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Product : VCF 5.2 Issue : Unable to perform decommissioning hosts in SDDC Manager, error reported " This operation is not allowed because the system lock is held by the Password Manager operation in progress. Please unselect the host to proceed further ." Error from the SDDC UI, and " Decommission Selected Hosts " tab is grayed out due to the error. Ovserved no tasks running or failed in SDDC UI: Resolution: 1. Take a snapshot(without memory) of SDDC Manager 2. SSH to SDDC Manager VM and change to root 3. Run the below command to view and get password operations in FAILED, In-progress and PREVALIDATION_FAILED state if any. # psql -h localhost -U postgres -d operationsmanager -c "select workflow_id, operation_type, transaction_status from passwordmanager.password_operations where transaction_status='FAILED' OR transaction_status='PREVALIDATION_FAILED';" we can see above in screenshot, one "Failed" task reported. 4. Delete the password operation task from SDDC Manager using API Explorer Reverify by running the command again from SDDC CLI, we can see now in below screenshot task has been successfully deleted. Now, the tab is available to perform decommission the hosts. Congratulations!!!

With the release of VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 5.2.1 , You can perform a sequential or skip-level upgrade to VMware Cloud Foundation 5.2.x from VMware Cloud Foundation 4.5 or later. If your environment is at a version earlier than 4.5, you must upgrade the management domain and all VI workload domains to VMware Cloud Foundation 4.5 or later before you can upgrade to VMware Cloud Foundation 5.2.x. In my Previous Blog    we talk in details steps how to upgrade from VCF 5.x to 5.x , While Focus remain same to moving/Convert all customer to VCF , the bare minimum version for Any Customer should have is VCF 5.2.x . If Any customer wanted to import existing vSphere Cluster to VCF version the bare minimum version they should have for VCF is 5.2.x . I'll share more details on how to import vSphere Cluster to VCF 5.2.x in up coming blogs , for now lets us dive in for the details steps of VCF 4.5.2 to 5.2.1 upgrade . Before Upgrade Bundle Download & Prechecks Bundle Download : Log in to the SDDC Manager UI. Navigate to the MGMT domain and Run the Prechecks and make sure all is green . Navigate to Lifecycle Management > Bundle Management -> Download All the 5.2.1 Bundles i.e. SDDC Manager , SDDC Drift Bundle , NSXT , vCenter & finally ESXI . Step 1: Step-by-Step Upgrade Process Upgrade SDDC Manager Log in to the SDDC Manager UI. Navigate to Lifecycle Management > Updates . Select the SDDC Manager Upgrade  package and click Download and Install . Monitor the upgrade progress and ensure the SDDC Manager is successfully updated. Step 2: Upgrade the Management Domain Components Upgrade the management domain first to ensure all core services are updated. This includes NSX-T , vCenter Server , and ESXi hosts  in the management domain NSX-T Upgrade : Upgrade NSX-T Manager, controllers, and edge nodes. Ensure the network connectivity remains intact and validate routing. Monitor the process and verify vCenter accessibility post-upgrade. vCenter Upgrade : From the SDDC Manager UI, MGMT Domain -> Updates -> Prechecks -> configure upgrade -> Enter the Temp IP for VC and proceed to finish . Monitor the process and verify vCenter accessibility post-upgrade. ESXi Hosts Upgrade : Do the Precheck Make sure everything is green and then proceed. ESXI MGMT Domain -> Updates -> Prechecks -> configure upgrade -> Select Cluster -> upgrade now -> review -> finish Monitor the process and verify ESXI accessibility post-upgrade. Upgrade got completed without any issue from 4.5.2 to 5.2.1 for me in my lab , it was smooth . Post-Upgrade Validations Verify the health of all components using the SDDC Manager UI. Run vSAN Health Checks , NSX-T Manager Checks , and ensure vCenter Server is operational. Check for any warnings or errors in the SDDC Manager dashboard Make sure we have update the New Licenses in SDDC -> Licensing . Clean Up and Finalize Remove any pre-upgrade snapshots to free up storage. Update documentation with the new versions of all components. Post upgrade/Validation/ make sure all the components are in the VCF 5.2.1 BOM . Conclusion Upgrading from VMware Cloud Foundation 4.5.2 to 5.2.1  is a significant step that delivers improved performance, security, and capabilities for your private cloud. Embrace the latest innovations in VMware Cloud Foundation to keep your environment future-ready and resilient!

