 9.0.1, see this fix.

Upgrading VCF 5.2.1 to VCF 9 Step by Step

Cosmin Trif — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 16:39:20 +0000

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.

Select Target Version VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0.0.0 and click Next

Review the changes and\or customize the upgrade and click Confirm

We get presented with the next step. We can click Done to continue.

Downloading the Update Bundle

After we wait a couple of minutes we can click on Download Now to download the new update bundle.

If you do not see the newest releases go to Administration -> Online Depot and add a VMware Customer Connect account that has access to perform downloads. Keep in mind that a token is needed for downloads. More details can be found here

Upgrading SDDC Manager

The next step is to upgrade VCF by going to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the workload domain -> Updates -> Update Now

Next we are taken to the Upgrade page where we can follow the upgrade for each one of the components\steps

Once the upgrade is complete we can click Finish to be returned back to the main screen

Because we are changing the SDDC-Manager versions I would strongly recommend to clear cache and log back in before going forward.

Upgrading NSX to NSX 9

Next step is to upgrade NSX-T installation to NSX 9. The release notes can be found here.

We can also download it directly from the workload domain by going to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the domain -> Updates -> Download now

Once the download is complete we can proceed with updating the NSX components by clicking on the Configure Update button.

Click next

Make the proper selection and click next

Review the options and click on Run Precheck

Once the Precheck is completed, we can click on Schedule update.

Click Next

Schedule the upgrade and click Finish

Once the upgrade has started, a few minutes later we can click on view status in order to see the upgrade steps

We can view the details of the upgrade

Upgrading vCenter Server to 9.0

Once the upgrade is complete we can proceed with the vCenter Upgrade. VCF 9 comes with vCenter Server 9. The release notes can be found here. We can go to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the workload domain -> Updates -> Under Available updates click on Download now.

Once the download is complete we can click on Configure Update

As we can see we now have 2 options. Reduced downtime which will install a target center and the migrate the data to it or an in place upgrade. Review the upgrade information and click Next.

Confirm that we have a backup

Provide a temporary network and click Next

Schedule the upgrade options and click Next

Review the upgrade selections and click Finish

We can follow the status of the upgrade by clicking on the view status tab

Here we can see the different components that are getting upgraded

Upgrading the ESXi Hosts

Once the upgrade is complete we are taken back to the previous page where we can see that the ESXi servers are next. The release notes for ESXi 9 can be found here. Click on Download Now.

Once the download is complete we can configure the upgrade options by clicking configure upgrade

We get presented with the upgrade instructions. Click Next

Select a cluster with images and click Next

Assign an image and click next

We can also enable sequential cluster upgrade, quick boot and the ability to evacuate offline VMs part of the maintenance. Click Next

Review the updates and click Run precheck

Once the precheck is completed we can click on schedule update. The first screen gives us a review. We ca continue by clicking Next.

Make the proper selection and click Next

And with that we are finished with the workload domain. We can follow the same steps for the other domains

Final Configuration Updates and Cleanup

If applicable apply any configuration updates

We can review the environment to make sure all of the components have been upgraded

Don’t forget to clean up the download bundles by following the steps from my other blog here

Upgrading VCF 5.x to VCF 5.2.1 Step by Step

Cosmin Trif — Mon, 14 Oct 2024 01:28:01 +0000

With the release of VCF 5.2.1 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 and Updating SDDC Manager

We can start by going to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the domain -> Updates -> Plan Upgrade. Select VMware Cloud Foundation 5.2.1.0 -> Confirm

After we wait a couple of minutes we can click on Download Now to download the new update bundle.

If you do not see the newest releases go to Administration -> Online Depot and add a VMware Customer Connect account that has access to perform downloads.

The next step is to upgrade VCF by going to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the workload domain -> Updates -> Update Now

Next we are taken to the Upgrade page where we can follow the upgrade for each one of the components

Once the upgrade is complete we can click Finish to be returned back to the main screen

Because we are changing the SDDC-Manager versions I would strongly recommend to clear cache and log back in before going forward.

Upgrading NSX to 4.2.1

Next step is to upgrade NSX-T installation to NSX-T 4.2.1.0. The release notes can be found here.

