With VCF Services Runtime upgraded to 9.1.1, the next component I wanted to upgrade in my lab was Software Depot. In this post I will go over upgrading it from 9.1.0.0400 to 9.1.1.0 through VCF Operations.
VCF 9.1.1 was released on September 3, 2026. This is a maintenance release focused mostly on supportability improvements. The release notes can be found here.
Before You Begin
For an existing 9.1.0.x environment, upgrade Fleet Lifecycle to 9.1.1 first, before any other VCF component. In my lab it is already on 9.1.1.0.25713934, as shown in the first screenshot below.
Please note that patching other components is blocked while Software Depot is being upgraded, because the patch binaries are unavailable until it completes. Plan a maintenance window and let other lifecycle operations finish before starting. Broadcom documents both the upgrade order and the depot dependency here.
Before starting:
- Verify that the external SFTP backup location is configured and reachable under Build -> Lifecycle -> VCF Management -> Backup & Restore. Check the configuration status for Software Depot and keep the encryption passphrase available for a restore. The configuration steps are here.
- Take an on-demand backup. Go to Backup & Restore -> Backup -> Backup Now, select the VCF instance and Software Depot, and start the backup. Verify that it completes successfully. Software Depot supports file-based backup.
- Make sure the required upgrade binaries are available through the assigned depot. For offline or disconnected environments, prepare them with the VCF Download Tool using the binary management documentation.
Here are the versions from my lab:
| Component | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Software Depot | 9.1.0.0400.25570105 | 9.1.1.0.25713941 |
The target version and build match the VCF 9.1.1 Bill of Materials.
Selecting Software Depot
To get started, log in to VCF Operations with an Administrator account and go to Build -> Lifecycle -> VCF Management -> Upgrade.
The Target VCF version in my lab is already set to 9.1.1.* from the previous upgrade. If yours is still on 9.1.0.*, click on Select Version and set the target to 9.1.1.*, as covered in the runtime walkthrough.
Clear any existing component selections, filter the list for depot, and select Software depot for the instance you want to upgrade. In my lab this is instance-a. Make sure only the intended depot is selected; the buttons should show Run Prechecks (1) and Upgrade (1).
Expand Check Required Binaries and resolve any missing binaries before proceeding. Check that the upgrade path is 9.1.0.0400.25570105 -> 9.1.1.0.25713941.
The banner on this page also instructs us to let any VCF Operations patch finish before proceeding with other management components.
Running the Prechecks
Even if the row already shows Ready for upgrade, run fresh prechecks before starting. Click on Run Prechecks (1). The status changes to Prechecks in progress.
We can follow the progress by clicking on Precheck details. Once the task finishes, review the results and resolve any errors before continuing, following the individual component upgrade procedure.
Here we can see the precheck workflow showing Completed, with the overall result Passed. The package checks, Virtual Center precheck, database upgrade precheck, and backup prechecks all passed.
If backup configuration fails, the 9.1.1 known issues recommend checking connectivity, host key trust, and credentials between VCF Services Runtime and the SFTP server. Resolve the backup issue before continuing.
Starting the Upgrade
Once the prechecks have passed, return to the Upgrade tab and click on Upgrade on the Software Depot row.
The status changes to Upgrade in progress. Click on Upgrade details to follow the workflow.
We now have to wait for the workflow to finish. It stages the Software Depot plugin, runs prechecks, stages the package in VCF Services Runtime, prepares and performs the upgrade, and finishes with an inventory sync.
Let the depot upgrade complete before starting any other component patch. If a task fails, open the task details and resolve the reported issue before retrying.
Verifying the Upgrade
Once the upgrade is complete, the workflow shows Completed. Here we can also see that all seven subtasks completed, including Inventory sync post Software depot upgrade.
In my lab the workflow took about 51 minutes, from 6:06 AM to 6:57 AM on September 8, as reported by the task. This measures the full upgrade workflow; the screenshots do not establish how long the depot was unavailable. Allow for your environment to take a different amount of time.
We can verify the installed version by going to Build -> Lifecycle -> VCF Management -> Components and opening Software Depot for the instance.
Under Summary, check that the status is Running and the version is 9.1.1.0.25713941. Also confirm that the depot is mapped to the expected VCF instance.
Before moving on, go to Build -> Software Depot and verify that the depot is accessible. Check that the required binaries are available for the next component upgrade, and confirm that the backup configuration is still healthy.
Software Depot in my lab is now on 9.1.1. We can continue with the remaining management components, following the release-specific dependencies above.