You can extract a vSphere Lifecycle Manager image either from Management WLD or VI WLD based on your requirement from a vCenter Server managed by VMware Cloud Foundation. Prerequisites A vSphere Lifecycle Manager image must have been created in vSphere 7.0. For more information, see Create a vSphere Lifecycle Manager Image Procedure: From the navigation bar, click Lifecycle Management > Image Management . Click the Import Image tab. In the Option 1 section, select a workload domain. Select the cluster from which you want to extract the vSphere Lifecycle Manager image. Click Extract Cluster Image . Once extracted, the cluster image is displayed in the Available Images tab and can be used for a new VI workload domain or a new cluster in a VI workload domain enabled for vSphere Lifecycle Manager images. Screenshots provided below for further reference: Conclusion: Now, we can see abve in screenshot, the vSphere Image is available to be used.

Gateway cutover is a critical activity that marks the final phase of the migration process. It is performed only after all virtual machines (VMs) and workloads have been successfully migrated from the source site to the target data center. This ensures minimal disruption and seamless continuity of operations. In this blog post, we will demonstrate the gateway cutover process using HCX (Hybrid Cloud Extension) and explore all the steps involved in executing it effectively. Why Gateway Cutover Matters: Gateway cutover is essential for ensuring that the migrated workloads at the target site operate with optimal performance. Without this step, workloads may still rely on the source site for their network gateway, leading to increased latency and degraded performance. Observing the Need for Gateway Cutover: In the screenshot below, you can see an example where a VM has been migrated to the target site, but its gateway is still located at the source site. This setup results in high latency: As shown, the latency is significantly higher because the network traffic is routed back to the source site for gateway access. This reinforces the importance of completing the gateway cutover. Now, we will walk through the gateway cutover process using HCX: Pre-requisites: No workloads/VMs in source site should/is still connected to vlan/Segment, that you're planning to do gateway cutover for. Perform health-check from HCX Connector, and verify the status, status should be "ok". Procedure step-by-step: Login to HCX Connector UI (source site port 443). Go to Services > Network Extension . Validate & verify the network status is healthy ( ok ). Check the box for network you want to unextend. Click on Unextend Networks . Check the box Connect cloud network to cloud edge gateway after unextending and click on Unextend . Monitor the status for progress and completion. Login to Target site NSX Manager, and verify the status/health of unextended network. It should be connected to "t1" as can see below in screenshot. Post-Cutover Validation: Verifying successful cutover and ensuring workloads operate as expected. Conclusion: By following these steps, you can effectively & seamlessly perform Gateway Cutover of the extended network from source datacenter to target datacenter. !Best of luck!

This blog post will provide a detailed, step-by-step guide to upgrading HCX components seamlessly. Upgrading VMware HCX (Hybrid Cloud Extension) is a vital process to ensure that your environment remains secure, feature-rich, and compatible with the latest VMware products. Why Upgrade HCX? Upgrading HCX ensures that your infrastructure benefits from: Enhanced Security: Patches and updates address vulnerabilities and strengthen your environment. New Features: Access the latest tools and functionalities to improve workload migration and management. Compatibility: Maintain alignment with the latest VMware products and ensure a smooth operational workflow. Stability Improvements: Reduce the likelihood of issues and downtime with bug fixes and performance enhancements. Pre-Upgrade Checklist: Before proceeding with the HCX upgrade, ensure the following: Verify the HCX Manager system reports healthy connections to vCenter, NSX Manager (if applicable), Site paring connection, Service Meshes, All Existing Extended Network status. Take a backup of the HCX Manager. In addition to backing up HCX Manager, optionally use the vSphere snapshot feature to take a snapshot of the HCX Manager at the source and the destination sites. If necessary, you can use snapshots to roll back the HCX Manager version. Confirm the compatibility of the HCX version using VMware compatibility guide. Verify access credentials for HCX Manager, vSphere, and NSX (if applicable). Make sure no on-going Migration/replication jobs scheduled during that time. Step-by-Step HCX Upgrade Procedure: Current Environment Details & HCX Deployment Mode: HCX Deployment Mode: Connected Mode/Site (Where HCX connects to VMware online depot to download the HCX upgrade bundles). In this blog post, we will demonstrate HCX Upgrade from current version 4.9.0.0 to 4.10.3.0 . Let's Start, Log in to the HCX interface: https://hcx-ip-or-fqdn. (Note - You can update site-paired HCX Managers simultaneously) Navigate to the Administration tab. Navigate to the System Updates section. Select the Current Version , and click on Check For Updates . This process may take few minutes to perform check. Note - You will need to perform this step (4) on HCX Manager in both sites (HCX Connecto & Cloud) Click on " Download " to start the HCX Bundle download. This download takes time based on the available network bandwidth, so better to start the download on both site's HCX Manager to save time. Note - There are several options available from the drop down, you can select per your requirement. Download The upgrade file is downloaded, but not installed. Upgrade The file previously downloaded is used during the upgrade. If there is no file available, the option is dimmed. Download & Upgrade The upgrade file is downloaded. The upgrade begins immediately after the download completes. Release Notes View the Release Notes. Download has started. Download is completed now. Go to " Select Service Update " and click " Upgrade " to start the HCX Manager upgrade. Reference screenshots attached below. Service Not Available - The system reports that the upgrade is underway. After the upgrade file is downloaded and installed. The HCX system reboots. Allow a few minutes for the system to reinitialize. After upgrade completes, open the HCX Appliance management interface in a browser tab and Perform POST Upgrade HCX Health Check . Example: https://hcx-ip-or-fqdn:9443 . Navigate to the dashboard and verify the registered systems display a healthy connected state. https://hcx-ip-or-fqdn:443 . - Navigate to the dashboard and verify the registered systems display a healthy connected state. - Navigate to AdministrationSystem Updates and review the software version running on the site. Post Upgrade, Reference Screenshots Attached Below: HCX Manager both sites upgraded successfully to "4.x". Service Mesh after HCX upgrade is in Healthy state. After HCX Manager upgrade, it allows Service Mesh upgrade , as can see below. Now, we will perform Service Mesh Appliance upgrade . Note, this upgrade is initiated from HCX Manager Connector (source site) only, and it performs service mesh appliance upgrade subsquently in target site as well same time. Reference screenshots attached below for Service Mesh upgrade. a. Login to HCX Manager Connector, go to Service Mesh > select the service mesh > click on Update appliance. b. Acknowledge and click on Update to start the update. c. Go to task to monitor the progress. d. Now, we have successfully upgraded the Service Mesh Appliance. e. Perform Health check of Service Mesh, here it looks healthy. This completes the upgrade process for the HCX Manager and component service appliances in the HCX Service Mesh as well. Conclusion: By Following these steps, you can effectively & seamlessly perform HCX Manager and it's Service Mesh Appliances upgrade in source and target HCX. !Best of luck!

In environments with many ESXi hosts, managing hosts with scripts is faster and less error prone than managing the hosts from the vSphere Client. VMware PowerCLI is a Windows PowerShell interface to the vSphere API, and includes PowerShell cmdlets for administering vSphere components. ESXCLI includes a set of commands for managing ESXi hosts and virtual machines. Situation: While ESXi host hypervisor & firmware upgrade, there was a requirement for all ESXi host's advance setting "UserVars.ESXiShellTimeOut" to be updated from "0" to "600" seconds to prevent timeout while upgrade. If you have few hosts then it is an easy job, however with a big environment better to automate to save time and prevent from any human error. Procedure: Connect to vCenter using PowerShell. # Connect-VIServer -Server "vCenterName" Perform validation once to verify current configured value for all ESXi hosts. # Get-VMHost | Select Name, @{N="UserVars.ESXiShellTimeOut";E={$_ | Get-AdvancedSetting -Name UserVars.ESXiShellTimeOut | Select -ExpandProperty Value}} | Sort-Object name | Format-Table -AutoSize Now, use & run the below command to chang the "UserVars.ESXiShellTimeOut" value of all the ESXi host in vCenter from 0 to 600 or as per your requirement. Note - This CLI will perform this change for all the ESXi host existing in vCenter. If you need to run for specific cluster in your vCenter then update the command before you run it. Or if you need any help with specific requirement, drop a message on this post. # Get-VMHost | Foreach {Get-AdvancedSetting -Entity $_ -Name UserVars.ESXiShellTimeOut | Set-AdvancedSetting -Value 600 -Confirm:$false} Post change, perform validation. We can see in below screenshot, it changed and updated the value from 0 to 600. Conclusion: By following these steps, you can effectively update the Advance setting value " UserVars.ESXiShellTimeOut " for all the ESXi in vCenter. !Best of luck!

Sometime you are required to remove the old upgrade and installed bundles to free up space on your SDDC Manager. In this blog post, we will see the instructions for removing old upgrade and installed bundles. Supported Environment: VMware Cloud Foundation 3.x VMware Cloud Foundation 4.x Procedure: UI login to SDDC Manager. Go to Lifecycle Management > Bundle Management > Download History. Take a note of Bundle ID that needs to be deleted/cleanedup. Create a snapshot of the SDDC Manager VM. SSH to SDDC Manager, and switch to root user. From the command line, issue the following command using Bundle ID you wanted to clean up (collected in step 3). # python /opt/vmware/vcf/lcm/lcm-app/bin/bundle_cleanup.py Broadcom KB for reference if you would like: https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article?legacyId=75050 !Good luck!

Sometimes VMware's depot is just down or facing depot connection issue. First off, verify the "VMware Customer Connect Depot" connection status from SDDC UI. Administration > Online Depot Start off with a simple ping to verify SDDC network connection with Depot. SSH into your SDDC Manager as vcf and su to root. # ping depot.broadcom.com Can you can ping from the SDDC Manager? If you can, most likely you aren't having a connection issue. SSH into your SDDC Manager as vcf and su to root. Checking your depot status using below command line. # curl -v http://localhost/lcm/depot/statuses| json_pp If you want more detail, you can try below curl command to get more. # curl -v https://depot.broadcom.com If you are having issues with one particular bundle, you can remove that and try to download it again. Follow this blog post https://www.faizcloudtech.com/post/how-to-bundle-cleanup-from-sddc-manager to remove bundle. Hope this help, Good luck!

If you've ever needed to manage a multitude of ISO files across multiple datastores in a VMware vCenter environment, you know how time-consuming and error-prone it can be to manually search for these files. That's where PowerShell comes in handy! By leveraging PowerShell scripts, you can automate the process of retrieving information about all ISO files from datastores, saving you time and reducing the risk of human error. Why PowerShell? PowerShell is a powerful scripting language that allows system administrators to automate tasks and manage systems efficiently. Its integration with VMware PowerCLI enables us to interact with VMware vSphere environments seamlessly. Prerequisites: Make sure you have the VMware.PowerCLI module installed before running the script. # Install-Module -Name VMware.PowerCLI -Scope CurrentUser Now, here's the script: The script below connects to a vCenter server, searches all datastores for .iso files (you can modify it to search for anyother files as well). Procedure: Connect to you vCenter Server. # Connect-VIServer -Server $vcenterServer -User $vcUser -Password $vcPassword The script below connects to a vCenter server, searches all datastores for .iso files. Please note, it may take some time based on number of datastores to search through and show the result. # Get all datastores $datastores = Get-Datastore # Write the header once Write-Host "Datastore | FilePath | FileName" foreach ($datastore in $datastores) { # Get all .iso files in the datastore $isoFiles = Get-ChildItem -Path $datastore.DatastoreBrowserPath -Recurse -Include *.iso foreach ($isoFile in $isoFiles) { $isoFileDetail = @{ "Datastore" = $ datastore.Name "FilePath" = $isoFile.FullName "FileName" = $ isoFile.Name } # Output the file details under the header Write-Host "$($datastore.Name) | $($isoFile.FullName) | $($isoFile.Name)" } } With this script, you can automate the tedious task of managing ISO files, allowing you to focus on more critical aspects of your VMware environment. Below are The Screenshots For Your Reference: Situation: Here, I have multiple ISO files across multiple datastores in my vCenter. Connected to vCenter, using above command line. Now, since I have PowerShell script with me, I can automate to retrieve the same details/results. Below is the output result after running the above script. !Happy Scripting! Further Reference: Automate ISO File Deletion from VMware vCenter Datastores Using PowerShell

Deploying/creating a new VI Workload Domain using the SDDC Manager UI. In this blog post we'll explore how to use VI Configuration wizard in the SDDC Manager UI to deploy a new VI Workload Domain . Please note, there are some prerequisites & requirements before we proceed with VI workload deployment. Please refer to the below link for more details/information about the same. Table of Contents: Pre-requisites for a new VI WLD deployment/creation. Procedure/steps for a new VI WLD deployment/creation. 1. Pre-requisites: Commission the required number of hosts to SDDC. Make sure all the hardware, networking requirements and all the required configurations are met as per VI WLD requirements. Refer to this link below for more. Prerequisites for a Workload Domain ( vmware.com ) 2. Procedure/steps: Once you have met with all the pre-requisites, you're good to proceed with VI WLD deployment/creation. Please find all the steps below & also the screenshots as I followed and deployed the VI Workload doamin in VCF instance 3.11. Login to SDDC UI . Go to Inventory . Go to Workload Domains Right side top, click on + Workload Domain , then VI - Virtual Infrastructure . Now, navigate through the wizards for all the required details to be provided. Select the Principle storage type.  Here I've selected vSAN . Now, specify the required details as VI WLD Name , Compute , Networking , vSAN storge , Host selection, License and review , then click on Finish to start the VI WLD deployment. Here, I provided details for VI workload domain vCenter, screenshot below. Here, I wanted to deploy NSX-v, hence chose and provided details for the same. Here, you review and verify before your final click to start the VI Workload domain deployment. Once the deployment kicks off, you can see the task status in Pending, however can click on the Task Name to view the subtasks/subsequent tasks progress status. Please find the screenshots below.  Once you start the deployment, it takes 3 to 4 hours, you may refer to SDDC tasks & subsequent progress for the update on VI workload creation.

