Use the upgrade workflows to resolve version compliance errors when upgrading vCenter Server with version 6.5 to version 8.0.

ESXi hosts of versions 5.5 and 6.0 are not supported in vCenter Server 8.0. You can use the Recommended Host Profiles Upgrade Workflows in the vSphere Host Profiles 6.7 guide as intermediate upgrade steps.

How Do You Upgrade Host Profiles in a vCenter Server Instance with Stateful ESXi 6.5 Hosts Оnly?

You can use the present workflow to resolve version compliance errors when upgrading vCenter Server with version 6.5 to version 8.0, if your cluster contains stateful ESXi 6.5 hosts.

Prerequisites

  • Verify that your cluster contains ESXi 6.5 hosts only.
  • Verify that a host profile with version 6.5 is attached to the cluster.
  • Verify that your vCenter Server is with version 6.5.

Procedure

  1. Upgrade all ESXi hosts in the cluster to version 7.0.
    For more information, see the VMware ESXi Upgrade documentation.
  2. Remediate the upgraded hosts against the host profile with version 6.5.

    During remediation, all host profile settings are applied to the hosts in the cluster.

  3. Extract a new host profile from an ESXi 7.0 host in the cluster.
    During host profile extraction, some parameters of the configured host profile policy change. For more information, see Answer File Field and vSphere Host Profile Extraction.
  4. Attach the host profile with version 7.0 to the cluster.
  5. Remediate the cluster against the host profile with version 7.0.
  6. Upgrade your vCenter Server instance to version 8.0.

    The vCenter Server configuration is not changed during the upgrade.

    For more information, see the vCenter Server Upgrade documentation.

  7. Upgrade all ESXi hosts in the cluster to version 8.0.
    Edit host customization and host profile edit operations are not available, while compliance check, attach host profile, and remediate hosts operations are available. For more information, see KB 2150534
  8. Remediate the cluster against the host profile with version 7.0.
    During remediation, all host profile settings are applied.
  9. Extract a new host profile from an ESXi 8.0 host.
    During host profile extraction, some parameters of the configured host profile policy change. For more information, see Answer File Field and vSphere Host Profile Extraction.
  10. Attach the host profile with version 8.0 to the cluster.

    Edit host customization to validate host customization data.

    All host profile operations become available.

How Do You Upgrade Host Profiles in a vCenter Server Instance with Stateless ESXi 6.5 Hosts Only?

You can use the present workflow to resolve version compliance errors when upgrading vCenter Server with version 6.5 to version 8.0, if your cluster contains stateless ESXi 6.5 hosts.

Prerequisites

  • Verify that your cluster contains ESXi 6.5 hosts only.
  • Verify that a host profile with version 6.5 is attached to the cluster.
  • Verify that your vCenter Server is with version 6.5.

Procedure

  1. Upgrade your vCenter Server instance to version 7.0.

    The vCenter Server configuration is not changed during the upgrade.

    For more information, see the vCenter Server Upgrade documentation.

  2. Create a new rule оr edit the existing rule with an image profile version 7.0 and select the cluster.
  3. Remediate all ESXi hosts in the cluster by clicking Remediate Host Associations.
  4. Reboot all ESXi hosts in the cluster.
    All hosts are compliant with the host profile version 6.5, but the host profile cannot be edited. Remediation and check compliance operations are available.
  5. To be able to customize your host profile, follow these steps.
    1. Extract a new host profile from an ESXi 7.0 host.
      During host profile extraction, some parameters of the configured host profile policy change. For more information, see Answer File Field and vSphere Host Profile Extraction.
    2. Attach the host profile with version 7.0 to the cluster.

      Edit host customization to validate host customization data.

      All host profile operations become available.
  6. Upgrade your vCenter Server instance to version 8.0.

    The vCenter Server configuration is not changed during the upgrade.

    For more information, see the vCenter Server Upgrade documentation.

  7. Create a new rule оr edit the existing rule with an image profile version 8.0 and select the cluster.
  8. Remediate all ESXi hosts in the cluster by clicking Remediate Host Associations.
  9. Reboot all ESXi hosts in the cluster.
    All hosts are compliant with the host profile version 6.5, but the host profile cannot be edited. Remediation and check compliance operations are available.
  10. To be able to customize your host profile, follow these steps.
    1. Extract a new host profile from an ESXi 8.0 host.
      During host profile extraction, some parameters of the configured host profile policy change. For more information, see Answer File Field and vSphere Host Profile Extraction.
    2. Attach the host profile with version 8.0 to the cluster.

      Edit host customization to validate host customization data.

      All host profile operations become available.