Planned Activity Precheck Review Case for HCX
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Planned Activity Precheck Review Case for HCX

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Article ID: 370939

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Updated On:

Products

VMware HCX

Issue/Introduction

Note: The Planned Activity Precheck Review outlined in this KB is available only to Advanced Support customers with a Support Account Manager (SAM) and/or Dedicated/Designated Support Engineer (DTSE/DSE). 

The Planned Activity Precheck Review is provided on a best effort basis and is intended to assist with identified issues and precheck failures. While Broadcom Support strives to highlight potential risks, this review is not exhaustive and may not identify all issues or environment-specific considerations. It is not a commitment to participate during the planned activity nor is it a certification or validation of a runbook. The customer remains responsible for validating their activity plan and ensuring their environment if fully prepared for the change. 

Prerequisites before opening a Planned Activity Precheck Review for HCX:

  • Cases must be opened at least 10 business days in advance of the upgrade window.
  • Cases should be opened as Low-P4.
  • If your HCX Manager Cloud is managed by a cloud provider / Hyperscalers, please open a case with your provider and not Broadcom. 
  • Collect the HCX Manager logs for both HCX Connector and HCX Cloud (select all the options including the database).
  • Follow HCX Upgrade

VMware by Broadcom Support will: 

  • Ensure precheck issues are resolved.
  • Validate the target version and advise if a newer one is available.
  • Review HCX Manager logs for known issues that may impact the upgrade.
  • If a Planned Activity Precheck Review case is not raised with sufficient notice of 10 days, it may not be possible to offer log review and precheck resolution within the planned timeframe.
  • Once the review is complete, the Planned Activity Precheck Review case will be closed.
    • Two days prior to the upgrade, either you or your SAM/DTSE/DSE will open a maintenance case. This case will track the upgrade and can be uplifted to a Critical - P1 in the event of a production down outage during the upgrade.
    • The next available support engineer will engage with you. Broadcom will not be able to provide dedicated support to be on standby during the activity. 

Please complete the following template when opening the Case: 

  • Upgrade Date & Time:
  • HCX from version:
  • HCX to version  :
  • Number of Site Pairings:
  • Number of Service Meshes and Appliances (IX/NE):
  • Cloud provider:
  • Number of Extended Networks:
  • Is there any HCX DR protection?
  • Are you planning to upgrade the HCX Manager and all Service Mesh on the same maintenance window?

Upgrade Recommendations:

  • It is recommended to retain locally the HCX logs collected when opening the Planned Activity Precheck Review Case until the upgrade has completed successfully.
  • Prepare a contingency plan to allow the upgrade maintenance window to be extended should a failure occur.
  • Backup HCX Manager by configuring backups using the appliance management interface at  <https://hcx-ip-or-fqdn:9443>. In the HCX Manager UI, navigate to Administration -> Troubleshooting > Backup & Restore. The best practice is to schedule Daily backups. Restoring from backup files that are more than two days old is not supported due to potential inventory changes from the backup time to present. For more information, access Backing Up HCX Manager.
  • Before upgrading, take snapshots of both the HCX Connector and HCX Cloud VM. Do not take snapshots of Fleet appliances (IX/NE).
  • If mobility operations are in progress using IX appliances, or networks are extended using NE appliances, you can delay upgrading Service Mesh appliances until the operations have been completed, and plan the appliance upgrade during a separate maintenance window. This should be informed to Broadcom prior to the upgrade to review the Interoperability Matrix.

Environment

  • VMware HCX 4.11.3
  • VMware HCX 4.11.4
  • VMware HCX 4.11.5
  • VMware HCX 9.x

Resolution

Open a Low - P4, Planned Activity Precheck Review case via Broadcom Support portal. 

The purpose of a Planned Activity Precheck Review case is to prepare in advance for the HCX upgrade.

If an issue is experienced during upgrade that causes a production down outage, Advanced Support customers should uplift the severity of the case to a Critical - P1.

This is not an exhaustive health check of the environment. If this is required, engage VMware by Broadcom Professional Services.

Additional Information

For further Planned Activity Precheck Review guidance, please see the Planned Activity Precheck Review - Broadcom Advanced Support KB which details the process and includes all VCF specific products this is offered for. 

 

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