Before you start the automated deployment of the management domain using VMware Cloud Builder, your environment must meet target prerequisites and be in a specific starting state. There are several steps involved in your environment readiness for deploying VCF first domain. Prepare the platform by deploying and configuring the necessary infrastructure components, which we will cover in this blog. Table of Contents: 1. Deploy VMware Cloud Builder appliance. 2. Prepare ESXi Hosts for VCF deployment. 3. Deploy the Management Domain using VMware Cloud Builder. 1. Deploy VMware Cloud Builder appliance:   VMware Cloud Builder is a virtual appliance that is used to deploy and configure the first cluster of the management domain and transfer inventory and control to SDDC Manager. During the deployment process, the VMware Cloud Builder appliance validates network information you provide in the deployment parameter workbook such as DNS, network (VLANS, IPs, MTUs), and credentials. You must deploy the VMware Cloud Builder appliance on a suitable platform. This can be on a laptop running VMware Workstation or VMware Fusion, or on an ESXi host. The VMware Cloud Builder appliance must have network access to all hosts on the management network. It must also be able to access all required external services, such as DNS and NTP. Here, we've used VMware builder appliance directly to an ESXi host. Prerequisites: Kindly refer to below link for additional prerequisites information: Deploy VMware Cloud Builder Appliance Procedure: 1) In a web browser, log in to the ESXi host using the VMware Host Client. 2) In the navigation pane, select Host , and click Create/Register VM . 3) On the Select creation type dialog box, select Deploy a virtual machine from an OVF or OVA file and click Next . 4) On the Select OVF and VMDK files page, enter a name for the virtual machine, select the VMware Cloud Builder.ova file, and click Next . 5) On the Select Storage page, select a datastore and click Next . 6) On the License agreements dialog box, click I agree and then click Next . 7) On the Select networks dialog box, enter the following values and click Next . Setting Value Network mappings your_portgroup Disk provisioning Thin Power on automatically Selected 8) On the Additional settings dialog box, expand Application, enter the following values, and click Next . Setting Details Admin Username Accept the default admin user name, admin. Admin Password/Admin Password confirm The admin password must be a minimum of 8 characters and include at least one uppercase, one lowercase, one digit, and one special character. Supported special characters: @ ! # $ % ? ^ Root password/Root password confirm The root password must be a minimum of 8 characters and include at least one uppercase, one lowercase, one digit, and one special character. Supported special characters: @ ! # $ % ? ^ Hostname Enter the hostname for the VMware Cloud Builder appliance. Network 1 IP Address Enter the IP address for the VMware Cloud Builder appliance. Network 1 Subnet Mask Enter the subnet mask for the VMware Cloud Builder appliance. Default Gateway Enter the default gateway for the VMware Cloud Builder appliance. DNS Servers Enter the IP address of the primary and secondary DNS servers (comma separated). Do not specify more than two servers. DNS Domain Name Enter the DNS domain name. For example, vsphere.local. DNS Domain Search Paths Enter the DNS domain search path(s). Use a comma if entering multiple search paths. For example vsphere.local, sfo.vsphere.local. NTP Servers Enter the NTP server(s). Use a comma if entering multiple NTP servers. NTP servers can be entered using FQDNs or IP addresses. 9) On the Ready to complete page, review the virtual machine configuration and click Finish. 10) After the VMware Cloud Builder appliance is deployed, SSH in to the VM with the admin credentials provided in step 9. 11)  Ensure that you can ping the ESXi hosts. 12) Verify that the VMware Cloud Builder appliance has access to the required external services, such as DNS and NTP by performing forward and reverse DNS lookups for each host and the specified NTP servers.  Below is the screenshot from my lab, performed above test to make sure deployed "Cloudbuilder" is reachable & ready as per above prerequisites: 2. Prepare ESXi Hosts for VCF deployment: You must prepare the ESXi host, that will be used to form the management domain. Preparing the ESXi hosts involves installing the correct version of ESXi as per BOM (Bill of materials) and performing some basic configuration tasks, kindly refer the details below.  1) Creating a Custom ISO Image for ESXi or Install ESXi interactively, and configure hosts for VCF deployment. 2) Regenerate the Self-Signed certificate on all hosts or configure ESXi hosts with External Signed certificates. Prerequisites: The management domain requires a minimum of four ESXi hosts. vSAN ESA: To use vSAN express storage architecture your hosts must be ESA-compartible. 