We can also download it directly from the workload domain by going to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the domain -> Updates -> Download now

Once the download is complete we can proceed with updating the NSX components by clicking on the Configure Update button.

Click next

Make the proper selection and click next

Review the options and click on Run Precheck

Once the Precheck is completed, we can click on Schedule update.

Click Next

Schedule the upgrade and click Finish

Once the upgrade has started, a few minutes later we can click on view status in order to see the upgrade steps

We can view the details of the upgrade

Upgrading vCenter to 8.0 Update 3c

Once the upgrade is complete we can proceed with the vCenter Upgrade. VCF 5.2.1 comes with vCenter Server 8.0 Update 3c. The release notes can be found here. We can go to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the workload domain -> Updates -> Under Available updates click on Download now.

Once the download is complete we can click on Configure Update

As we can see we now have 2 options. Reduced downtime which will install a target center and the migrate the data to it or an in place upgrade. Review the upgrade information and click Next.

Confirm that we have a backup

Provide a temporary network and click Next

Schedule the upgrade options and click Next

Review the upgrade selections and click Finish

We can follow the status of the upgrade by clicking on the view status tab

Here we can see the different components that are getting upgraded

Upgrading the ESXi Hosts

Once the upgrade is complete we are taken back to the previous page where we can see that the ESXi servers are next. The release notes for ESXi Update 3b can be found here. Click on Download Now.

Once the download is complete we can configure the upgrade options by clicking configure upgrade

We get presented with the upgrade instructions. Click Next

Select a cluster with images and click Next

Assign an image and click next

We can also enable sequential cluster upgrade, quick boot and the ability to evacuate offline VMs part of the maintenance. Click Next

Review the updates and click Run precheck

Once the precheck is completed we can click on schedule update. The first screen gives us a review. We ca continue by clicking Next.

Make the proper selection and click Next

Finishing Up

And with that we are finished with the workload domain. We can follow the same steps for the other domains

If applicable apply any configuration updates

Don’t forget to clean up the download bundles by following the steps from my other blog here

Upgrading VCF 5.x to VCF 5.2 Step by Step

Cosmin Trif — Sat, 27 Jul 2024 19:05:35 +0000

With the release of VCF 5.2 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 in SDDC Manager

We can start by going to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the domain -> Updates -> Plan Upgrade. Select VMware Cloud Foundation 5.2.0.0 -> Confirm

After we wait a couple of minutes we can click on Download Now to download the new update bundle.

If you do not see the newest releases go to Administration -> Online Depot and add a VMware Customer Connect account that has access to perform downloads.

Upgrading SDDC Manager to 5.2.0.0

The next step is to upgrade VCF by going to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the workload domain -> Updates -> Update Now

Next we are taken to the Upgrade page where we can follow the upgrade for each one of the components

Once the upgrade is complete we can click Finish to be returned back to the main screen

Because we are changing the SDDC-Manager versions I would strongly recommend to clear cache and log back in before going forward.

Upgrading NSX-T to 4.2.0.0

Next step is to upgrade NSX-T installation to NSX-T 4.2.0.0. The release notes can be found here.

We can also download it directly from the workload domain by going to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the domain -> Updates -> Download now

Once the download is complete we can proceed with updating the NSX components by clicking on the update now

Make the proper selection and click next

Review the options and click on Finish

The upgrade will go through upgrading the NSX edges. We can view the upgrade status by clicking on view status

Upgrading vCenter Server to 8.0 Update 3

Once the upgrade is complete we can proceed with the vCenter Upgrade. VCF 5.2 comes with vCenter Server 8.0 Updated 3. The release notes can be found here. We can go to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the workload domain -> Updates -> Under Available updates click on Download now.

Once the download is complete we can click on Update now

Confirm that we have a backup

We can follow the status of the upgrade by clicking on the view status tab

Here we can see the different components that are getting upgraded

Upgrading the ESXi Hosts

Once the upgrade is complete we are taken back to the previous page where we can see that the ESXi servers are next. The release notes can be found here. Click on Download Now.

