In a VMware Cloud Foundation instance, you use SDDC Manager for life cycle management of the management components in the entire instance except for NSX Global Manager and VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle. VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle manages the life cycle of the components that it deploys.
Life cycle management of a VMware Cloud Foundation instance is the process of performing patch updates or upgrades to the underlying management components.
Component |
Management Domain |
VI Workload Domain |
---|---|---|
SDDC Manager |
SDDC Manager performs its own life cycle management. |
Not applicable |
NSX Local Manager |
SDDC Manager uses the NSX upgrade coordinator service in the NSX Local Manager. |
|
NSX Edges |
SDDC Manager uses the NSX upgrade coordinator service in NSX Manager. |
|
NSX Global Manager |
You manually use the NSX upgrade coordinator service in the NSX Global Manager. |
|
vCenter Server |
You use SDDC Manager for life cycle management of all vCenter Server instances. |
|
ESXi |
|
|
VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle
|
VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle performs its own life cycle management. |
Not applicable |
VMware Cloud Foundation Life Cycle Management Requirements
Consider the design requirements for automated and centralized life cycle management in the context of the entire VMware Cloud Foundation environment.
Requirement ID |
Design Requirement |
Justification |
Implication |
---|---|---|---|
VCF-LCM-REQD-001 |
Use SDDC Manager to perform the life cycle management of the following components:
|
Because the deployment scope of SDDC Manager covers the full VMware Cloud Foundation stack, SDDC Manager performs patching, update, or upgrade of these components across all workload domains. |
The operations team must understand and be aware of the impact of a patch, update, or upgrade operation by using SDDC Manager. |
VCF-LCM-REQD-002 |
Use VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle to manage the life cycle of the following components:
|
VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle automates the life cycle of VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle and Workspace ONE Access. |
|
VCF-LCM-RCMD-001 |
Use vSphere Lifecycle Manager images to manage the life cycle of vSphere clusters. |
|
|
Requirement ID |
Design Requirement |
Justification |
Implication |
---|---|---|---|
VCF-LCM-REQD-003 |
Use the upgrade coordinator in NSX to perform life cycle management on the NSX Global Manager appliances. |
The version of SDDC Manager in this design is not currently capable of life cycle operations (patching, update, or upgrade) for NSX Global Manager. |
|
VCF-LCM-REQD-004 |
Establish an operations practice to ensure that prior to the upgrade of any workload domain, the impact of any version upgrades is evaluated in relation to the need to upgrade NSX Global Manager. |
The versions of NSX Global Manager and NSX Local Manager nodes must be compatible with each other. Because SDDC Manager does not provide life cycle operations (patching, update, or upgrade) for the NSX Global Manager nodes, upgrade to an unsupported version cannot be prevented. |
The administrator must establish and follow an operations practice by using a runbook or automated process to ensure a fully supported and compliant bill of materials prior to any upgrade operation. |
VCF-LCM-REQD-005 |
Establish an operations practice to ensure that prior to the upgrade of the NSX Global Manager, the impact of any version change is evaluated against the existing NSX Local Manager nodes and workload domains. |
The versions of NSX Global Manager and NSX Local Manager nodes must be compatible with each other. Because SDDC Manager does not provide life cycle operations (patching, update, or upgrade) for the NSX Global Manager nodes, upgrade to an unsupported version cannot be prevented. |
The administrator must establish and follow an operations practice by using a runbook or automated process to ensure a fully supported and compliant bill of materials prior to any upgrade operation. |