Note:

This tutorial requires access to Oracle Cloud. To sign up for a free account, see Get started with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Free Tier.
It uses example values for Oracle Cloud Infrastructure credentials, tenancy, and compartments. When completing your lab, substitute these values with ones specific to your cloud environment.

Upgrade an Oracle Cloud VMware Solution Software-Defined Data Center from 7.x to 8.x

Introduction

This tutorial provides comprehensive instructions for upgrading an Oracle Cloud VMware Solution Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC) from version 7.0 Update 3 (7.u3) to version 8.0 Update 2 (8.u2).

Once an SDDC is deployed, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) no longer has any control over the customer’s VMware environment. Therefore, upgrades performed outside the Oracle Cloud VMware Solution control plane will not be recognized by the service. To maintain an accurate and up-to-date Oracle Cloud VMware Solution database, and to ensure that new hosts are provisioned with the latest drivers for stability and compatibility, we recommend performing a rolling upgrade using the Oracle Cloud VMware Solution service. This approach helps keep your environment aligned with the current ESXi release, ensuring both accuracy in updates and the stability of your infrastructure.

Upgrade Process Workflow

The upgrade involves multiple stages, each critical for a successful transition. The following flowchart offers a concise summary of the key tasks involved:

Upgrade Workflow

Flowchart Summary:

Pre-checks: Perform prerequisite tasks and verify upgrade path compatibility.
SDDC Upgrade: Upgrade the SDDC to the target version.
Management Cluster Upgrade: Upgrade the Unified Management Cluster to match the SDDC version.
VMware Software Components Upgrade: Upgrade NSX, vCenter Server, and optionally HCX.
ESXi Hosts Upgrade: Conduct a rolling upgrade of ESXi hosts in the Management Cluster.
Workload Clusters Upgrade (if applicable): Follow similar steps as the Management Cluster.
Finalization: Ensure all components are upgraded and functioning properly.

Objectives

Upgrade an Oracle Cloud VMware Solution Software-Defined Data Center from version 7.0 Update 3 (7.u3) to version 8.0 Update 2 (8.u2).

Prerequisites

Perform the following steps to ensure compatibility and protect against potential data loss:

Backups:

Before proceeding with the upgrade, ensure that you have backups of all SDDC components. This step is crucial to restore configurations if the upgrade fails or if issues arise with any of your virtual machines (VMs). By ensuring these backups, you will have the necessary restore points to address any issues that may arise during or after the upgrade process.
- SDDC Components Backup: Follow the official VMware documentation for backup procedures for vCenter Server Configuration, NSX Configuration, and vDS Switch Configuration Backup.
- ESXi Host Configuration: Back up the configuration of ESXi hosts. For more information, see configuration of ESXi hosts.
- VM Backups: Use your preferred backup tool to create backups of all VMs.
Upgrade Compatibility Checks:

Use the VMware Upgrade Path Interoperability Matrix to verify support for your upgrade path:
- VMware ESXi: Upgrading from 7.0u3 to 8.0u2.
- VMware vCenter Server: Upgrading from 7.0.3 to 8.0.2.
- VMware NSX: Upgrading from 3.2.2 to 4.1.2.
Unified Management Cluster Size:

Ensure the Management Cluster is configured with at least four hosts to allow seamless upgrades, particularly for NSX. If your cluster has only three hosts, consider adding a fourth or manually managing VM migrations during the upgrade.
Administrative Privileges;

Verify that you have the necessary administrative privileges within OCI, vCenter, NSX Manager, and HCX Manager. These permissions are required for managing SDDC resources, including hosts, clusters, network configurations, and datastores.
Environment Compatability:

Ensure that all VMware and third-party products in your environment are compatible and compliant with the new VMware version, verifying inter-operability across all integrated systems.

Task 1: Upgrade SDDC Software Version

In this task, we will initiate the process of upgrading the Software-Defined Data Center to a newer software version.

