Planned Activity Precheck Review Case for vSphere ESXi
Article ID: 386335
Updated On:
Products
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 vSphere ESXi:
- Cases must be opened at least 10 business days in advance of the upgrade window.
- Cases should be opened as Severity 4.
- Have a development environment upgraded before production to test that any customization still functions as expected on the latest version.
- Upgrade pre-checks must be run in advance and report any issues that cannot be resolved.
- Collect the vSphere ESXi log bundle and upload to the new case.
- Read the target version Release Notes and be aware of known Issues.
- Reference the Interop Matrix to confirm the target vSphere ESXi version is compatible with other integrations in the environment and plan to upgrade those if necessary. Also confirm the vSphere ESXi upgrade path is supported.
- Review the upgrade recommendations in Upgrade ESXi 7.x to 8.x or Install ESXi
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:
- vSphere ESXi from version:
- vSphere ESXi to version:
- Upgrading of Storage/Fabric switches?
- Make and Model of Storage Array
- Current Firmware/Software version of Storage Array
- How is the upgrade being executed?
Environment
- VMware vSphere ESXi 8.x
- VMware vSphere ESXi 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 ESXi 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.
Feedback