Once the download is complete we can click on Update now

If we have multiple clusters we can enable Cluster-level selection and select the specific cluster(s) we want to upgrade.

We can also enable sequential cluster upgrade, quick boot and the ability to evacuate offline VMs part of the maintenance. Click Next

We get to review the options once again before we click finish to to submit the task

Once submitted we can view additional details by clicking on View Status

And with that we are finished with the workload domain. We can follow the same steps for the other domains

Configuration Updates and Bundle Cleanup

If applicable apply any configuration updates

Don’t forget to clean up the download bundles by following the steps from my other blog here

Upgrading VCF 5.x to VCF 5.1.1 Step by Step

Cosmin Trif — Sat, 06 Apr 2024 14:26:14 +0000

With the release of of VCF 5.1.1 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.

Downloading the VCF 5.1.1 Bundles

We can start by going to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the domain -> Update/Patches -> Select the VCF version -> Download now. If you do not see the newest releases go to Administration -> Online Depot and add a VMware Customer Connect account that has access to perform downloads.

Upgrading SDDC Manager to 5.1.1

The next step is to upgrade VCF by going to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the workload domain -> Update/Patches -> Select the cloud foundation version we’re upgrading to and click on Update Now for the VMware Cloud Foundation Update 5.1.1

Next we are taken to the Upgrade page where we can follow the upgrade for each one of the components

Once the upgrade is complete we can click Finish to be returned back to the main screen

Because we are changing the SDDC-Manager versions I would strongly recommend to clear cache and log back in before going forward.

Upgrading NSX-T to 4.1.2.3

Next step is to upgrade NSX-T installation to NSX-T 4.1.2.3. The release notes can be found here.

We can also download it directly from the workload domain by going to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the domain -> Update/Patches -> Download now

Once the download is complete we can proceed with updating the NSX components by clicking on the update now

Make the proper selection and click next

Review the options and click on Finish

The upgrade will go through upgrading the NSX edges. We can view the upgrade status by clicking on view status

Upgrading vCenter Server to 8.0 Update 2b

Once the upgrade is complete we can proceed with the vCenter Upgrade. VCF 5.1.1 comes with vCenter Server 8.0 Updated 2b. The release notes can be found here. We can go to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the workload domain -> Update/Patches -> Under Available updates click on Download now.

Once the download is complete we can click on Update now

Confirm that we have a backup

We can follow the status of the upgrade by clicking on the view status tab

Here we can see the different components that are getting upgraded

Upgrading the ESXi Hosts

Once the upgrade is complete we are taken back to the previous page where we can see that the ESXi servers are next. The release notes can be found here. Click on Download Now.

Once the download is complete we can click on Update now

If we have multiple clusters we can enable Cluster-level selection and select the specific cluster(s) we want to upgrade.

We can also enable sequential cluster upgrade, quick boot and the ability to evacuate offline VMs part of the maintenance. Click Next

We get to review the options once again before we click finish to to submit the task

Once submitted we can view the status by clicking on View Status

And with that we are finished with the workload domain. We can follow the same steps for the other domains

Cleaning Up the Download Bundles

Don’t forget to clean up the download bundles by following the steps from my other blog here

Upgrading VCF 4.3.x to VCF 5 Step by Step

Cosmin Trif — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 22:59:33 +0000

With the release of of VCF 5 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.

Downloading the VCF 5.0 Bundles

We can also download it directly from the domain by going to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the domain -> Update/Patches -> Select the VCF version -> Download now

Next we need to download the configuration drift bundle by going to Lifecycle Management -> Bundle Management -> Download now

Upgrading SDDC Manager to VCF 5.0

Next we are taken to the Upgrade page where we can follow the upgrade for each one of the components

Once the upgrade is complete we can click Finish to be returned back to the main screen

Because we are changing the SDDC-Manager versions I would strongly recommend to clear cache and log back in before going forward.

Applying the Configuration Drift Bundle

The next step is the drift remediation VCF by going to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the workload domain -> Update/Patches -> click on Update Now for the VMware Cloud Foundation Update 5.0

Upgrading NSX-T to 4.1.0.2

Next step is to upgrade NSX-T installation to NSX-T 4.1.0.2.0. The release notes can be found here. We can go to Lifecycle Management -> Bundle Management -> Download now.

