Upgrading the hardware version or VMware Tools on vCenter Server

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

When managing VMware vSphere environments, administrators often face the need to upgrade or maintain their VMware vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA) for better performance, security, and new features. A common question arises regarding whether to modify the virtual hardware version of the VCSA or manually install updated VMware Tools inside the guest OS. While these actions might seem like standard practices when upgrading virtual machines, doing so with the vCenter Server Appliance is not supported and can lead to significant problems.

Resolution

The vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA) is a pre-configured virtual appliance. VMware provides specific configurations, including the virtual hardware version and VMware Tools, that are optimized for the vCSA.

Modification of the virtual hardware version or VMware Tools on the vCenter Server Appliance is not supported.