1) Creating a Custom ISO Image for ESXi or Install ESXi interactively, and configure hosts for VCF deployment: When your environment requires a custom ISO file for ESXi, you can create one using VMware PowerCLI or vSphere Lifecycle Manager . Here, in my lab I've used vSphere Lifecycle Manager to create the ESXi ISO image.  If you would like to create Custom ESXi ISO Image Using VMware PowerCLI, please refer to the below link.  Prerequisites: VMware PowerCLI 12.0 or later. Procedure: Kindly refer to the below link for creating a customer ESXi ISO using powerCLI:  Create a Custom ESXi ISO Image Using VMware PowerCLI Create a Custom ESXi ISO Image Using vSphere Lifecycle Manager: If you have an existing vCenter Server already, you can use vSphere Lifecycle Manager to create and export a custom ISO. Please refer to the below steps/procedures & screenshots captured from my lab. Prerequisites: Import the ESXi patch and vendor add-on (if applicable) zip files to the vSphere Lifecycle Manager depot. See the below link.  Import Updates to the vSphere Lifecycle Manager Depot ( vmware.com ) Procedure: 1)  Log in to vCenter Server using the vSphere Client. 2)  Create a new temporary cluster, selecting the Manage all hosts in the cluster with a single image check box. 3) Select the ESXi version and vendor add-on (optional) and click OK. 4)  Export the vSphere Lifecycle Manager image as an ISO. 5)  You can delete the temporary cluster now. Install ESXi Interactively and Configure Hosts for VMware Cloud Foundation: You can interactively install ESXi on all the hosts that will form the first cluster in the management domain, then you configure the management network, DNS, and NTP services. Install ESXi on all hosts in the first cluster in the management domain interactively. You can use the same process to install ESXi on additional hosts for the management domain, or on hosts for a VI workload domain. Repeat this procedure for all hosts in the first cluster in the management domain. Procedure: 1) Mount the ESXi ISO on the host and restart the machine. 2)  Set the BIOS or UEFI to boot from the mounted ISO. 3)  If your system has supported DPUs, select the DPU on which you want to install ESXi and press Enter . In the DPU Details screen, you see all properties of the DPU device. 4)  On the Select a Disk to Install or Upgrade screen, select the drive on which to install ESXi on and press Enter . 5)  Select the keyboard type for the host. You can change the keyboard type after installation in the direct console. 6) Enter the root password for the host. 7) Press F11 to start the installation. 8)  On the Installation Complete screen, press Enter to reboot the host. 9) Set the first boot device to be the drive on which you installed ESXi. 10)  Repeat this procedure for all remaining hosts. Here is the link for your further reference:  Interactively install on ESXi: Install ESXi Interactively and Configure Hosts for VMware Cloud Foundation Configure the Network on VCF Hosts:  After the initial boot, use the ESXi Direct Console User Interface (DCUI) for host network configuration and administrative access. Perform the below tasks. Configure the network adapter (vmk0) and VLAN ID for the Management Network. Configure the IP address, subnet mask, gateway, DNS server, and FQDN for the ESXi host. Repeat this procedure for all hosts that you are adding to the first cluster of the management domain. Procedure: 1)  Open the DCUI of the ESXi host. Open a console window to the host. Press F2 to enter the DCUI. Log in by using the esxi_root_user_password . 2)  Configure the network. Select Configure Management Network and press Enter. Select VLAN (Optional) and press Enter. Enter the VLAN ID for the Management Network and press Enter. Select IPv4 Configuration and press Enter. Select Set static IPv4 address and network configuration and press the Space bar. Enter the IPv4 Address, Subnet Mask and Default Gateway and press Enter. Select DNS Configuration and press Enter. Select Use the following DNS Server address and hostname and press the Space bar. Enter the Primary DNS Server, Alternate DNS Server and Hostname (FQDN) and press Enter. Select Custom DNS Suffixes and press Enter. Ensure that there are no suffixes listed and press Enter. 3) Press Escape to exit and press Y to confirm the changes. 4)  Repeat this procedure for all remaining hosts. Below are the screenshots from lab: Configure the Virtual Machine Network Port Group on VMware Cloud Foundation Hosts:   Perform configuration of the Virtual Machine Network port group for each ESXi host by using the VMware Host Client.  This configuration provides connectivity to the Management network to allow communication to the vCenter Server Appliance during the automated deployment. Repeat this procedure for all hosts in the first cluster of the management domain. Procedure: 1) In a web browser, log in to the ESXi host using the VMware Host Client. 2)  Click OK to join the Customer Experience Improvement Program. 