Hello vAdmins,
Check out the latest version of VMware Cloud Foundation that has just been released. This post provides a concise overview of this specific release.
VMware Cloud Foundation 5.1.1 in a nutshell:
Let’s start with Bill of Materials:
BOM
| Software Component | Version | Date | Build Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud Builder VM | 5.1.1 | 26 MAR 2024 | 23480823 |
| SDDC Manager | 5.1.1 | 26 MAR 2024 | 23480823 |
| VMware vCenter Server Appliance | 8.0 Update 2b | 29 FEB 2024 | 23319993 |
| VMware ESXi | 8.0 Update 2b | 29 FEB 2024 | 23305546 |
| VMware vSAN Witness Appliance | 8.0 Update 2 | 21 SEP 2023 | 22443122 |
| VMware NSX | 4.1.2.3 | 12 MAR 2024 | 23382408 |
| VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle | 8.16 | 29 FEB 2024 | 23377566 |
Licensing
VMware Cloud Foundation is in the process of migrating towards a consolidated licensing model. This shift is being rolled out in stages to streamline the licensing procedure and reduce the requirement to oversee various licenses for separate VCF components.
License Now” and “License Later” feature
With the release of VMware Cloud Foundation 5.1.1, customers now have the flexibility to set up a new VCF instance in Evaluation mode without having to input any license keys.
The Deployment Parameters Workbook in xlsx format, utilized by the Cloud Builder appliance for deploying a fresh VCF 5.1.1 instance, has been updated to include a dropdown menu offering the options “License Now” or “License Later.” By default, the selection for “License Later” has been simplified to streamline the licensing procedure.
Solution Licensing key
VMware Cloud Foundation is transitioning to a unified licensing model.
The VMware Cloud Foundation Solution License key covers VMware vSphere, NSX Networking, TKG, HCX, and VMware Aria Suite elements. When you link the VMware software component to the vCenter server as a data source, the Solution License key is applied seamlessly without requiring manual re-entry. You can locate the Solution License on the licensing page of each individual product component, identified as “vSphere 8 Ent Plus for VCF.
Skip-level upgrade
Skip-level upgrade support allows a customer running older versions of VCF to upgrade to the latest VCF 5.1.1 release by skipping intermediary VCF versions.
When migrating from VCF 4.4.x to VCF 5.1, SDDC Manager adopts skip-level upgrades for vCenter Server and ESXi host components. The NSX components go through a two-step upgrade process from version 3.1 to 3.2 before progressing to NSX 4.1.
Through SDDC Manager’s guided workflows, all SDDC components are upgraded in the appropriate sequence.
Product Lifecycle and support
The product lifecycle policies for new and existing VMware Cloud Foundation releases have been redefined.
Check out this page for a comprehensive summary containing all the details regarding this specific release note.
End of this post.
Disclaimer: Please note that the views expressed in this blog are solely my own and should be treated as personal opinions. This content does not hold any legal or authoritative standing.