Converging a VMware vSphere environment into VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9.0 is an architectural shift. You are transitioning from standalone products to a unified private cloud platform. This is not a simple software update. It is an architectural change that requires you to align legacy configurations with a rigid, automated framework.

I’ve previously shared the typical process that VCF Professional Services uses to perform this transition. In my recent webinar with Brent Douglas, I walked through the process and demonstrated the specific steps required. You can find the full webinar replay at the end of this blog, but here are some of the highlights.

Webinar highlights

The webinar started with an overview of VCF 9. This version represents a fundamental shift to an integrated private cloud platform combining vSphere, VMware vSAN, VMware NSX, VMware Cloud Foundation Operations, and VMware Cloud Foundation Automation. The “fleet” construct is a new architectural concept that allows administrators to manage one or more VCF instances as a single entity across multiple locations. VCF Operations serves as the central hub for inventory management, automation, and environment-wide licensing.

There are two distinct methods of converging vSphere to VCF 9: convert and import. The path you choose depends on your current environment. 

• The convert process: This is used when VCF is not yet deployed. It takes an existing vSphere environment and adds the necessary components—such as VMware SDDC Manager, NSX, and VCF Operations—to transform it into the primary management domain. 

• The import process: This is used to bring an existing vSphere environment into an already established VCF instance. In this scenario, the environment is added as a workload domain.

To successfully converge vSphere to VCF, the existing environment must meet specific technical standards. For example, the environment might need to be upgraded to VMware vCenter 9 before the converge process can proceed. VCF 9 no longer supports vSphere Update Manager (VUM) baselines so clusters must be transitioned to vSphere Lifecycle Manager (LCM) images. Finally, it is strongly recommended to use vSphere Distributed Switches (VDS) over standard switches to ensure full functionality and reduced downtime during upgrades.

The VCF Installer includes a robust validation engine that identifies issues—such as disabled Secure Shell (SSH) or an outdated VDS version—and provides specific remediation steps that must be performed before the transition begins.

During the converge process, the workflow leverages DRS and VMware vMotion, virtual machines are automatically moved between hosts during the transition, ensuring zero downtime for workloads. For the management plane, vCenter utilizes a reduced downtime upgrade feature to minimize interruptions during the switchover.

Once converged, the VCF Operations console becomes the heart of the environment, serving as the central hub for monitoring inventory, adding new components like VCF automation and VMware Identity Broker, and managing licensing.

Key takeaways

• There are two pathways for converging vSphere into VCF: converting and importing. The path you choose depends on your current environment.
• The convert process transforms an existing vSphere environment into a new VCF management domain.
• The import process transforms an existing vSphere environment into an already established VCF instance as a workload domain.
• Approach the transition holistically by running prerequisite checks early and remediating all errors before attempting the transition.
• VUM baselines are no longer supported; vSphere clusters must be transitioned to LCM images.
• VDS is strongly recommended over standard switches.
• Upgrading environments may be required based on the components deployed in the existing environment. 
• For most environments, workloads will not be impacted during the upgrade process.

On-Demand replay

If you missed the webinar, you can watch the replay below. Discussion and demo timestamps are provided if you would like to jump directly to specific sections.

Need help?

Converging vSphere to VCF 9 requires careful planning and execution for a successful transition. If you need assistance with your transition, VCF Professional Services can help. Contact your account director for more information.