vSphere Upgrade describes how to upgrade VMware vSphere™ to the current version.

To move to the current version of vSphere by performing a fresh installation that does not preserve existing configurations, see the vSphere Installation and Setup documentation.

Intended Audience

vSphere Upgrade is for anyone who needs to upgrade from earlier versions of vSphere. These topics are for experienced Microsoft Windows or Linux system administrators who are familiar with virtual machine technology and data center operations.

vSphere Web Client and vSphere Client

Task instructions in this guide are based on the vSphere Web Client. You can also perform most of the tasks in this guide by using the new vSphere Client. The new vSphere Client user interface terminology, topology, and workflow are closely aligned with the same aspects and elements of the vSphere Web Client user interface. You can apply the vSphere Web Client instructions to the new vSphere Client unless otherwise instructed.

Note: Not all functionality in the vSphere Web Client has been implemented for the vSphere Client in the vSphere 6.5 release. For an up-to-date list of unsupported functionality, see Functionality Updates for the vSphere Client Guide at http://www.vmware.com/info?id=1413.

VMware Technical Publications Glossary

VMware Technical Publications provides a glossary of terms that might be unfamiliar to you. For definitions of terms as they are used in VMware technical documentation, go to http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs.