vcf

Migrating VMs running on Workstation 25H2

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I came across a need to migrate my Workstation based VCSA 8 appliance into the vSphere/vSAN cluster. Both the VCSA and vSphere Cluster are VM’s and both are running on my Gen8 Workstation Home Lab. In this case I need to complete this migration to prepare for a VCSA 9 upgrade. Part of the VCSA 9 upgrade process requires VCSA to be running directly on an ESXi host plus it will better align my Workstation environment to VCF 9 standards. In this blog I’m going to demonstrate how I migrated my VCSA 8 appliance.

Note: These steps were performed on my Gen 8 Workstation Home lab as I start preparing it for Gen 9 with VCF 9. Though I will try to write this blog post rather generally it may contain references to my home lab. For more information around this Home Lab check out my recent blog post.

Some options for migration:

  1. Connect to Server option in Workstation
    • Workstation offers a convenient ‘Connect to Server’ feature. This allows users to connect to an ESX or VCSA server. When connected you can migrate VMs.
    • However, this solution won’t work in my case, as my VCSA and ESXi hosts are on a private network that is inaccessible from my Workstation PC. Check out this link for more information >> ‘Connect to a Remote Server’
  2. VMware vCenter Converter Standalone (6.6.0 or 9.x)
    • VMware vCenter Converter Standalone is a free product allowing for Live or Powered off P2V and V2V migrations. You simply install it on a supported OS and migrate your VM to a target Hosts.
    • However, this solution doesn’t support migrating VMware Appliance VM’s.
  3. Use Workstation to Export to OVF
    • OFV is a way to backup your VM’s to files and prepare them to be imported to a different host. Workstation allows users to export VM’s to an OVF file. Once exported I can go to the ESXi Host and import.

Option 3 is the one I choose and here are the steps:

Pre checks:

  • I reviewed how many cores the ESXi target host supports (8 cores) and how many cores the VCSA 8 Appliance (4 cores) was deployed with. I do this check to ensure the ESXi host will support the workload.
  • I check the HDD size of the VCSA VM (~120GB Used) and ensure I have enough vSAN Storage (~3TB Free) to support it.
  • Ensure you have root access to the VCSA server and the ESXi hosts
  • Important — Check to ensure a there is a ephemeral/non-static binding vDS port group and it is connected to the same network the VCSA server requires. For more information about static/non-static port groups, see my blog about setting this up.

Let’s migrate the VCSA server.

With the VM’s powered off, I remove any Workstation snapshots on the VCSA 8 Appliance and all 3 vSAN ESXi Hosts.

I power up the vSphere 8 environment (AD, VCSA, ESXi hosts) and ensure everything is functioning properly.

In the vSphere Client, I ensure there is an appropriate Ephemeral or non-static binding port group attached to the management network.

Then I gracefully shutdown the VCSA server. I do not power off the ESXi.

In Workstation I choose the VCSA appliance then choose File > Export to OVF

I choose a location, file name, and choose save.

Workstation creates the OVF files and displays a progress bar. Depending on the size this could take some time to complete.

Once completed, I open up the ESXi Host Client on the target host. Then I right click on Host and choose Create/Register VM.

Choose ‘Deploy a virtual machine from an OVF or OVA file’ then Next.

Enter the name you want for the VM. Choose ‘Click to Select files or drag/drop’, I choose the location where the OVF files are, select ALL the files (not just the OVF file), click on Open and then Next.

Next choose the target datastore. I choose the vsanDatastore.

Validate the Network Mappings is pointed to the Non-Static port group, then click on Next.

Then I click on Finish.

Several tasks are created and I monitor the progress in the Recent tasks display. The task named ‘Import VApp’ tracks the progress of the entire import. When its progress is completed the OVF import will be complete. Depending on the size this could take some time to complete.

Once the transfer is complete and I boot the VCSA server. Once it is ready I log into it via the vSphere Client. From there I right click on the VM > Settings > Network Adapter > Browse Network and choose the Static bound Port Group.

And, that’s all folks. My Workstation based VCSA 8 Appliance has been migrated to a vSphere Cluster which is running as Workstation VMs.

Thanks for reading and I do hope you picked up tip or two. Please do reach out if you have any questions or comments.

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Why your Home Lab needs a non-static port group.

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We’ve all been there, during a recovery or migration of a VCSA server we get the error – “Addition or reconfiguration of network adapters attached to non-ephemeral distributed virtual port groups is not supported.” But what does this mean and how do I prepare for this? In the blog post I’ll cover some of the basics and how I setup my home lab.

What does non-ephemeral and ephemeral mean?

  • Non-ephemeral or static binding is a port group setting that guarantees a port in the vDS. Think of it like seats at a table and once a seat is assigned it’s always reserved for that assignment.
  • Ephemeral or non-static binding will not guarantee a port in the switch. It’s kind of like first come first seated at the table, you leave the table someone else can take your spot.
  • Of course you’d want to make sure your ESXi hosts and important VM’s like the VCSA appliance have a “reserved seat at the table” and this is why vDS port groups are static by default.
  • See this KB for more information.

What are some of the impacts of not having a non-static port group?

  • If you are doing an migration, or recovery of a VM you’ll sometimes end up at the ESXi Host Client.
  • At some point during the network discovery process it’ll determine the target network is static bound.
  • As an example, restoring a VCSA server if the vDS port group it’s using is static or non-ephemeral binding port group (vDS) then it will surely through the error.

How do I prepare my Home Lab?

  • Choice 1 – simply create a vDS Port Group with the Ephemeral – no binding setting that uses the same uplinks as the network I want to communicate on.
  • Choice 2 – set your managment vDS Port Group to Ephemeral – no binding
  • By doing one of these 2 ahead of time, this will allow the correct network to be chosen.
  • Example – The screen shot below is a migration of a VCSA 8 server. When I get to step 4 I’m able to choose a non-static network. Had I not setup this port group ahead of time the migration would have been more difficult.

Want more information?

  • Check out this design link that explains how VCF is assgined Static and Non-Static port groups
  • Tech UnGlued did a good video around this topic.

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VMware Workstation Gen 8: Environment Revitalization

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In my last blog post, I shared my journey of upgrading to Workstation build 17.6.4 (build-24832109), plus ensuring I could start up my Workstation VM’s. In this installment, we dive deeper into getting the environment ready, and perform a back up.

Keep in mind my Gen 8 Workstation has been powered down for almost a year, so there are some things I have to do to get it ready. I see this blog as more informational and if users already have a stable environment you can skip these sections. However, you may find value in these steps if you are trying to revitalize an environment that has been shut down for a long period of time.

Before we get started, a little background.

This revitalization follows my designs that were published on my Workstation Home Lab YouTube series. That series focused on building a nested home lab using Workstation 17 and vSphere 8. Nesting with Workstation can evoke comparisons to the movie Inception, where everything is multi-layered. Below is a brief overview of my Workstation layout, aimed at ensuring we all understand which layer we are at.

  • Layer 1 – Physical Layer:
    • The physical hardware I use to support this VMware Workstation environment is a super charged computer with lots of RAM, CPU, and highspeed drives. More information here.
    • Base OS is Windows 11
    • VMware Workstation build is 17.6.4 build-24832109
  • Layer 2 – Workstation VMs: (Blue Box in diagram)
    • I have 4 key VM’s that run directly on Workstation.
    • These VM’s are: Win2022 Sever, VCSA 8u2, and 3 x ESXi 8u2 Hosts
    • The Win2022 Server has the following services: AD, DNS, DHCP, and RAS
    • Current state of these VM’s is suspended.
  • Layer 3 – Workload VM’s: (Purple box)
    • The 3 Nested ESXi Hosts have several VM’s

Lets get started!

Challenges:

1) Changes to License keys.

My vSphere environment vExpert license keys are expired. Those keys were based on vSphere 8.0u2 and were only good for one year. Since the release of vSphere 8.0u2b subscription keys are needed. This means to apply my new license keys I’ll have to upgrade vSphere.

