Broadcom has significantly streamlined the VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) portfolio in 2025. While both versions share the same unified VCF 9 software stack, they are distinguished by their scale, licensing floor, and deployment footprint. Key Comparison Feature VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9 VCF 9 Edge (VCFE) Ideal Use Case Core Data Center / Private Cloud […]
vCenter Enhanced Linked Mode (ELM) Reference link: https://community.broadcom.com/vmware-cloud-foundation/discussion/new-vcenter9-linking vSphere Clustering Service (vCLS) VMs Reference link: https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article/312147 vSphere Host Profiles Reference link: https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/vmware-cis/vsphere/vsphere/6-7/vc-upgrade-from-6-7-to-7-0-7-0-to-8-0-host-profiles.html vSphere Lifecycle Manager (vLCM) Baselines Reference link: https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article/322186/managing-esxi-host-lifecycle-operations.html Update Manager Download Service (UMDS) / Download Tool Reference link: https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/vmware-cis/vcf/vcf-9-0-and-later/9-0/release-notes/vmware-cloud-foundation-90-release-notes/platform-product-support-notes.html vSphere Virtual Volumes (vVols) Reference link: https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article?articleId=401070 vSAN OSA Hybrid Mode ESXi Host Cache […]
vSAN 9.0 has received two transformative upgrades that fundamentally change how we think about data efficiency and cyber-resilience: Global Deduplication and vSAN-to-vSAN Replication with Deep Snapshots. Feature Legacy vSAN vSAN 9.0 (ESA) Deduplication Scope Disk Group Global (Cluster-Wide) Block Size 8KB 4KB (More efficient) Snapshot Impact High (over time) Near-Zero (Deep Snapshots) Replication External/Appliance Native […]
VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9 is already a game-changer for the modern private cloud, unifying compute, storage, networking, and management into a single, scalable platform. But the true power for enterprise innovation lies in the optional VCF 9 Advanced Services (Add-ons). These services are a robust catalog of ready-to-deploy solutions that act as powerful add-ons, […]
For years, the “Golden Rule” of cluster management was uniformity. To keep your environment stable, you were told to keep your hardware identical. But as data centers grow, hardware cycles rarely align with budget cycles. vSphere 9.x shatters this limitation by introducing a revolutionary approach to Heterogeneous Clusters. By evolving the vSphere Lifecycle Manager (vLCM), […]
Feature Cluster-based EVC Per-VM EVC Scope of setting Applies to an entire host cluster. All hosts present the same CPU feature baseline. Applies to an individual virtual machine. The EVC mode becomes an attribute saved with the VM. Configuration point Configured at the cluster level in vCenter. Configured per virtual machine, requires VM to be […]
VCF 9 introduces a new, unified operations model that simplifies how administrators manage and automate the entire VMware Cloud Foundation environment. Instead of relying on multiple legacy tools and fragmented workflows, VCF 9 consolidates Day-0, Day-1, and Day-2 operations into the VCF Operations Management interface. As part of VCF installation, following components gets deployed: VCF […]
In a typical vCenter Server upgrade, the vCenter Server itself requires multiple reboots, leading to an unacceptable interruption in management access, monitoring, and automation capabilities. Challenge of the Traditional Upgrade In older versions, upgrading vCenter was a sequential, disruption process: While the data plane (VM workloads) remained unaffected, the loss of the control plane meant […]
VMware introduced Live Patch as part of vSphere 8 Update 3, enabling ESXi hosts to receive critical fixes without requiring maintenance mode or host reboots. Live Patch is designed to dramatically reduce the operational disruption associated with traditional ESXi patching. Instead of taking hosts offline or performing rolling maintenance across clusters, administrators can now apply […]
VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9 introduces a simplified, service-based licensing model managed through the VCF Business Service Console (VCFBS). Instead of traditional per-CPU or per-core licenses key, VCF 9 uses a subscription-based, service-aligned entitlement that centralizes license activation, consumption tracking, and compliance. The Business Service Console provides a single unified interface where customers can: This […]