Access the SDDC.
1. Log in to the OCI Console, navigate to Hybrid, VMware Solution and Software-Defined Data Centers.
2. Select the SDDC you want to upgrade from the list.
Start the upgrade process.
1. In the Software-Defined Data Center details page, click Upgrade and follow the on-screen prompts.
2. Select the desired software version from the available options. It is recommended to select the latest version, but verify compatibility with the VMware Compatibility Matrix.
3. Confirm the selected version and click Upgrade to proceed with the upgrade.
Once the upgrade is complete, check the SDDC details page to confirm that the VMware software version has been updated.

Task 2: Upgrade Management Cluster and Download Binaries

In this task, we will upgrade the Unified Management Cluster to match the SDDC software version and download the necessary binaries.

Start Management Cluster upgrade.
1. After the SDDC upgrade finishes, a new banner will appear indicating its completion. Click Go to Management Cluster to proceed with the next steps.
2. In the Management Cluster details page, click Upgrade to begin the upgrade process.
Select the upgrade version.
1. You will see only the SDDC version available for selection. Confirm your choice and click Upgrade to proceed.
2. Check the Management Cluster details page to ensure that the software version has been successfully updated.
Download upgrade binaries.
1. Once the upgrade is complete, a new banner will appear with a URL labeled Get updated binaries and licenses.
2. Click the URL to download the upgrade software bundles. Click Download or copy the PAR download link to your workstation.
Save the license keys in a secure location, as they will be needed for component upgrades.

Note: The upgrade banner will remain visible until you complete the Management Components upgrade (Task 3), making it easy to retrieve binaries.

Task 3: Upgrade VMware Management Components

As noted in the upgrade SDDC panel, changes made in the OCI Console do not automatically upgrade the components within the VMware environment. Therefore, it is necessary to manually upgrade each VMware software component using the provided binaries. VMware recommends performing the upgrades in the following sequence:

NSX Components
vCenter Server Appliance
HCX Manager (online upgrade from HCX Cloud console, not covered in this guide)

Task 3.1: Upgrade NSX

Pre-upgrade backup.
1. Log in to the NSX Manager and validate the current version.
2. Navigate to System, Backup & Restore and ensure a recent, healthy backup is available before starting the upgrade.
Select Upgrade from the left menu and click Upgrade to begin the upgrade process.
Check upgrade readiness.
1. In the Prepare for Upgrade section, upload the MUB file downloaded in Task 2.
2. The system will upload, extract, and verify the file, completing the compatibility checks.
  
  Once the checks are successful, you will see the message, Upgrade Bundle retrieved successfully.
3. Click Prepare for Upgrade to continue.
Agreement and pre-checks.
1. Click Agree and Continue to accept the EULA.
2. Proceed to the Run Pre-checks section, where you should verify that the new NSX version is as expected. Click Run Pre-Checks and select All Pre-checks to validate the environment.
  
  Ensure all pre-checks pass successfully. If any issues arise, troubleshoot before proceeding.
Upgrade summary.
1. In the Upgrade Summary section, review the NSX Current and Target versions.
2. Click Next to proceed.
Upgrade Edge Cluster.
1. In the Edges section, select the Edge Cluster(s) and click Start Upgrade to begin a rolling upgrade of NSX Edges.
2. Monitor the upgrade until it completes successfully and run the Post Check.
Upgrade the hosts.
1. In the Hosts section, toggle the switches to include all clusters in the upgrade (recommended), and click Start Upgrade.
2. The upgrade will proceed one host at a time, placing each in maintenance mode, upgrading, and then moving to the next host.
  
  Note: If your management cluster has only three ESXi hosts, manually migrate the NSX Management VM to another host to enable maintenance mode. It is recommended to have an N+1 configuration for production workloads to avoid this scenario.
3. Monitor the upgrade process, which may take considerable time depending on your environment and storage configuration (for example, vSAN, where VMFS backed by OCI Block Volumes should be quicker).
Upgrade the NSX Managers.
1. Once the hosts are upgraded, proceed to the NSX Managers section. Click Start Upgrade, confirm by selecting the checkbox, and begin the process.
  
  Note: A banner will warn you not to power off or reboot the NSX Manager VMs, as this can cause instability. The NSX Manager may become temporarily inaccessible during this process; wait a few minutes before retrying to log in.
2. As the upgrade reaches the NSX OS Upgrade step, you may lose connectivity to the NSX Manager. Wait a few minutes and refresh the page to access the log in screen.
3. Log in, navigate back to the Upgrade page, and select Continue with Upgrade.
  