TIP: Being a Broadcom VMware employee I’m not illegible for VMUG or vExpert keys, but if you are interested in the process check out a post by Daniel Kerr. He did a great write up.

2) Root Password is incorrect.

My root password into VCSA is not working and will need to be corrected.

3) VCSA Machine Certs need renewed.

There are several certificates that are expired and will need to be renewed. This is blocking me from being able to log on to the VCSA management console.

4) Time Sync needs to be updated.

I’ve change location and the time zone will need updated with NTP

Here are the steps I took to resume my vSphere Environment.

The beauty of working with Workstation is the ability to backup and/or snapshot Workstation VM’s as files and restore them when things fail. I took many snapshots and restored this lab a few times as I attempted to restart it. Restarting this Lab was a bit of a learning process as it took a few attempts to find everything that needed attention. Additionally, some of the processes you would follow in the real world didn’t apply here. So if you’re a bit concerned by some of the steps below, trust me I tried the correct way first and it simply didn’t work out.

1) Startup Workstation VM AD222:

At this point – I have only resumed AD222.

The other VMs rely on the Windows 2022 VM for its services. First, I need to get this system up and validate that all of its services are operational.

  • I used the Server Manager Dash Board as a quick way to see if everything is working properly.
  • From this dashboard I can see that my services are working and upon checking the red areas I found there was an non-issue with Google updater being stopped.
  • Run and Install Windows Updates
  • Network Time Checks (NTP)
    • All my VM’s get their time from this AD server. So it being correct is important.
    • I ensure the local time on the server is correct. From CLI I type in ‘w32tm /tz’ and confirm the time zone is correct.
    • Using the ‘net time’ command I confirm the local date/time matches the GUI clock in the Windows server.
    • Using ‘w32tm /query /status’ I confirm that time is syncing properly
    • Note: My time ‘Source’ is noted as ‘Local CMOS Clock’. This is okay for my private Workstation environment. Had this been production, we would have wanted a better time source.

2) Fix VCSA223 Server Root Password:

At this point only – I have resumed power to VCSA223 and AD222 is powered on.

Though I was initially able to access VCSA via the vSphere Client, I eventually determined I was unable to log in to the VCSA appliance via DCUI, SSH, or management GUI. The root password was incorrect and needed to be reset.

To fix the password issue I need to gracefully shutdown the VCSA appliance and follow KB 322247. In Workstation I simply right clicked on the VCSA appliance > Power > Shutdown Guest

3) Cannot access the VCSA GUI Error 503-Service Not available.

After fixing the VCSA password I was now able to access it via the SSH and DCUI consoles. However, I was unable to bring up the vSphere Client or the VCSA Management GUI. The management GUI simply stated ‘503 service not available’.

To resolve this issue I used the following KB’s

4) VCSA Management GUI Updates

  • I accessed the VCSA Management GUI and validated/updated its NTP settings.
  • Next I mounted the most recent VCSA ISO and updated the appliance to 8.0.3.24853646

5) Updating ESXi

  • At this point only my AD and VCSA servers have been resumed. My ESXi hosts are still suspended.
  • To start the update from 8.0.2ub to 8.0.3ue, I choose to resume then immediately shutdown all 3 ESXi hosts. This step may seem a bit harsh but no matter how I tried to be graceful about resuming these VM’s I ran into issues.
  • While shut down I mounted VMware-VMvisor-Installer-8.0U3e-24677879.x86_64.ISO and booted/upgraded each ESXi host.

6) License keys in VCSA

Now that everything is powered on I was able to go onto the vSphere client. First thing I noticed was the VMware keys (VCSA, vSAN, ESXi) were all expired.

I updated the license keys in this order:

  • First – Update the VCSA License Key
  • Second – Update the vSAN License Key
  • Third – Update the ESXi Host License Key

7) Restarting vSAN

  • When I shut down or suspend my Workstation Home lab I always shut down my Workload VM’s and do a proper shutdown of vSAN.
  • After I confirmed all my hosts were licensed and connected properly, I simply went into the cluster > configure > vSAN Services.

