When upgrading to vCenter Server 8.0, it is important to understand changes in component behavior for version 8.0 that can affect the upgrade process.

Understanding changes from previous versions of vSphere can help in your upgrade planning. For a complete list of new features in vSphere 8.0, see the Release Notes for version 8.0 releases.

Upgrade Methods

There are multiple methods for upgrading vCenter Server to version 8.0.

Supported Migration Path from vCenter Server for Windows to vCenter Server
You can migrate from an existing vCenter Server for Windows to a vCenter Server 8.0 deployment using a graphical user interface-based installer or a command-line interface-based installer. See Migrating vCenter Server for Windows to vCenter Server Appliance.
Support for Graphical User Interface (GUI) Deployments of vCenter Server
You can upgrade an existing vCenter Server appliance version 6.7 or 7.0 deployment to vCenter Server 8.0 using the GUI. See GUI Upgrade of the vCenter Server Appliance.
Support for Command Line Interface (CLI) Deployments of vCenter Server Appliance
You can upgrade an existing vCenter Server appliance version 6.7 or 7.0 deployment to vCenter Server 8.0 using the CLI. See CLI Upgrade of the vCenter Server Appliance.
Support for Reduced Downtime Upgrade through vSphere Client
You can use a migration-based approach to upgrade vCenter Server between major and minor versions that reduces downtime to several minutes. See Reduced Downtime Upgrade.

Changes in Supported Deployment Types

Changes from previous versions of vSphere can affect your deployment type.

Mixed IPv4 and IPv6 Upgrade and Migration

  • Upgrade and migration from vCenter Server 6.7 or 7.0 to 8.0 is supported for pure IPv4 or pure IPv6 management networks only.
  • Using dual IP stacks (IPv4 and IPv6) is not supported.

Removal of Platform Services Controller

Beginning in vSphere 7.0, deploying or upgrading vCenter Server in vSphere 7.0 requires the use of vCenter Server appliance, a preconfigured virtual machine optimized for running vCenter Server.

The new vCenter Server contains all Platform Services Controller services, preserving the functionality and workflows, including authentication, certificate management, and licensing. It is no longer necessary nor possible to deploy and use an external Platform Services Controller. All Platform Services Controller services are consolidated into vCenter Server, and deployment and administration are simplified.

As these services are now part of vCenter Server, they are no longer described as a part of Platform Services Controller. In vSphere 7.0, the vSphere Authentication publication replaces the Platform Services Controller Administration publication. The new publication contains complete information about authentication and certificate management.

Upgrade or Migration for vCenter Server Instances with an External Platform Services Controller

When you upgrade or migrate a vCenter Server deployment using an external Platform Services Controller, you must first converge the external Platform Services Controller to an embedded Platform Services Controller and then perform the upgrade or migration.

When you converge the Platform Services Controller into a vCenter Server appliance, you must identify the management node to use for your deployment's vSphere SSO domain. In domains with multiple vCenter Server instances, you must specify the SSO replication partner to use for each subsequent vCenter Server.

The method you use to upgrade or migrate determines how you specify the management node to use for your deployment's vSphere SSO domain.

When the upgrade or migration process finishes, the newly deployed vCenter Server 8.0 appliance incorporates the former Platform Services Controller services. You can then decommission the external Platform Services Controller in your environment. See Decommission the Platform Services Controller.

To learn more about converging a vCenter Server deployment using an external Platform Services Controller into a vCenter Server appliance, see Knowledge Base article KB 68137.

Upgrading or Migrating to vSphere License Service

The License Service provides common license inventory and management capabilities to the vCenter Server systems. When upgrading or migrating your vCenter Server deployment, licensing data is transferred to the License Service in the vCenter Server appliance.

When upgrading vCenter Server versions 6.7 or 7.0 that are connected to a Platform Services Controller, their licensing data is transferred to the License Service in the vCenter Server appliance. The licensing data includes the available licenses and license assignments for hosts, vCenter Server systems, vSAN clusters, and other products that you use with vSphere.

After the upgrade or migration of the vCenter Server systems finishes, the License Services stores the available licenses and manages the license assignments for the entire vSphere environment.

For more information about the License Service and managing licenses in vSphere, see vCenter Server and Host Management.

Upgrading the Trust Authority vCenter Server

Upgrade the Trust Authority vCenter Server and Trust Authority Hosts.

Starting with vSphere 8.0, you can take advantage of VMware® vSphere Trust Authority™. vSphere Trust Authority is a foundational technology that enhances workload security. vSphere Trust Authority establishes a greater level of trust in your organization by associating an ESXi host's hardware root of trust to the workload itself.

The best practice for upgrading a vSphere Trust Authority infrastructure is to upgrade the Trust Authority vCenter Server and Trust Authority Hosts first. In this way, you get the most benefit from the latest vSphere Trust Authority features. However, you can perform separate, standalone upgrades of vCenter Server and ESXi hosts to fit specific business reasons. To learn about upgrading the Trust Authority Cluster vCenter Server see "vSphere Trust Authority Life Cycle" in the vSphere Security guide.

Support for Upgrading a vCenter Server with Multi-Homing

When upgrading a vCenter Server appliance with two or more network interface cards (NICs), the upgrade transfers the IP addresses from each network interface from the source vCenter Server to the target vCenter Server.

During the upgrade process, the Upgrade installer performs a pre-check of the source vCenter Server and records the network settings. When this information is transferred to the target vCenter Server appliance, the network settings are transferred as part of the configuration. When the upgrade process finishes, you can log in to the vCenter Server appliance using the vSphere ClientvSphere Client, and verify that the IP addresses have been successfully transferred to the newly upgraded vCenter Server appliance.

With two or more NICs per vCenter Server appliance, you can better manage network traffic in your environment. For example, with multiple network interfaces you can:
  • Configure backup traffic to use a different network than management traffic.
  • Keep ESXi hosts on a physically different LAN segment from your management traffic. You can connect one network interface to the network with your ESXi hosts, and connect the other to a network from which administrative clients connect to vCenter Server.

Support for Federal Information Processing Standard 140-2

vCenter Server 8.0 supports Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2.

FIPS 140-2 is a U.S. and Canadian government standard that specifies security requirements for cryptographic modules. By default, FIPS 140-2 is always activated after installation or upgrade of vCenter Server 8.0.

To learn more about support for FIPS 140-2 in VMware products, see https://www.vmware.com/security/certifications/fips.html.

To learn how to activate or deactivate FIPS 140-2 support, see the vSphere Security documentation.

Support for Transport Security Layer 1.3

Starting in 8.0 Update 3, vSphere supports TLS 1.3 and 1.2 through the use of TLS profiles. By default, vSphere supports the Transport Security Layer (TLS) 1.3 encryption protocol.

Upgrading to vSphere 8.0 Update 3 activates the default TLS profile, named COMPATIBLE, on ESXi and vCenter Server hosts. The COMPATIBLE profile supports TLS 1.3 and some TLS 1.2 connections.

To learn how to manage TLS configuration, see the vSphere Security guide.