Greenfield deployment strategy for Aria Operations or Aria Operations for Networks when upgrading vCenter to 8.0U3
Article ID: 424987
Updated On:
Products
Issue/Introduction
You are upgrading your vCenter environment to version 8.0U3. The current environment uses legacy versions of Aria Operations 8.6.3 and Aria Operations for Networks 6.7.0. You require a path to reach versions compatible with vCenter 8.0U3, but intermediate legacy upgrade binaries (PAK files) are no longer readily available.
Environment
- VMware vCenter 8.0U3
- VMware Aria Operations 8.6.3 (Legacy)
- VMware Aria Operations for Networks 6.7.0 (Legacy)
- VMware Aria Operations 8.18.x (Target)
- VMware Aria Operations for Networks 6.14.x (Target)
Cause
Performing multi-step "hop" upgrades through multiple End of General Support (EoGS) versions carries significant technical risk. Legacy upgrade paths can trigger unforeseen database inconsistencies or bugs that cannot be remediated by Engineering due to the product lifecycle status. A "Greenfield" or side-by-side deployment is the recommended architectural path to ensure environment stability and facilitate an eventual transition to VCF 9.x.
Resolution
- Download the latest OVA binaries for Aria Operations and Aria Operations for Networks from the Broadcom Support Portal.
- Deploy the new "Greenfield" appliances into the vCenter 8.0U3 environment.
- Apply recommended sizing guidelines (Scale Up before you Scale Out) during the deployment phase (Aria Operations).
For Aria Operations for Networks, see product documentation.
References:
VMware Aria Operations 8.18 Sizing Guidelines
Best Practices for Deploying VMware Aria Operations 8.18
VMware Aria Operations Cluster Node Best Practices
Aria Operations Sizing Online Tool
VMware Aria Operations for Networks 6.14 Documentation - Integrate the new appliances with the vCenter 8.0U3 environment to initiate data collection.
- Validate that the new deployment is functioning as expected.
- Decommission the legacy Aria Operations 8.6.3 and Aria Operations for Networks 6.7.0 appliances once the new environment is fully operational.
Additional Information
Note: While customers may be entitled to Technical Guidance for products beyond End of Support (EOS), fresh deployments are preferred over complex legacy upgrades when historical data preservation is not a requirement.
Transitioning to VCF 9.x
This "Greenfield" strategy is the recommended path if you plan to move to VCF 9.x. Starting from a clean state ensures you meet the minimum version prerequisites for VCF 9 conversion without carrying forward technical debt from legacy upgrade failures.
- VCF 9 Prerequisites: To upgrade to VCF Operations 9.0, the existing instance must be on version 8.18 or later. For Aria Operations for Networks, version 6.13 or later is required before importing into the VCF 9 fleet.
- Lifecycle Management: If using Aria Suite Lifecycle, it must be updated to version 8.18 Patch 2 to facilitate the transition to VCF 9.
For more information on the VCF 9 journey, refer to:
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