How to Resolve Missing Upgrade Options for Vendor Add-ons in VCF 9.x and 5.x

Products

• VCF Operations

Issue/Introduction

When managing a VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9.x and  5.x environment, you may experience the following:

• New Vendor Add-On's (such as specialized server drivers or firmware) is available however ESXi hosts are running the correct version according to the VCF 9.x and 5.x Bill of Materials (BOM).
• In the SDDC Manager, when you click on Plan Upgrade, you see the message: "You are on the latest version of VMware Cloud Foundation. Once a new version is released, you will be able to select a new version here."

Environment

VMware Cloud Foundation 5.x
VMware Cloud Foundation 9.x

Cause

In VCF 9.x and 5.x and , Vendor Add-on does not automatically apply to the ESXi hosts. Even if hosts are compliant with the standard VCF 9.x and 5.x BOM, the system requires the cluster Image to be manually updated to include the new Vendor Add-on. Because the base ESXi version remains the same, SDDC Manager recognizes the environment as being on the latest "VCF version" and does not trigger the upgrade workflow.

Resolution

The upgrade option requires the manual addition of the Vendor Add-on to the Cluster Image within vCenter.

Step 1: Access the Cluster Image

1. Log in to the vCenter Server.
2. In the inventory, select the Cluster you wish to update.
3. Click on the Updates tab and select Lifecycle Manager.

Step 2: Update the Image Configuration

1. Click the Edit button on the current cluster image.
2. Keep the ESXi Version the same (to stay aligned with the VCF 9.x BOM).
3. Locate the Vendor Add-on section and click Select.
4. Choose the version of the add-on you recently imported.
5. Click Select and then Save to update the cluster's target configuration.

Step 3: Check Compliance and Apply

1. After saving, click Check Compliance.
2. The system will compare your hosts to the new image. Hosts will now show as Non-Compliant, which is expected as they lack the new add-on.
3. The Remediate or Upgrade button will now be active. Click it to start the update process.

Additional Information

Reference documentation: Working with Images at a Cluster