Procedure for Replacing VCF Operations 9.0.x and Licenses in Disconnected Environments
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Procedure for Replacing VCF Operations 9.0.x and Licenses in Disconnected Environments

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Article ID: 436542

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Updated On:

Products

VCF Operations

Issue/Introduction

  • A user needs to rebuild a VCF Operations 9.0.x appliance in a disconnected (dark site) environment.
  • Existing vCenter instances are currently assigned VVF (VMware vSphere Foundation) licenses.
  • The current VCF Operations deployment is not registered to VCF Business Services Console (VCFBSC). 
  • The user needs to ensure that after the rebuild, the new VCF Operations appliance correctly assigns and overwrites the vCenter entitlements with VCF (VMware Cloud Foundation) licenses.
  • The environment lacks direct internet connectivity to the VCF Business Services Console (VCFBSC).

Environment

  • VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9.0.x
  • VCF Operations 9.0.x
  • Air-gapped or Dark Site (Disconnected Mode)

 

Cause

In VCF 9.0, license management is centralized within VCF Operations. vCenter Server retains its assigned licenses even if the managing appliance is deleted. In disconnected environments, the new appliance cannot automatically sync entitlements and must be manually registered using a .data and .json file exchange to release and overwrite previous license keys.

Resolution

Follow these steps to cleanly decommission the old appliance and register the new instance in a disconnected environment. These steps are assuming that the current VCF Operations deployment was not registered previously to VCF Business Services Console (VCFBSC). 

1. Cleanly Unregister Adapters (Old Appliance)

    • Log in to the existing VCF Operations UI.
    • Navigate to Administration > Integrations.
    • Select the vCenter and VCF adapter instances and delete them to unregister the extensions from the endpoints.
    • Note: vCenter will retain the VVF licenses until they are overwritten by the new appliance.

2. Decommission the Appliance

    • Power down the old VCF Operations 9.0.x instance.
    • Delete the appliance from the vCenter inventory to prevent IP/DNS conflicts.

3. Deploy the Replacement Appliance

4. Register VCF Operations in Disconnected Mode

    • Log in to the new VCF Operations UI.
    • Navigate to License Management > Registration.
    • Select Disconnected Mode for the registration type.
    • Download the registration request file (a .data payload).
    • Transfer the file to an internet-connected workstation and log in to the VCF Business Services Console (vcf.broadcom.com).
    • Upload the .data file to register the new instance.
    • Download the registration response file (a .json payload) from the portal.
    • Transfer the .json file back to the dark site and upload it to the VCF Operations Registration screen to complete activation.

5. Execute License Assignment and Re-Integration

    • In the VCF Operations UI, navigate to License Management > Licenses > Version 9+.
    • Under vCenter Systems, select the target vCenter(s).
    • Assign the VCF license to overwrite the existing VVF licenses.
    • Navigate to Administration > Integrations to recreate the vCenter and VCF adapter instances.

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