  Monitor the upgrade until it completes successfully.
After the upgrade, go to the About VMware NSX section to confirm the NSX Manager version has been updated.

With the NSX environment now upgraded, proceed to the next task to upgrade the vCenter environment.

Task 3.2: Upgrade vCenter Server Appliance

Verify that valid backups are available, as outlined in the prerequisites, before beginning the vCenter Server Appliance (vCSA) upgrade.
Mount the ISO file.
1. Locate the ISO file provided in the binaries downloaded from the OCI Console. Double-click the ISO file to mount it.
2. Navigate to the installer file and double-click it to launch the vCenter Server 8.0 installer.
Click Upgrade to start upgrading the existing vCenter Server Appliance.

Note: For more information, see vCenter Server Appliance upgrade guide.
Stage 1: Deploy new vCenter Server.
1. In the Introduction page, click Next to proceed.
2. Accept the EULA and click Next.
3. In the Connect to source appliance page, enter the current vCenter Server Appliance name, leave the port as 443, and select Connect to Source.
4. Enter the SSO User name, SSO Password, and Appliance (OS) root password.
5. Repeat the same details for the target vCenter and click Next.
6. Accept the certificate warning to establish trust using the SSL certificate.
7. Enter the vCenter Server deployment target information. For this upgrade, the same DNS name was used, though creating a new DNS entry for the 8.x appliance is recommended before starting the upgrade.
8. Accept the certificate warning and continue.
9. In the Select folder page, select the folder Management for creating the management appliance.
10. In the compute resource page, select the Management Cluster.
  
  Note: If lockdown mode is enabled on the hosts, you will not be able to select any hosts. Disable lockdown mode on the hosts, then retry selecting the desired host.
11. In the Set up the target vCenter Server VM page, enter the VM name and passwords and click Next.
12. In the deployment size page, select Medium, which is the default for Oracle Cloud VMware Solution. Select an appropriate size if customization is needed, and click Next.
13. Select the Management Datastore.
14. Enter the required network settings and click Next.
15. Review the configuration and click Finish to complete Stage 1 of the upgrade process.
Note: Stage 1 may take several minutes. Monitor the progress until it is completed successfully.
Stage 2: Upgrade source vCenter Server.
1. After successfully deploying the new vCSA, click Continue to begin stage 2.
2. Review the Introduction page and click Next.
3. Enter the source vCenter Server details and continue through the pre-upgrade checklist.
4. In the Select Upgrade Data page, select Configuration, Inventory, Tasks, Events, and Performance Metrics and click Next.
5. Configure the CEIP settings and click Next.
6. In the Ready to Complete page, review the settings and click Finish.
Note: A warning will appear, indicating that the source vCenter will be shut down and activated on the destination vCenter. Network configurations will switch, and the old network details will be applied to the new vCenter Server.
Validate all configurations and assign license.
1. Monitor the progress until the upgrade is complete.
2. Close the pop-up and open the provided URL in a new browser window to access the vCSA management appliance and validate the vCenter version.
3. Access the new vCenter Server, navigate to the Licenses section, and add the vCenter server and vSAN licenses provided in Task 2.
4. Assign the license to the vCenter Server.
5. Validate that all configurations are accessible. Optionally, remove the older vCenter Server Appliance VM from the vCenter inventory to avoid confusion or delete it according to your organization’s standards.
6. If the lockdown mode was disabled, restore the settings to their previous state on the hosts.

This completes the vCenter Server upgrade. Next, proceed with upgrading the ESXi hosts in the Unified Management Cluster.

Task 4: Upgrade ESXi Hosts in the Management Cluster

In this task, you will upgrade the ESXi hosts in the management cluster. The process involves upgrading the host in the OCI Console, adding the new host to the vCenter cluster, migrating VMs, and finally removing the old host.

Task 4.1: Upgrade Hosts in the OCI Console

Access the Management Cluster in OCI.
1. Go to the OCI Console, navigate to your SDDC, and open the Management Cluster details page.
2. Select I have upgraded vCenter and NSX using the provided binaries and licenses and click Next.
Initiate the upgrade process.
1. Click Upgrade Cluster Host to access the Upgrade Status page.
2. In the Upgrade Status page, select the management cluster and click on the first ESXi host.
Note: The upgrade process is complex and may take a significant amount of time. You can revisit the Upgrade Status page at any time to monitor or track the progress.
Begin the rolling upgrade process.
1. Click Upgrade in the banner. This will initiate the upgrade ESXi host flow.
2. Review the details and click Upgrade to create a new ESXi host, which will match the original host’s compute shape but with an hourly billing commitment.
Monitor the host creation process.
1. Close the panel, and you should see the ESXi host’s status change to Updating on its information page.
2. Click ESXi hosts within the Management Cluster, the new host should appear with the status of Creating.
Note: The creation of a new ESXi host may take 20-25 minutes. You can monitor the progress in the Upgrade Status or Work Requests section.
Review the old host status.
1. Once the new host is created, check the status of the older host. It should now show as Needs Attention with a banner displaying the details of the newly replaced host.
2. Similarly, if you visit the newly created host, you can find the details of the original host.
Important: Both the old and new host details pages display a warning indicating that, if the original host is not terminated, charges will apply for both hosts. Ensure that the old, unused host is deleted once the migration is complete to avoid additional costs.
Capture ESXi host information and default vCenter password.

In the OCI Console, identify and note down the host information of the newly created ESXi host. This information can also be accessed from the banner of the old ESXi host in your SDDC.
1. ESXi Host Information: Select the newly added ESXi host and note the following information.
  - Internal FQDN details.
  - Access the Attached Block Volumes section and gather iSCSI target server details for all the attachments.
2. vCenter Password: In the SDDC details page within the OCI Console, locate and securely store the default vCenter password. This password will be required when adding the ESXi host to vCenter in a later task.

Task 4.2: Add and Configure the New ESXi Host in vCenter

Note: The steps in this task are similar to those described in this tutorial: Replace a Faulty ESXi Host in your Oracle Cloud VMware Solution Cluster.

Add the ESXi host to vCenter.
1. Open the vCenter Server and locate the data center where you want to add the ESXi host.
2. Right-click the data center and select Add Host.
Configure the ESXi host settings.
1. Enter the following information.
  - Host Name or IP Address: Enter the FQDN for the new ESXi host noted in Task 4.1.6 and click Next.
  - Connection Settings: Enter the login credentials for the ESXi host (root as username and the default vCenter password obtained from the OCI Console SDDC details page) and click Next.
  - Host Summary: Review the host summary and click Next.
  - Host Lifecycle: De-select Manage host with an image and click Next.
  - Assign License: Select the vSphere 8 Enterprise Plus license key, which was added in the earlier task, from the available options to assign a license to the new ESXi host and click Next.
  - Lockdown Mode: Select Normal lockdown mode, which is the standard setting used with Oracle Cloud VMware Solution deployments. You can adjust this setting if needed based on your specific environment and click Next.
  - VM Location: Keep the default settings for VM placement and click Next.
2. Review all the configuration details, click Finish to submit the task, and add the ESXi host to your vCenter cluster.
Enter maintenance mode.
1. Once the ESXi host is successfully added, right-click it within the vCenter inventory and select Enter Maintenance Mode.
2. Validate that the host has successfully entered maintenance mode.

Add the ESXi host to the Distributed Switch (DSwitch).

Navigate to the Networking view within the vCenter Server.
Select the DSwitch associated with the cluster where the ESXi host will reside.
Right-click the DSwitch or click Actions and select Add and Manage hosts.
In the Select Task and Select and Hosts section, enter the following information.
1. Select Add Hosts and click Next.
2. Select the newly added ESXi host from the list and ensure it is currently in maintenance mode. Click Next.
In the Manage Physical Adapters section, select vmnic0 and vmnic1 from the drop-down menu.