We can also download it directly from the workload domain by going to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the domain -> Update/Patches -> Download now

Once the download is complete we can proceed with updating the NSX components by clicking on the update now

Make the proper selection and click next

Review the options and click on Finish

The upgrade will go through upgrading the NSX edges. We can view the upgrade status by clicking on view status

Once the edges are upgraded we an go back to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the workload domain -> Update/Patches -> Under Available updates click on Update Now

Review the selection and click next

Review the host clusters and click next

Review the upgrade options and click next

Review the selection and click finish

We can view the status of the upgrade by selection view status

Upgrading vCenter Server to 8.0 U1a

Once the upgrade is complete we can proceed with the vCenter Upgrade. VCF 5 comes with vCenter Server 8.0 Updated 1a. The release notes can be found here. We can go to inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the workload domain -> Update/Patches -> Under Available updates click on Download now.

Once the download is complete we can click on Update now

Confirm that we have a backup

Considering that the vCenter upgrade is not in place we are presented with a wizard that can automate most of the background work for us. Click next

Provide a temporary IP for the temporary appliance

Review the information and click Finish

We can follow the status of the upgrade by clicking on the view status tab

Here we can see the different components that are getting upgraded

Upgrading the ESXi Hosts

Once the upgrade is complete we are taken back to the previous page where we can see that the ESXi servers are next. The release notes can be found here. Click on Download Now

Once the download is complete we can click on Update now

If we have multiple clusters we can enable Cluster-level selection and select the specific cluster(s) we want to upgrade.

We can also enable sequential cluster upgrade, quick boot and the ability to evacuate offline VMs part of the maintenance. Click Next

We get to review the options once again before we click finish to to submit the task

Once submitted we can view the status by clicking on View Status

Wrapping Up

And with that we are finished with the workload domain. We can follow the same steps for the other domains

Don’t forget to clean up the download bundles by following the steps from my other blog here

Upgrading VCF 4.4.0 to 4.5 Step by Step

Cosmin Trif — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 01:06:07 +0000

With the release of of VCF 4.5 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.

Downloading the VCF 4.5 Bundles

We can start by going to Lifecycle Management -> Bundle management -> Download now. If you do not see the newest releases go to Administration -> Repository settings and add a VMware Customer Connect account that has access to perform downloads.

We can also download it directly from the domain by going to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the domain -> Update/Patches -> Select the VCF version -> Download now

Next we need to download the configuration drift bundle by going to Lifecycle Management -> Bundle Management -> Download now

Alternatively it can also be downloaded directly under the Workload domain Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select Workload domain -> Updates/Patches -> Select the cloud foundation version and click on Download now

Upgrading SDDC Manager to 4.5

Next we are taken to the Upgrade page where we can follow the upgrade for each one of the components

Once the upgrade is complete we can click Finish to be returned back to the main screen

Because we are changing the SDDC-Manager versions I would strongly recommend to clear cache and log back in before going forward.

Upgrading NSX-T Edge Clusters

Next step is to upgrade NSX-T installation to NSX-T 3.2.1. The release notes can be found here. We can go to Lifecycle Management -> Bundle Management -> Download now. The 4.5 release actually comes with NSX-T 3.1.3, however because I haven’t upgraded my environment yet, I need to get to 3.1.2 first. The 3.1.3 release notes can be found here and the process is the same.

We can also download it directly from the workload domain by going to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the domain -> Update/Patches -> Select the VCF version -> Download now

Once the download is complete we can proceed with updating the NSX components by clicking on the update now

Make the proper selection and click next

Review the options and click on Finish

The upgrade will go through upgrading the NSX edges. We can view the upgrade status by clicking on view status

Upgrading NSX-T Host Clusters

Once the edges are upgraded we an go back to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the workload domain -> Update/Patches -> Under Available updates click on Update Now

Review the selection and click next

Review the host clusters and click next

Review the upgrade options and click next

Review the selection and click finish

We can view the status of the upgrade by selection view status

Upgrading vCenter Server

Once the upgrade is complete we can proceed with the vCenter Upgrade. VCF 4.5 comes with vCenter Server 7.0 Updated 3h. The release notes can be found here. We can go to inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the workload domain -> Update/Patches -> Under Available updates click on the drop down and select Cloud Foundation 4.5 -> Download now.