3) Configure a VLAN for the VM Network port group. In the navigation pane, click Networking . Click the Port groups tab, select the VM network port group, and click Edit Settings . On the Edit port group - VM network page, enter the Management Network VLAN ID, and click Save . 4) Repeat this procedure for all remaining hosts. Configure NTP on VMware Cloud Foundation Hosts:  Complete the configuration of all ESXi hosts by configuring the NTP service to avoid time synchronization issues in the SDDC. Repeat this procedure for all hosts in the first cluster of the management domain. Procedure: 1)  In a web browser, log in to the ESXi host using the VMware Host Client. 2)  Configure and start the NTP service. In the navigation pane, click Manage , and click the System tab. Click Time & date and click Edit NTP Settings . On the Edit NTP Settings page, select the Use Network Time Protocol (enable NTP client) radio button, and change the NTP service startup policy to Start and stop with host . In the NTP servers text box, enter the NTP Server FQDN or IP Address, and click Save . To start the service, click Actions , select NTP service , and click Start . 3)  Repeat this procedure for all remaining hosts. Regenerate the Self-Signed certificate on all hosts or configure ESXi hosts with External Signed certificates:  You either use VMCA singed or External Signed certificate for VCF hosts, based on your organization's requirement. Regenerate the Self-Signed Certificate on All Hosts:  Once you have configured the ESXi hosts' identity by providing a hostname you must regenerate the self-signed certificate to ensure the correct common name is defined using FQDN. It validates the identify when making a connection by comparing the common name of the certificate against the FQDN provided within the VMware Cloud Builder configuration file. Procedure: 1)  In a web browser, log in to the ESXi host using the VMware Host Client. 2)  In the navigation pane, click Manage and click the Services tab. 3)  Select the TSM- SSH service and click Start if not started. 4)  Log in to the ESXi host using an SSH client such as Putty. 5)  Regenerate the self-signed certificate by executing the following command. # /sbin/generate-certificates 6) Restart the hostd and vpxa services by executing the following command. # /etc/init.d/hostd restart && /etc/init.d/vpxa restart 7) In the VMware Host Client, select the TSM- SSH service for the ESXi host and click Start . 8) Repeat this procedure for all remaining hosts. Example: screenshot attached below from my lab: Configure ESXi Hosts with Signed Certificates: If corporate policy requires that you use external CA-signed certificates instead of VMCA-signed certificates for ESXi hosts, you can manually add external certificates to the hosts. When you use external certificates during bring-up, they are not replaced by VMCA-signed certificates. Once you perform bring-up with external certificates for ESXi hosts, all future hosts added to VMware Cloud Foundation must also use external certificates. Prerequisites: External CA-signed certificate and key are available Procedure: 1)  In a web browser, log in to the ESXi host using the VMware Host Client. 2) In the navigation pane, click Manage and click the Services tab. 3)  Select the TSM- SSH service and click Start if not started. 4)  Log in to the ESXi Shell for the first host, either directly from the DCUI or from an SSH client, as a user with administrator privileges. # mv rui.crt orig.rui.crt # mv rui.key orig.rui.key 5)  In the directory /etc/vmware/ssl, rename the existing certificates using the following commands. 6)  Copy the external certificate and key that you want to use to /etc/vmware/ssl. 7)  Rename the external certificate and key to rui.crt and rui.key . 8)  Restart the host management agents by running the following commands. # /etc/init.d/hostd restart # /etc/init.d/vpxa restart 9)  In the VMware Host Client, select the TSM-SSH service for the ESXi host and click Stop. 10)  Repeat for all the ESXi hosts that you are adding to VMware Cloud Foundation. 3. Deploy the Management Domain using VMware cloud builder:  You specify deployment information specific to your environment such as networks, hosts, license keys, and other information in the deployment parameter workbook and upload the file to the VMware Cloud Builder appliance to initiate bring-up of the management domain. During bring-up, the management domain is created on the ESXi hosts specified in the deployment parameter workbook. The VMware Cloud Foundation software components are automatically deployed, configured, and licensed using the information provided. Procedure: 1)  In a web browser, log in to the VMware Cloud Builder appliance administration interface: https://Cloud_Builder_VM_FQDN . 2) Enter the admin credentials you provided when you deployed the VMware Cloud Builder appliance and then click Log In. 3) On the End-User License Agreement page, select the I Agree to the End User License Agreement check box and click Next . 4)  Select VMware Cloud Foundation and click Next . 