In the Manage VMkernel Adapters section, assign each VMkernel adapter (vmk) to a specific port group as shown below:

VMKernel Adapter	Port Group
vmk0	Management Networking
vmk1	vMotion
vmk2	vSAN
vmk3	Replication
vmk4	Provisioning

vDS Add Host - Define vMK adapters

In the Migrate VM Networking section, keep the default values for migrating VM networking.
Review all configuration details and click Finish to submit the changes and add the ESXi host to the distributed switch.

Move the ESXi host to the vCenter cluster.
1. Once the network configuration is complete, you can move the ESXi host to the intended vCenter cluster. Right-click the host and select Move To.
2. In the Move To page, select the cluster and click OK.
3. In the Move Host into Cluster page, keep the default selection Put all of this host’s virtual machines in the cluster’s root resource pool and click Ok to complete the move.

Task 4.3: Verify NSX Configuration

Within NSX Manager, you can now observe the configuration status of the newly added ESXi host. NSX automatically pushes the configuration to the host and integrates it into the cluster. Monitor the NSX configuration for successful completion. This process typically takes at least 5 minutes.
Verify the NSX configuration completion.
1. The NSX configuration first changes to Success, and Node Status shows as Unknown. After a few minutes, it changes to Down and to Up.
2. Once the configuration finishes, verify that the NSX configuration status displays as Success and Up within NSX Manager. This confirms that the ESXi host has been successfully configured for NSX.

Task 4.4: Configure the Datastores

This task covers configuring datastores for your newly added ESXi host. The specific steps depend on whether you are using Virtual Machine File System (VMFS) Datastores backed by OCI Block Volume or vSAN datastore with dense-shaped instances.

Scenario 1: Configure Standard Shaped Instances (VMFS Datastores)

Ensure all block volume attachments.
1. Go to the OCI Console, ensure all block volumes attached to other ESXi hosts in the cluster are also attached to the newly added host.
2. Copy the iSCSI attachment information for all block volumes attachments.
Access the iSCSI storage adapters.
1. In the vCenter Server, select the newly added ESXi host.
2. Navigate to Configure and Storage Adapters.
Configure the iSCSI target servers.
1. From the right-hand pane, select the iSCSI storage adapter.
2. Select Dynamic Discovery and click Add to add the iSCSI target server.
3. Add all the iSCSI target server IPs you gathered in the previous step.
Rescan the iSCSI adapters.
1. Once all iSCSI servers are added, select the iSCSI adapter and click Rescan Storage to scan for new devices.
2. Verify block volume attachments. After the rescan completes, you should see all block volumes attached as Oracle iSCSI disks.
Validate the datastore availability.
1. From the Datastores tab for the newly added host, validate that all datastores are mounted, matching the configuration of other hosts in the cluster.
2. To confirm datastore presence, navigate to Storage and select the datastore cluster. Verify that the newly added host appears under the Hosts section.
Exit maintenance mode.
1. Once all configurations are complete, remove the ESXi host from maintenance mode.
2. After exiting maintenance mode, check that your virtual environment remains stable and operates as expected.

Scenario 2: Configure Dense Shaped Instances (vSAN Datastore)

Note: These steps are specifically for Dense-shaped instances using vSAN.

Ensure the ESXi host is out of maintenance mode.
1. Before starting the vSAN datastore configuration, confirm that the ESXi host has exited maintenance mode.
2. Monitor the progress until this step is fully completed.
Access vSAN disk management.
1. Navigate to the dense cluster under your data center in vCenter.
2. Go to Configure, vSAN and select Disk Management.
To Claim Unused Disks into vSAN storage, click Claim Unused Disks.
Configure vSAN disks.
1. In a vSAN cluster, each host typically requires at least one high-performance cache disk and several capacity disks for data storage.
2. Select the first disk to be used as the cache and the remaining disks for capacity (usually 7 disks for dense shapes).
3. Adjust the disk configuration based on your specific requirements, then submit the task and wait for the process to complete.
In the right-hand pane, verify that all disks on the host are listed and appear Healthy.
Verify vSAN datastore capacity.
1. Go to Storage and select the vSAN datastore.
2. The summary page should reflect the increased total capacity resulting from the added capacity drives.
Confirm host status in vSAN.
1. Within the datastore, navigate to Hosts.
2. Ensure that the newly added host is listed with a Normal status.
Configure the vSAN fault domain.