Once the download is complete we can click on Update now

We can follow the status of the upgrade by clicking on the view status tab

Here we can see the different components that are getting upgraded

Upgrading the ESXi Hosts

Once the upgrade is complete we are taken back to the previous page where we can see that the ESXi servers are next. The release notes can be found here. Click on Download Now

Once the download is complete we can click on Update now

If we have multiple clusters we can enable Cluster-level selection and select the specific cluster(s) we want to upgrade.

We can also enable sequential cluster upgrade as well as quick boot

We get to review the options once again before we click finish to to submit the task

Once submitted we can view the status by clicking on View Status

Wrapping Up

And with that we are finished with the workload domain. We can follow the same steps for the other domains

Don’t forget to clean up the download bundles by following the steps from my other blog here

Upgrading VCF 4.1.0.0 to 4.2.0.0 Step by Step

Cosmin Trif — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 13:32:40 +0000

With the release of of VCF 4.2 I wanted to get my lab upgraded. The release blog can be found here and the release notes are here

Upgrading to VCF 4.1.0.1 First

In order to get to 4.2.0.0 we have to upgrade to 4.1.0.1. We can do so by going to Repository -> Bundle management -> Download now

The next step is to upgrade VCF by going to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the workload domain -> Update/Patches -> Update Now for the VMware Cloud Foundation Update 4.1.0.1. The release notes can be found here

Next we are taken to the Upgrade page where we can follow the upgrade for each one of the components

Once the upgrade is complete we can click Finish to be returned back to the main screen

Because we are changing the SDDC-Manager versions I would strongly recommend to clear cache and log back in before going forward.

Applying the VCF 4.2.0.0 Update

Next is the 4.2.0.0 update. Repository -> Bundle management -> Download now. In my case I already had it downloaded so the next step is to apply the upgrade by going to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the workload domain -> Update/Patches -> Update Now for the VMware Cloud Foundation Update 4.2.0.0. The release notes can be found here

Once the upgrade starts we can follow its progress

Once the upgrade is completed we can click finish and go to the next step

Again I would recommend clearing the cache since we changed sddc-manager versions.

Upgrading the ESXi Hosts

Once the upgrade is complete we are taken back to the previous page where we can see that the ESXi servers are next. The release notes can be found here. Click on Download Now

Once the download is complete we can click on Update now

If we have multiple clusters we can enable Cluster-level selection and select the specific cluster(s) we want to upgrade.

We can also enable sequential cluster upgrade as well as quick boot

We get to review the options once again before we click finish to to submit the task

Once submitted we can view the status by clicking on View Status

And with that we are finished with the workload domain. We can get back to the Update/Patches page

Applying the Configuration Drift Bundle

The next update is the configuration drift bundle. We can go to inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the workload domain -> Update/Patches -> Download now. You will notice a new drop down that allows us to pick the Cloud Foundation version.

Once the download is complete click on update now

Once the upgrade started I got redirected to the Update status page.

Considering the update is only 219 MB the upgrade went through pretty quickly. Once its completed we can click finish to get back to the main sddc manager page

Upgrading NSX-T to 3.1.0

Next step is to upgrade NSX-T installation to NSX-T 3.1.0. The release notes can be found here. We can go to inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the workload domain -> Update/Patches -> Download now.

Once the download is complete click on Update Now

We can view the status and the steps by clicking on View Status.