8) Backup VM’s

Now that my environment is properly working it’s time to do a proper shut down, remove all snapshots, and then take a backup of my Workstation VM’s.

With Workstation a simple Windows File copy from Source to target is all that is needed. In my case I have a large HDD where I store my backups. In Windows I simply right click on the Workstation VMs folder and chose copy. I then go to the target location right click and choose paste.

TIP: I keep track of my backups and notes with a simple notepad. This way I don’t forget their state.

And that’s it, after being down for over a year my Workstation Home lab Gen 8 is now fully functional and backed up. I’ll continue to use it for vSphere 8 testing as I build out a new VCF 9 enviroment.

Thanks for reading and please feel free to ask any questions or comments.

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My notes and tips around taking the 2V0-17.25 – VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 Administrator

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This past week I passed the 2V0-17.25 – VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 Administrator. The VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 Administrator certification is an excellent entry point into the VCF certification ecosystem. Preparing for this credential deepens your understanding of the architecture, capabilities, and operational workflows that make up the VCF 9.0 platform. In this blog I’m going to share information about taking a proctored exam, and study tips.

** UPDATE 12/04/2025 ** At the bottom of this post check out the downloadable study guide by Broadcom’s own Hersey Cartwright!! He did a great job aligning the test objectives to public resources.

How does the 2V0-17.25 – VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 Administrator certification fit into the new VMware training model?

The VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 Administrator certification is the starting point of your certification journey to an Expert level. From here, you can advance into more product-specific certifications on your way to becoming an Expert. For more information, check out this VMware document and for a deeper understanding check out Eric Sloof post.

What are the exam details?

  • Duration: 135 Minutes
  • Number of Questions: 60
  • Format: Multiple Choice, Multiple Choice Multiple Selection
  • Passing Score: 300
  • Pricing: $250

Any discounts on the pricing?

If you are a VMUG Advantage member you receive $125 USD off VMware Certifications. For this exam that is a 50% savings. Check out the VMUG Advantage page for more information.

Besides becoming certified, what are some additional benefits?

License keys! When you pass the exam you are awarded vSphere Standard Edition 32 cores for 1 year. Requirements are passing one of the following VCP certification exams (VCP-VVF or VCP-VCF admin or architect)

OR

If you pass the VCP certification exam (VCP-VCF admin or architect) and have Purchased & Maintained VMUG Advantage then you get Cloud Foundation (VCF) 128 cores for 3 years. Plus you also receive vDefend 128 cores and ALB 12 tokens.

The vExpert perk benefit.

If you are a vExpert 2025, you have been awarded a complimentary subscription to VMUG Advantage. This grants you access to exclusive discounts and the VMUG keys!

Are you interested in learning more about the vExpert program or seeking tips on how to join? Feel free to reach out—I’d be happy to assist!

How can I take the test?

For me testing was done by Pearson VUE. They gave me two options for testing – In person or Remote (aka Proctored) exam. I chose Proctored.

What are the requirements for a Proctored exam?

There are several requirements for taking a proctored exam. I located a link that describes these requirements and helps test takers better understand. My best tip for taking a proctored exam is be ready, follow the link below and make sure you have everything they require. Most common mistakes are – Desktop not cleaned off, invalid ID, or didn’t run the pre-checks.

Go to Online testing for VMware for more information.

What are the questions like on the test?

The questions on my test consisted of both Multiple Choice, and Multiple Choice Multiple Selection. There were many Multiple Choice Multiple Selection, see examples below. Highly recommend knowing your topics and their details/options well.

Examples (not a real questions) –

  • Of the 7 choices below, choose the 4 correct steps when upgrading a VCSA host.
  • Which 3 of the 5 choices below meet the requirements for VCF 9.

Can I pass without having hands-on experience?

I would say at a minimum use the VMware HOL to study up. Its a free resource and there are many concepts in labs that you’ll find on the test.

Do I need a Home lab to pass this test?

Some individuals may find this necessary to succeed. However, having passed VMware exams for over 20 years, I can confidently say that the experience I gained from the VMware VCF Hands-On Labs was more than sufficient for this exam.

