VMware vCenter 7.0  has recently been released. This post will walk you through upgrading VMware vCenter Server Appliance 6.x to VCSA 7.0!

The first stage involves deploying a brand new vCenter 7.0  appliance. Then the second stage will copy the data from your 6.x VCSA into the newly deployed 7.0 VCSA from stage 1.

Getting Started

Before we begin it’s HIGHLY recommended you first check the VMware Interoperability Matrix before performing any upgrade to check compatibility of other VMware products.

How to Update VCSA 6.x to VCSA 7.0

  1. Mount the VCSA ISO and start the vCenter Server Appliance 7.0  installer (installer.exe) located at \vcsa-ui-installer\win32 and select Upgrade.

2. From vCenter 7.0 onwards, it doesn’t support external PSC. And if you are upgrading from 6.x to 7.0 with external PSC it will converge the PSC as embed.

  1. Now enter the existing VCSA FQDN or IP address as well what ESXi host the existing VCSA is running on, along with all of the login details for the existing VCSA and ESXi host.
  1.  Next enter the ESXi host or vCenter server where you would like the new VCSA 7.0 appliance to be deployed.
  1. Enter a VM name and root password for the new VCSA.
  1. Select an appropriate deployment size for your environment.
  1.  Select what datastore you want the VCSA 7.0  appliance to be stored.

8. Configure a temporary network configuration. Once Stage 2 of the upgrade has been completed the 7.0 VCSA will take the network identity of the old existing VCSA.

  1. Review the setting and click on Finish.
  1.  Wait for Stage 1 to complete and deploy the new VCSA 7.0 appliance
  1. You will find below popup once the vCenter deployment and stage 1 is completed.

Stage 2 of VCSA 7.0 upgrade, copying data.

12. Click Next through the introduction screen.

13. Stage 2 will then automatically run a Pre-Upgrade check on your existing VCSA. Make sure to review those results, then click on Next

14. Next select which data you would like to copy from the existing VCSA 6.x to the new VCSA 7.0 appliance.

15. Now the Stage 2 will start coping the data from the old VCSA into the new 7.0  VCSA and other tasks.

16. And finally, the VCSA 6.x to VCSA 7.0 upgrade is now complete!

Sumary

The whole process was not take more than 1-1,5 hour to me in my home lab. Installer was easy manage and similar like in previous version. Here some advice in bullet point:

  • If you use external PSC you have to convert it first, check KB article
  • Your target host have to v. 6.5 or higher
  • Use stanard vSwitch or vDswitch emphemeral type on the host where you deploy the target vCenter server
  • Make sure you have an working backup from source vCenter
  • Some point of Stage 2 your source vCenter will shutdown

Now that your VMware vCenter Server has been updated, you are ready to start upgrading your VMware ESXi hosts to 7.0 .

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