OCI regions typically contain three fault domains and the vSAN fault domains should align with these. Oracle Cloud VMware Solution usually distributes ESXi hosts across all fault domains to ensure optimal balance. Since this process is replacing an old host, the new host should be within the same fault domain as the original host.

Under vSAN, select Fault Domains. Choose the newly added host and move it to the same fault domain as the original host (for example, Fault-Domain-1).
Confirm that the new host now resides in the correct fault domain, ensuring consistency and balance within the vSAN cluster.

Task 4.5: Remove the Old Host from vCenter and NSX Manager

In this task, you will remove the old ESXi host from your vCenter cluster and NSX Manager.

Prepare the old ESXi host to remove.
1. Locate the old ESXi host you wish to remove from your vCenter environment.
2. Ensure all virtual machines on this host are either powered off or migrated to the new host added in the previous step. The host must be free of running VMs before entering maintenance mode.
3. To place the host in maintenance mode, right-click the ESXi host, select Maintenance Mode, and click Enter Maintenance Mode.
Data migration options (based on BM instance type).
- Standard Shapes
  - Powered-off and suspended VMs are automatically migrated to other hosts. Accept the defaults and submit the task.
- Dense Shapes
  - In addition to the default migration, select Full data migration from the vSAN data migration drop-down menu to ensure complete data evacuation from the host.
Note: Click PRE-CHECK to validate the vSAN migration process before proceeding with maintenance mode.
Verify successful maintenance mode entry.
- Standard Shapes: Expect minimal data movement, so the process should be quick.
- Dense Shapes: vSAN data evacuation may take some time depending on your environment. Monitor the progress closely.
Note: Ensure the host successfully enters maintenance mode before proceeding to avoid data loss or downtime.
Move the old host out of the cluster.
1. To isolate the host from the cluster, right-click the host and select Move.
2. Choose the datacenter where you want to move the host.
3. Confirm that the old host is no longer part of the vCenter cluster.
Monitor NSX configuration removal process.
1. Log in to NSX Manager and monitor the automatic removal of NSX configuration from the host.
2. Verify that the NSX configuration has been fully removed by confirming that the host shows Not Configured under Other Nodes in NSX Manager.
Disconnect and remove the host from the vCenter inventory.
1. To disconnect the ESXi host, right-click the host, go to Connection and select Disconnect.
2. Verify the host’s status as Disconnected in vCenter Server.
3. To remove the host from inventory, right-click the host and select Remove from Inventory. This action permanently deletes the host from your vCenter inventory, so proceed with caution.
Confirm the health and stability of your environment in both vCenter Server and NSX Manager after the host removal.

Task 4.6: Terminate the Old Host in OCI

In the OCI Console, navigate to the Upgrade Status page of the SDDC.
Identify and select the host for termination.
1. Notice the Needs Attention status of the cluster. Select the cluster where you need to terminate the old host.
2. Identify the old host you wish to terminate and validate it by confirming the new host that was added earlier, in the banner.
Click Terminate to terminate the host and confirm deletion.

Note: This action is irreversible, so ensure you are terminating the correct host.

The host will now enter the Terminating state.
Within a few minutes, the termination should be complete, and the cluster status will change from Updating to Active.

At this point, the pricing interval end times will have switched between the hosts, with the new host assuming the pricing interval of the original host.

Task 4.7: Upgrade the Remaining Hosts in the Management Cluster

Return to the Upgrade Status page in the OCI Console.
Select the next ESXi host in the Management Cluster that needs to be upgraded.
Follow the same steps outlined previously to initiate the upgrade, monitor the creation of the new host, review the status of the old host, and ensure the successful creation of the new host.
Continuously monitor the upgrade process in the Work Requests section.

Although multiple hosts can be upgraded simultaneously, it is advisable to upgrade each ESXi host one at a time to preserve the integrity and stability of the Management Cluster.
Repeat the same upgrade steps for each remaining ESXi host in the Management Cluster until all hosts are complete.
Once the Management Cluster upgrade is complete, the upgrade for all workload clusters is unlocked.

