Planned Activity Precheck Review Case for VCF Operations for Networks
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Planned Activity Precheck Review Case for VCF Operations for Networks

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Article ID: 375617

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Updated On:

Products

VCF Operations for Networks

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 VCF Operations for Networks:

  • Cases must be opened at least 10 business days in advance of the upgrade window.
  • Cases should be opened as Low-P4.
  • Read the target version of the release notes and be aware of known issues.
  • Confirm the target VCF Operations for Networks version is compatible with other products in the environment. Also, confirm the VCF Operations for Networks upgrade path is supported. Refer to the Upgrade Path page of the Interoperability Matrix.
  • Validate VCF Operations for Network backups are being taken. Follow this article for Best practices to shutdown VCF Operations for Networks Clustered deployments
  • If a bespoke upgrade runbook is being followed, ensure it is aligned with the official Upgrade documentation. 
  • Broadcom advises to upgrade to the latest available or n-1 version(s). 
  • For issues fixed and known issues, see the Release Notes for more information for those versions.

VMware by Broadcom Support will: 

  • Ensure precheck issues are resolved.
  • Validate the target version and advise if a newer one is available.
  • Review provided 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:
  • VCF Operations for Networks current running version:
  • VCF Operations for Networks upgrade to version:
  • VCF version (if applicable):
  • Aria Suite Lifecycle Manager (vRSLCM) environment (if applicable):
  • On VCF Operations for Networks GUI, navigate to Settings > Infrastructure and support > Infrastructure and updates page. From this page, take 1-2 screenshots covering the entire page. If you see any problems, click on them and capture additional screenshots showing all the problems.

Upgrade Recommendations:

  • Schedule a maintenance window for the entire upgrade so that VMs can be powered off to make backups.
  • Make sure there are good backups just prior to the upgrade, a good backup is one that restores have been tested and everything boots as expected.
  • Powered off snapshots can provide a quick rollback point and are also required before starting the upgrade.
  • Prepare a contingency plan to allow the upgrade maintenance window to be extended should a failure occur.
  • Have full cold backups of the nodes in case a roll back is necessary if the upgrade is unable to be completed before the maintenance window.
  • If 2 or more upgrade should be performed in line, take the latest snapshots after last upgrade completed.

Environment

  • Aria Operations for Networks 6.12.0
  • Aria Operations for Networks 6.12.1
  • Aria Operations for Networks 6.13.0
  • Aria Operations for Networks 6.14.0
  • Aria Operations for Networks 6.14.1
  • VCF Operations for Networks 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 VCF Operations for Networks 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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