5)  Review and acknowledge the prerequisties and click Next . If there are any gaps, ensure they are fixed before proceeding to avoid issues during the bring-up process. You can download or print the prerequisite list for reference. 6)  Download the deployment parameter workbook from VMware Customer Connect/Cloud builder and fill it in with the required information. 7) Click Select File , browse to the completed workbook, and click Open to upload the workbook. 8)  Click Next to begin validation of the uploaded file. To access the bring-up log file, SSH to the VMware Cloud Builder appliance as admin and open the /opt/vmware/bringup/logs/vcf-bringup-debug.log file. If there is an error during the validation and the Next button is grayed out, you can either make corrections to the environment or edit the deployment parameter workbook and upload it again. Then click Retry to perform the validation again. If any warnings are displayed and you want to proceed, click Acknowledge and then click Next . 9) Click Deploy SDDC . During the bring-up process, the vCenter Server, NSX, and SDDC Manager appliances are deployed and the management domain is created. The status of the bring-up tasks is displayed in the UI. After bring-up is completed, a green bar is displayed indicating that bring-up was successful. A link to the SDDC Manager UI is also displayed. 10)  Click Download to download a detailed deployment report. This report includes information on assigned IP addresses and networks that were configured in your environment. 11)  After bring-up is completed, click Finish . 12)  Click Launch SDDC Manager to login. 13) Power off the VMware Cloud Builder appliance. Now, you have deployed the VCF management domain, can launch SDDC Manager to validate & use. Refer to this for more information: Deploy the Management Domain Using VMware Cloud Builder The VMware Cloud Builder appliance includes the VMware Imaging Appliance service, which you can use to install ESXi on additional servers after bring-up is complete. You can delete the VMware Cloud Builder appliance to reclaim its resources or keep it available for future server imaging.

As IT environments grow increasingly complex, ensuring the health of your VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) environment is more critical than ever. Regular monitoring through health and system alert reports enables proactive issue detection and remediation, safeguarding your infrastructure against potential disruptions. The PowerShell Module for VMware Cloud Foundation Reporting provides an efficient way to generate HTML-based daily reports for VCF. These reports help administrators stay informed about the current state of their environment and address issues as part of routine operational practices. Key Reports for VCF Health Monitoring: Health Report - Provides an overview of the health status of all components in the VCF environment. System Alert Report - Highlights system-level alerts requiring immediate attention to ensure smooth operations. Upgrade Precheck Report - Validates the readiness of your environment for upgrades, ensuring compatibility and compliance. What’s Covered in This Blog Post? In this blog, we will discuss end-to-end steps to generate an HTML-based Health Report using the PowerShell module. Pre-requisites: PowerShell 7.2 or later installed. Install the PowerShell Module for VMware Cloud Foundation. # Install-Module -Name PowerVCF -RequiredVersion 2.4.0.1011 Procedure: Prepare the PowerShell script, make sure REPLACE the values with your values before run the commnand. You can save it locally on your Jump/virtual machine. $sddcManagerFqdn = " sddc-l-01a.xxx.xxx " $sddcManagerUser = "administrator@vsphere.local" $sddcManagerPass = "Password" $sddcManagerLocalUser = "vcf" $sddcManagerLocalPass = "Password" $reportPath = "F:\vcf_health_report" Invoke-VcfHealthReport -sddcManagerFqdn $sddcManagerFqdn -sddcManagerUser $sddcManagerUser -sddcManagerPass $sddcManagerPass -sddcManagerLocalUser $sddcManagerLocalUser -sddcManagerLocalPass $sddcManagerLocalPass -reportPath $reportPath -allDomains -failureOnly Invoke-VcfAlertReport -sddcManagerFqdn $sddcManagerFqdn -sddcManagerUser $sddcManagerUser -sddcManagerPass $sddcManagerPass -reportPath $reportPath -allDomains Invoke-VcfUpgradePrecheck -sddcManagerFqdn $sddcManagerFqdn -sddcManagerUser $sddcManagerUser -sddcManagerPass $sddcManagerPass -reportPath $reportPath -workloadDomain $workloadDomain I prepared & saved the script "vcf_health_report.ps1" to F drive. I started to run the script. Once, script started It would take 10 to 20 minutes, based on the size of VCF environment. For me, it took 6 to 8 minutes, as was an small environment. Upon completion, it generated the "html" and "JSON" health report, as can see in below screenshot. The HTML report is now ready for your review. Conclusion: We've successfully generated the VCF Env report, that can be pretty handy and used for review for daily operational management, pre-checks and alerts. This comprehensive guide will empower you to automate health monitoring in your VCF setup, saving time and reducing manual effort.