Once all the ESXi hosts in a cluster are upgraded using the rolling upgrade, you must upgrade the vSAN and vDS of that respective cluster to the latest version.

Task 4.8: Upgrade vSAN (If Applicable)

Note: This is only applicable to dense-shaped clusters. If your environment only contains standard shapes, skip this task.

Begin the upgrade process.
1. Log in to the vCenter Server and select the dense cluster.
2. Navigate to Configure, vSAN, Services in the right-hand panel.
3. Look for the Ready for Upgrade message in the banner at the top.
  
  Note: Ensure all hosts have been upgraded to the target ESXi version before upgrading vSAN. Upgrading vSAN with any hosts on an older version could cause instability.
4. Click Pre-Check Upgrade.
Monitor the upgrade.
1. If the pre-checks are successful, you should see a green checkmark.
2. Click Upgrade to perform the vSAN upgrade in this cluster.
3. Monitor the upgrade process. Once the upgrade is successful, a message will appear indicating that all disks are on the new vSAN version, accompanied by a green checkmark.
4. Check the storage space for the vSAN cluster and validate the vSAN health to ensure everything is functioning correctly.
  
  If any errors occur post-upgrade, log a support case with Oracle Support.

Task 4.9: Upgrade vDS

Upgrade the vDS.
1. Log in to the vCenter Server and click Networking.
2. Select the Distributed Switch (vDS) of the cluster where all ESXi hosts have already been upgraded.
3. Right-click the vDS and go to Upgrade and Upgrade Distributed Switch.
Validate and complete the upgrade.
1. Validate that the version selected is 8.0.0 - ESXi 8.0 and later and click Next.
2. Check for compatibility; if any hosts are not compatible, address these issues before proceeding.
3. Once all checks are complete, click Finish to upgrade the vDS to the latest version.

Task 5: Upgrade the Workload Clusters (If Applicable)

Navigate to the workload cluster and upgrade the software version to the same version as the SDDC.
Upgrade the ESXi host(s) in Workload Cluster.
1. You can upgrade one host at a time or simultaneously kick off upgrades for multiple hosts using the Upgrade Status page as shown in the following image.
2. Note that all the old hosts have changed to Needs Attention state, perform the required steps in vCenter before taking any action.
Follow the steps detailed in Task 4 to add a new host to a cluster.
Migrate the VMs from the old host to the newly created host using vMotion. Put old hosts into maintenance mode successfully before removing them from the vCenter inventory.
Terminate all the old ESXi hosts in the Workload Cluster in the OCI Console.
Upgrade vSAN and vDS configurations for the Workload Cluster, similar to the steps performed for the Management Cluster. This concludes the upgrade on Workload cluster. Continue to upgrade remaining Workload Clusters (if any).
Continue the process for each Workload Cluster until all clusters and their respective ESXi hosts are upgraded to the defined VMware software version.

Validate a stable SDDC with no upgrade banner on the top.

Next Steps

By following this tutorial, you have successfully upgraded your VMware SDDC from version 7.x to 8.x, including all relevant VMware software components such as NSX, vCenter Server Appliance, and ESXi hosts. This comprehensive upgrade ensures your SDDC is aligned with the latest VMware releases, providing enhanced stability, compatibility, and performance for your cloud environment.

Final Verification

Ensure all clusters (Management and Workload) are operating as expected.
Validate that the SDDC version is correctly reflected in the OCI Console.
Confirm that all licenses are applied and that the environment is fully operational.

Post-Upgrade Best Practices

Review and monitor the environment for any post-upgrade issues.
Upgrade VMware tools and virtual hardware version on all workload VMs.
Perform a final backup of the upgraded environment.
Document any custom configurations or changes made during the upgrade for future reference.

Your Oracle Cloud VMware Solution environment is now up-to-date and ready to support your business-critical workloads.

Acknowledgments

Author - Praveen Kumar Pedda Vakkalam (Principal Solutions Architect)

More Learning Resources

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Title and Copyright Information

Upgrade an Oracle Cloud VMware Solution Software-Defined Data Center from 7.x to 8.x

G14367-02

October 2024

Oracle and/or its affiliates.