Upgrading vCenter Server

Once the upgrade is complete we are redirected back to the available updates page showing that the vCenter server is next

Click on Download now and wait for the download to complete. Once the download is complete click on update now

We can view the task by clicking on View Status

Remaining Domains and Cleanup

Next are the the additional domains that we might have where we can follow the same instructions as above. The process will be a lot quicker because the upgrades are already downloaded

If no additional upgrades are needed we can clean up the downloads by following the instructions on my other post here

Upgrading VCF 4.0.1.1 to 4.1.0.0

Cosmin Trif — Wed, 14 Oct 2020 15:15:52 +0000

With the release of of VCF 4.1 I wanted to get my lab upgraded. The release blog can be found here and the release notes are here

Downloading the 4.1.0.0 Update Bundle

In my case I pre downloaded the VMware Cloud Foundation Update 4.1.0.0 by going to Repository -> Bundle management -> Download now

Applying the VCF 4.1.0.0 Update

The next step is to upgrade VCF by going to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the workload domain -> Update/Patches -> Update Now

Next we are taken to the Upgrade page where we can follow the upgrade for each one of the components

Once the upgrade is complete we can click Finish to be returned back to the main screen

Because we are changing the SDDC-Manager version I would strongly recommend to clear cache and log back in before going forward.

Installing the Configuration Drift Bundle

The next update is the configuration drift bundle. We can go to nventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the workload domain -> Update/Patches -> Download now

Once the download is complete click on update now

Once the upgrade started I got redirected tot he Update status page. Considering the update is only 204 MB the upgrade went through pretty quickly. Once its completed we can click finish to get back to the main sddc manager page

Upgrading NSX-T to 3.0.2

Next step is to upgrade NSX-T installation to NSX-T 3.0.2. Click on Download now from the same page as above

Once the download is complete click on Update Now

We can view the status and the steps by clicking on View Status. Once the upgrade is complete we are redirected back to the available upates page showing that the vCenter server is next

Upgrading vCenter Server to 7.0 Update 1

Click on Download now and wait for the download to complete. Once the download is complete click on update now

We can view the task by clicking on View Status

Upgrading the ESXi Hosts

Once the upgrade is complete we are taken back to the previous page where we can see that the ESXi servers are next. Click on Download Now

Once the download is complete we can click on Update now

If we have multiple clusters we can enable Cluster-level selection and select the specific luster(s) we want to upgrade.

We can also enable sequential cluster upgrade as well as quick boot

We get to review the options once again before we click finish to to submit the task

Once submitted we can view the status by clicking on View Status

Wrapping Up

And with that we are finished with the workload domain. We can get back to the Update/Patches page to see that there are no more updates available

Next is the Workload domains where we can follow the same instructions as above. The process will be a lot quicker because the upgrades are already downloaded. If you plan to keep going, I documented the next release in Upgrading VCF 4.1.0.0 to 4.2.0.0 Step by Step.

Upgrading VCF 4.0.1 to 4.0.1.1

Cosmin Trif — Sun, 30 Aug 2020 16:50:10 +0000

This VMware Cloud Foundation Upgrade 4.0.1.0 to 4.0.1.1 contains critical bugs and security fixes. For more information, see https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-Cloud-Foundation/4.0.1/rn/VMware-Cloud-Foundation-401-Release-Notes.html#4.0.1.1-Release For VCF on VxRail see https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-Cloud-Foundation/4.0.1/rn/vmware-cloud-foundation-on-dell-emc-vxrail-19-release-notes.html#Patch%20Releases

If you dont see any updates you can follow the first couple of steps in my other post here: https://cosmin.us/upgrading-vcf-4-0-to-vcf-4-0-1/

Downloading the Update Bundle

Once I logged on to my SDDC Manager I was able to see that na update is already available for me to download:

All I had to do was click on my management domain SDDC-MGT and then go to the Update\Patches tab

After reviewing the update notes click on Download now. The download will start and it will take some time to get there as it is about 11 GB. I took this time to check the environment to make sure everything was ready for the update

Applying the 4.0.1.1 Update

Once the download is complete click on Update Now

Once the upgrade starts we will get redirected to the update status page:

My update went thorough without a hitch and finished in 35 minutes. All I had to is click finish

Updating vCenter to 7.0.0c

Next is updating vCenter to 7.0.0c. Click on download now under Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Management domain -> Updates/Patches

Once the download is complete click on Update Now. This will initiate a task to perform the necessary steps to get the vCenter server upgraded to 7.0.0.c

Dont forget to follow the same steps for the workload domain if you have one

Next Steps

When you are ready for the next release, I also covered upgrading VCF 4.0.1.1 to 4.1.0.0.

