Best practices for vSphere Distributed Switch (VDS) upgrade

Products

VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

VDS virtual switch version compatibility with vCenter and ESXi

vCenter Server Version	vDS Version	Host Version
vCenter Server 9.0	vDS 9.0/8.0/7.0	ESX 9.0
vCenter Server 8.0	vDS 8.0/7.0/6.6	ESXi 8.0
vCenter Server 7.0	vDS 7.0/6.6/6.5	ESXi 7.0

VDS version 6.5 can be upgraded to 6.6 or later.

Note: If the current VDS version is 6.5, a brief downtime may occur during the switch upgrade to a later version. For VDS version 6.6 or later, the switch upgrade to a newer version can typically be completed without downtime.

Refer to Documentation for version compatibility, version features, and upgrade steps:

Environment

VMware vCenter Server

VMware ESX

Resolution

Prerequisites

Before initiating the upgrade, ensure the following compatibility requirements are met:

vCenter Server Compatibility: Upgrade the vCenter Server to a version that supports the target vSphere Distributed Switch (vDS) version.
ESXi Host Compatibility: Upgrade all ESXi hosts connected to the distributed switch to a version compatible with the target vDS version.

Best Practices & Operational Guidelines

To minimize production risks and ensure a reliable fallback path, consider the following recommendations:

1. Maintenance & Backup

Execute the vDS upgrade exclusively within an approved maintenance window.
Export and save the VDS configuration prior to changing states. If the upgrade fails, this file is critical to restoring the switch, port groups, and host attachments.
Reference: Exporting, Importing, and Restoring Distributed Switch Configurations

2. Cluster State & Operations Lock

Temporarily switch Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS) to Manual mode across all clusters sharing the vDS. This prevents unexpected vMotion migrations from interfering with switch operations. Revert to the original setting once complete.
Do not perform virtual machine provisioning or runtime operations (e.g., powering on/off, manual vMotion) during the upgrade. This prevents dvPort allocation failures.
Avoid modifying any VDS or Distributed Port Group (DVPG) settings while the upgrade process is active.

3. Execution Strategy

Upgrade only one VDS at a time.
If a host uses separate switches for management traffic and regular workloads, upgrade the workload VDS first. This isolates the host management interface from any potential upgrade anomalies.

Post-Upgrade

The upgrade is irreversible. Once a vDS is upgraded, it cannot be reverted to a lower version, and hosts running legacy ESXi versions cannot be attached to it.
If the warning "The vSphere Distributed Switch configuration on some hosts differed from that of the vCenter Server" persists post-upgrade, open a support case immediately.
In the event of management network (vmk) isolation during the process, capture the vCenter Server and ESXi support bundles immediately and reach out to Broadcom Support.

Additional Information

Refer to the following KB articles for issues related to VDS version synchronization and updates: