Prerequisites & Conditions to Be Met
Verify all conditions before starting the VCF 9.0 deployment journey
Interactive step-by-step guide to converting your existing vSphere environment into VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0
Track your progress phase by phase — from prerequisites to a fully licensed VCF fleet. This journey deploys a new VCF Operations instance, connects your upgraded vCenter to it, and optionally brings in additional vCenter instances for unified management. Can be licensed with VMware Cloud Foundation or VMware vSphere Foundation.
- Existing products must be at a minimum required version to upgrade
- vCenter must NOT be part of Enhanced Linked Mode (ELM)
- Components must NOT use IPv6
- All existing clusters must be VLCM-based (vSphere Lifecycle Manager)
- Existing hardware that will be reused meets resource sizing requirements
- Hardware meets compatibility minimums for VCF 9.0
- Verify against Broadcom compatibility guide on portal
- Customer has an active account on Broadcom Customer / Support portal
- Account has sufficient access to download VCF 9.0 binaries
- Portal access verified and credentials available to the VI Admin
- Sufficient VCF or VMware vSphere Foundation 9.0 cores purchased
- Licenses are available in the customer's Business Services account
- vSAN license available if vSAN will be used
Phase 1: Plan & Prepare
Download tools and configure infrastructure before deployment
Download tools and configure your infrastructure
Before any deployment begins, the VCF installer binary must be obtained from the Broadcom Support portal and all network and server configuration must be finalized. This phase involves coordination across VI Admin, networking, and IT teams to ensure the environment is fully ready. Rushing through this phase is the most common cause of deployment failures — allow adequate time, especially for network preparation.
Phase 2: Deploy VCF 9.0
Upgrade vCenter and deploy VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0
Upgrade vCenter and deploy the VCF 9.0 stack
This is the core deployment phase. Start by upgrading your existing vCenter to version 9.0, then deploy the VCF installer OVA, configure the binary depot, download all required binaries, and use the installer wizard to stand up VCF Operations and import vCenter. The installer runs automated validations at each step — review the final deployment summary carefully and save all generated credentials before proceeding.
Phase 3: License VCF
Register VCF Operations and assign all required licenses
Register VCF Operations and assign all required licenses
With VCF 9.0 deployed, this phase activates your licensing. Log into VCF Operations to start the licensing workflow, assign VCF or vSphere Foundation licenses to vCenter (which simultaneously licenses VCF Operations), and register VCF Operations with VMware Business Services. Both connected and disconnected (air-gapped) registration modes are supported. Verify core allocation to ensure compliance before completing this phase.
Phase 4: Add Existing vCenter Instances
Bring existing vCenters into the VCF Operations fleet
Bring your existing vCenter instances into the VCF fleet
This optional but recommended phase extends the value of VCF by connecting additional existing vCenter instances to your new VCF Operations deployment. First prepare and upgrade each vCenter to 9.0, then add them to VCF Operations as cloud accounts with the vCenter adapter enabled for full inventory and data collection. Once licensed, all vCenters become visible from a single pane of management — completing the full converge journey.