Upgrading VCF 4.0 to VCF 4.0.1

Cosmin Trif — Thu, 16 Jul 2020 15:39:34 +0000

With the release of VCF 4.0.1 I wanted to go through the patch in my lab.

The release notes can be found here: https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-Cloud-Foundation/4.0.1/rn/VMware-Cloud-Foundation-401-Release-Notes.html

Authorizing the Account and Downloading the Bundle

When I logged on to my SDDC Manager I noticed that there weren’t any updates available and I was prompted with an information bar To view available updates, Authorize My VMware Account.

We can click directly on My VMware Account or go to Administration -> Repository Settings -> Authenticate

Once you enter the credentials the system will take a couple of minutes to perform a check with the permissions that are assigned to the user and download the metadata for the updates. If no updates show up verify that the specific user has the entitlement do download the updates.

After waiting a couple of minutes the bundle becomes available and can be downloaded by going to Repository -> Bundle Management -> Download now

In my case I was on the 4.0.0 release and path forward was to go to 4.0.0.1 first.

Running the Precheck

Once the download is complete we can go to Inventory -> Workload Domains, Select the Management domain and go to the Update/Patches Tab

Run a pre check to make sure the system is ready

Check the precheck details and make sure that if there are failures they can either be fixed or they are safe to ignore in order to continue with the upgrade. In my case I have a few failures because im running on hardware that is not on the HCL list

Starting the SDDC Manager Update

Once the issues are resolved we can go back to the previous screen and click on update now or schedule the update on an off hours time when more convenient

Once the upgrade starts you will be redirected to an upgrade page that will go through upgrading the SDDC Manager and its related services

Upgrading vCenter Server

After the upgrade is complete and we click finish we are redirected the main dashboard. The next step is to upgrade the rest of the components. For that we will go back to Inventory -> Workload Domains, Select the Management domain and go to the Update/Patches Tab. We will notice that a new package is available thats applicable for the vCenter Server. Click on download and once the download is complete we can click on update now

Once the update starts we will be presented with the following screen to track the update status

As well as the details about the upgrade:

Updating SDDC Manager to 4.0.1

To be continued…after the vCenter upgrade is complete we can proceed with SDDC Manager to 4.0.1. Click on Update now

Once the update starts we are redirected to the Update status page and we can follow each one of the steps in the update status page

Once the update is complete, verify that all steps have been successful and click finish to be returned to the main dashboard.

Applying the Configuration Drift Bundle

The last step for the management domain is to apply the configuration drift bundle. Go to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the management domain -> Update/Patches. Under the Available updates there should be a Configuration drift bundle for 4.0.1 update. Click on Download now

Once the download is complete and verified we can click on Update Now. In my case the system redirected me to the Update status page and completed the upgrade. The next step was to click finish and move on the next step.

Upgrading NSX-T

Going to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Management Domain -> Update/Patches reveals that an upgrade for NSX-T 3.0.1 is available. Click on download now.

Once complete click on Update now. We will get presented with a selection of clusters that can be upgraded. Click next and Finish.

Once the upgrade has started we can follow the progress by expanding the tabs

After the upgrade coordinator is complete we can do the same for the NSX Manager. Click on Update now

Upgrading the Remaining vCenter and ESXi Hosts

Next next step is to upgrade the vCenter server to 7.0.0b. We can go to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the workload domains -> Update/Patches Under available updates there should be a VMware Software update 4.0.1.0. Click on Download Now followed by Update Now

Once the vCenter upgrade is complete we can proceed with the ESXi server upgrades. We can proceed to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> select the management domain -> Update/Patches. Under available updates we can see the ESXi patch. Click on Download now followed by Update now.

Once the ESXi servers are patched the upgrade of the management domain should be complete. We can verify this by going to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Management domain -> Update/Patches and verify there are no updates available under the available updates section

The next step is to continue with virtual infrastructure domain. We can follow the same steps as above to upgrade the rest of the infrastructure like vCenter and ESXi servers

Once everything is on 4.0.1, the follow-up patch is covered in Upgrading VCF 4.0.1 to 4.0.1.1.