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. ...

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

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

Fixing “PostgreSQL won’t start after reboot” on VCF Operations Fleet Management 9.0.1, and automating it

When upgrading the VCF Operations Fleet Management appliance to 9.0.1, you might hit a reboot surprise: vPostgres fails to start, and the fleet-management certificate is regenerated. You’ll see journal errors like: pg_ctl: could not open PID file "/var/vmware/vpostgres/current/pgdata/postmaster.pid": Permission denied systemd[1]: vpostgres.service: Control process exited, code=exited, status=1/FAILURE Broadcom’s KB confirms the symptoms and provides the manual steps to fix permissions on the Postgres data dir and to normalize the regenerated cert/key filenames, followed by service restarts. If you are also moving the analytics side to the same release, I covered upgrading VCF Operations to 9.0.1 using a .PAK file separately. ...

Fixing “PostgreSQL won’t start after reboot” on VCF Operations Fleet Management 9.0.1, and automating it
VCF Operations UI showing policy definition with "Default Policy" active.

Suppress ESXi Host Alerts in VCF Operations 9 When a Host Enters Maintenance Mode

When a vSphere admin places an ESXi host in vCenter maintenance mode, VCF Operations should automatically suppress host alerts for that object, without pausing metric collection, and then restore alerting when maintenance ends. Why this approach? In VCF 9, you can avoid alert noise during maintenance in two ways: Maintenance Schedules , pause both collection and alerts during a defined window (best for planned maintenance). Policy-based alert suppression (this post) , keep metrics flowing but disable host alert definitions while the host is in maintenance. This is done with a policy attached to a dynamic custom group keyed to the host’s Maintenance Mode property. Note on naming: In VCF 9, VCF Operations is the successor to Aria/vRealize Operations and is part of the unified Cloud Foundation experience. If you’re upgrading from Aria Operations, see Broadcom’s “Upgrade to VCF Operations 9.0.” ...

Suppress ESXi Host Alerts in VCF Operations 9 When a Host Enters Maintenance Mode
VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle Manager 8.18.0 PATCH2 details, including status, type, and download link.

Applying VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle Manager 8.18 Patch 2

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. ...

Applying VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle Manager 8.18 Patch 2
VMware Cloud Foundation Installer screen shows download and deployment options for a new VCF instance.

Deploy a VCF 9 Instance in an new VCF fleet

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. ...

Deploy a VCF 9 Instance in an new VCF fleet
VMware Cloud Foundation Installer login screen with fields for email/username and password, and a 'Log In' button.

Configuring the VCF 9.0 Installer: Depot and Bundle Setup

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. ...

 · Updated  · 
Configuring the VCF 9.0 Installer: Depot and Bundle Setup
VSphere Client interface with options for deploying an OVF template in the 'mgmt-cluster-01' datacenter.

Deploying the VCF 9.0 Installer Appliance in vCenter

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. ...

 · Updated  · 
Deploying the VCF 9.0 Installer Appliance in vCenter

Step-by-Step Guide to Deploying Salt Open Source

Salt (SaltStack) is a powerful open-source configuration management and automation tool. Below is a step-by-step guide to deploying Salt Open Source for centralized configuration and management. Preparing the System Step 1: Update Your System Before installing Salt, update your package repositories and upgrade your system packages: sudo apt update sudo apt upgrade -y Installing and Configuring the Salt Master Step 2: Install Salt Master On your master server, install the Salt master package: ...

Step-by-Step Guide to Deploying Salt Open Source
Broadcom portal with a menu for VMware Cloud Foundation, highlighting the 'My Downloads' section and a step in upgrading Aria Operations.

Upgrading Aria Operations to 8.18.2 Using a .PAK File

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). ...

Upgrading Aria Operations to 8.18.2 Using a .PAK File