VCF 9.0

Where Did Host Commissioning Go in VCF 9.0?

Sadaf

If you’ve worked with earlier versions of VMware Cloud Foundation, you probably remember that host commissioning was handled directly within SDDC Manager. It was straightforward, centralized, and exactly where you expected it to be. With VCF 9.x, that’s no longer the case.

The Initial Confusion

When approaching host commissioning in VCF 9.0 for the first time, it’s easy to assume the functionality has moved to VCF Operations, since it’s a pane-of-glass management for almost 90% of tasks. But that’s not where it lives.

The New Reality: It’s in vSphere

After a bit of digging, you’ll discover that host commissioning has actually moved into vSphere, specifically within the management domain’s vCenter.


Here’s how to find it:

Continue reading “Where Did Host Commissioning Go in VCF 9.0?” →

VCF 9.0 to 9.0.1 Upgrade – Part 2

Sadaf

In the first part of the VCF 9.0 upgrade series, I walked through the process of upgrading the VCF Management Components — beginning with the Fleet Management Appliance and continuing through Aria Operations, Automation, Logs, and Network.
In this second part, we’ll shift focus to the core components of VMware Cloud Foundation, which form the backbone of every workload domain: vCenter Server, ESX hosts, NSX Managers, and Edge Clusters.

Since the core components have not yet been upgraded, the versions of the vCenter Server, NSX, and ESX hosts remain at 9.0.0, as shown in the screenshot below.

Continue reading “VCF 9.0 to 9.0.1 Upgrade – Part 2” →

VCF 9.0 to 9.0.1 Upgrade – Part 1

Sadaf

Upgrading VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) is not just about running the upgrade workflow — it’s about preparation. Before moving from version 9.0 to 9.0.1, several validation and readiness steps must be taken to ensure a smooth and error-free process. Before diving into the upgrade process, it’s essential to understand how lifecycle management in VCF is structured and the distinction between management components and core components.

VCF Operations serves as the central tool for managing the lifecycle of both Management and Core Infrastructure Components. It provides unified capabilities for downloading, staging, and applying patches or upgrades — whether you’re operating online or through an offline depot. While both component types can share the same depot, their upgrade scopes differ:

  • Management components (like SDDC Manager, Aria Suite, and NSX Managers) are maintained at the fleet level, allowing consistent operations across multiple VCF instances.
  • Core components (such as ESX hosts, vCenter, and NSX Edge Clusters) are managed per instance, ensuring control within each workload domain.

This separation allows administrators to plan and execute upgrades in a structured, non-disruptive way. However, it also raises an important question:

When performing an upgrade, which should be done first? The management components or the core components?

This article is part of a two-part series. In this first part, I’ll cover the upgrade of the VCF management components, and in the next one, I’ll focus on the core components. In both, we’ll outline what to verify, what to back up, and what dependencies to check before initiating your upgrade.

Continue reading “VCF 9.0 to 9.0.1 Upgrade – Part 1” →