Upgrade to VMware vSAN 8

Products

• VMware vSAN
• VMware vSAN 8.x
• VMware vSAN 7.x

Issue/Introduction

This article intends to be a one-stop location to provide links to step-by-step procedures for upgrading VMware vSAN.

Resolution

Upgrading vSAN is a multistage process, in which you must perform the upgrade procedures in the proper order to ensure a smooth upgrade process.

NOTE: You cannot upgrade a vSAN Original Storage Architecture (OSA) cluster to a vSAN Express Storage Architecture (ESA) cluster by using the vSphere client or Ruby vSphere Console (RVC).

Before you attempt to upgrade, make sure you understand the complete upgrade process clearly to ensure a smooth and uninterrupted upgrade. If you are not familiar with the general vSphere upgrade procedure, you should first review the below documents:

• Upgrading the vSAN Cluster 
• vSAN upgrade requirements
• VMware vSAN Upgrade Best Practices
• Before You Upgrade vSAN
• About the vSAN Disk Format
• About vSAN Object Format

NOTE: Failure to follow the sequence of upgrade tasks described here can potentially lead to data loss/unavailability and cluster failure.

The vSAN cluster upgrade proceeds in the following sequence of tasks for a Standard vSAN Cluster.

1. Upgrade the vCenter Server. 
2. Upgrade the ESXi hosts. For information about migrating and preparing your ESXi hosts for upgrade, see vSphere Upgrade options.
3. Upgrade the vSAN on-disk format. Upgrading the on-disk format is optional, but for best results, upgrade the on-disk format for the complete feature set of vSAN. 
4. Validate Upgrade completed: Verify vSAN Cluster Upgrade

The vSAN cluster upgrade proceeds in the following sequence of tasks for a 2-Node Stretch cluster or a Stretched vSAN Cluster.

1. Upgrade the vCenter Server. 
2. Upgrade the witness appliance, just like any ESXi data node, before upgrading the data nodes. See Before You Upgrade vSAN for more details.
3. Upgrade the ESXi hosts. For information about migrating and preparing your ESXi hosts for upgrade, see vSphere Upgrade options.
4. Upgrade the vSAN on-disk format. Upgrading the on-disk format is optional, but for best results, upgrade the on-disk format for the complete feature set of vSAN. 
5. Validate Upgrade completed: Verify vSAN Cluster Upgrade

If vSAN File Services is in use see Upgrade vSAN File Service to assist with upgrading vSAN File Services after the cluster has been completely upgraded.

Additional Information

If you have advanced Support with a Support Account Manager (SAM) and/or Dedicated Technical Support Engineer (DTSE), you are eligible for a proactive upgrade case. Please see Opening a Proactive Upgrade Case for vSAN environments for further details.