Introduction
Upgrading legacy vSphere environments to VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9.0 is a strategic move for organizations seeking unified management, advanced automation, and simplified fleet operations. This comprehensive walkthrough details each stage of such an upgrade, leveraging an existing Aria Suite Lifecycle Manager installation and Aria Operations, culminating in an enterprise-grade, converged VCF 9.0 fleet.
Step 1: Preparing the Aria Suite Lifecycle Manager
Begin by assessing the Aria Suite Lifecycle Manager version in use. If running version 8.18, ensure Patch 2 is applied. Patch 2 is critical—it brings foundational awareness of VCF 9.0, enabling downstream upgrade operations. The patch must be retrieved from the Broadcom Software Portal, manually transferred to the Lifecycle Manager appliance, and mapped using its binaries feature. Note: Applying this patch triggers an automatic appliance reboot. Verify both version and patch level post-application to ensure readiness.
Step 2: Upgrading Aria Operations and Deploying Fleet Management
With Patch 2 in place, initiate the upgrade of Aria Operations to version 9.0. This process requires uploading two key artifacts to the Lifecycle Manager: the Aria Operations 9.0 upgrade package and the Fleet Management OVA template. Use the Lifecycle Manager’s binary mapping to make these accessible for the operation.
Select the correct license type for your intended deployment (VCF or VVF), as licensing governs feature enablement within Fleet Management. Launch the upgrade workflow, perform the pre-upgrade assessment, and follow best practice: do not proceed on failed pre-checks—remediate all detected issues first.
Upon workflow initiation, the Aria Operations cluster will be brought offline and a snapshot taken. The deployment prompts for vCenter information to place the Fleet Management appliance correctly within the infrastructure, including network, DNS, NTP, and access credentials. Complete a thorough pre-check to verify environmental health before proceeding.
Upon successful deployment, confirm the following:
- Aria Operations is now version 9.0, integrated with Fleet Management.
- The previous Operations instance is deregistered from the Lifecycle Manager and re-registered with Fleet Management.
- The Lifecycle Manager will continue managing components such as Aria Operations for Logs and VMs, running in parallel until a full environment transition is complete.
Step 3: Upgrading the vSphere Layer
Proceed to upgrade vCenter Server using the official ISO and the vCenter Upgrade Wizard, utilizing the reduced downtime process. This method temporarily stands up a target vCenter appliance, replicates the configuration and data, and eventually assumes the original identity and network configuration. Carefully validate the new vCenter instance post-upgrade.
To upgrade ESXi hosts, use the vSphere Lifecycle Manager (VLCM) to import the ESX 9.0 image depot (ZIP archive), create a new cluster image, and assign it to the cluster. Remediate the cluster by initiating compliance and update operations, which will:
- Place each host into maintenance mode (evacuating VMs as needed)
- Install and boot the new ESXi version
- Return hosts to the cluster sequentially via DRS scheduling
Repeat for all cluster hosts, ensuring all are running ESXi 9.0.
Step 4: Deploying and Configuring the VCF Installer
Next, deploy the VCF Installer by uploading and powering on the SDDC Manager OVA. This appliance replaces the legacy Cloud Builder and initially runs in installation mode. For binary acquisition, configure either an online or offline depot. For online depots, authenticate using a Broadcom software token; for offline deployments, establish a local web server and stage binaries as needed.
With binaries available, use the deployment wizard to:
- Deploy a new VCF fleet or add to an existing fleet
- Specify usage of existing infrastructure (operations, vCenter, automation)
- Assign deployment models: simple (single-node) or high availability (three-node clusters per management component)
Provide all required instance configuration parameters, opt for password auto-generation or manual assignment, and link the existing upgraded Aria Operations 9.0 instance and Fleet Management using credentials and API integrations.
Step 5: Automation, NSX, and Management Domain
If no prior VCF Automation instance is available, opt to deploy a new one by supplying the necessary appliance and networking details. For NSX Manager, select the deployment type and provide configuration for cluster and appliance FQDNs, passwords, and overlay options. For production, best practice dictates isolating overlay networking on separate physical interfaces; use the management kernel network overlay only for non-production or transitional scenarios.
Step 6: Final Convergence and Deployment
Complete the installer inputs—optional download or editing as JSON for future automated deployments. Validate the configuration, reviewing and acknowledging warnings (after careful assessment), and ensuring all errors are cleared before proceeding.
Monitor the deployment workflow in real-time; the entire process may take from 90 minutes to four hours depending on environment size and redundancy. If failures occur, utilize built-in retry and diagnostics to resolve and continue.
After deployment, verify:
- The environment inventory reflects new resource pools and grouped management components (SDDC Manager, vCenter, Operations Collector, Automation)
- Fleet Management and Operations dashboards indicate accurate status and registration
- Existing workloads remained running and non-disrupted during the convergence (with minimal exceptions for inventory and service creation)
Conclusion
This process transforms a loosely coupled vSphere 8.x setup into a tightly integrated VCF 9.0 fleet, delivering unified lifecycle management, streamlined upgrades, and consistent automation. The outlined steps ensure a non-disruptive transition, while strategic design and thorough validation minimize risk and support seamless operations throughout
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