Are there any additional study guides you’d recommend?

I highly recommend this 15-part VCF technical series on YouTube. I found good value in this series, and I even remember several topics discussed that were on the test.

There is an excellent resource that was known as the VMware {code} VCP-VCF Study Group. The wealth of valuable and pertinent information they have produced is truly impressive. I highly recommend this group; even if you’re not preparing for the test, it remains an outstanding resource.

What are some of the core topics I should know?

Follow the VCF Admin Study Guide and make sure you go through all the documentation.

For me I doubled down on VCF Automation, VCF Upgrade paths, and Kubernetes.

Any other tips?

There is a significant chance that whenever something specific is highlighted in VMware documentation, it is crucial. I often notice this type of emphasis appearing in 2 forms — Important and Note. It’s easy to overlook these highlights while reading the document, so be on the lookout for these types of sections. I commonly notice these types of highlights in the form of a question on tests.

Examples –

VCF 9 – VCP Exam Objectives and Resources Checklist – 2V0-17.25 VCF 9 Administrator Exam (BLOG)Download

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VCF9: What’s new in Licensing

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VCF9 offers so many fantastic enhancements.  There were many stand out items which are getting a fair share publicity.  However, I wasn’t seeing many posts around the changes to licensing. There are several new and impactful requirements for licensing which deserve some attention.  This post is a culmination of data and documentation I found on the Broadcom website and is publicly available.  I just repurposed and organized it a bit.

Quick Summary –  

  • You now manage your licenses through VCF Operations across your entire fleet and can manage licenses for multiple VCF Operations instances from the VCF Business Services console (vcf.broadcom.com), a part of the Broadcom Support Portal.
  • To license a VCF9 deployment customers must deploy VCF Operations and a vCenter server.  Then in the VCF Business Services console attach their license key to their site ID and register the VCF Operation instance.  Next, deploy a secure license file to VCF Operations.  Lastly, VCF Operations deploys keys to the vCenter server to be attached to hosts.

Quick Walk Through:

  • Your VCF9 Subscription is tied to your site ID.
  • In this example we have 300 Cores of VCF.
  • Your VCF Operations is registered in the VCF Business Services console and tied to this site ID.
  • In the VCF Business Services console, you allocate cores and create a Secure license file.
  • This Secure License file is deployed to VCF Operations.
  • In this example 256 cores were allocated to a Secure license file.
  • Via VCF Operation, the Secure License file is attached to a vCenter Sever Instance
  • vCenter Server allocates cores to hosts
  • In this example, you can see where Host 1& 2 received 128 cores each, but there were not enough cores for the 3rd cluster.
  • 180 Days (6 Months) later VCF Operations automatically reaches out to VCF Business Services console and reports in.

What is the VCF Business Services console?

  • VCF Business Services console provides the ability to manage licenses, VMware Cloud Foundation Usage Meter appliances, user roles, and resource access.
  • More information here

Licensing Types:

  • There are two types of licenses
    • Primary licenses, such as VMware Cloud Foundation and VMware vSphere Foundation licenses.
    • Add-on licenses, such as vSAN add-on capacity or VMware Private AI Foundation with NVIDIA licenses. 
    • NOTE: You no longer license individual components such as NSX, HCX, VCF Automation, and so on. Instead, for VCF and vSphere Foundation, you have a single license capacity provided for that product.

Licensing Modes:

  • Connected Mode:
    • Most customers will have a “connected” or what some call a phone home mode.  
    • License usage reports are required at least once every 180 days to maintain your licenses and you must update your license to confirm that the license usage report was submitted.
    • This data is sent to the VCF Business Services console automatically, and licenses can be updated with a button click.
  • Disconnected Mode:
    • If VCF Operations is registered in disconnected mode, to report license usage, you generate a usage file and upload it in the VCF Business Services console. For detailed instructions for both connected and disconnected registration modes, see Updating Licenses.
  • Critical Infrastructure Mode:
    • This mode is reserved for critical infrastructure.  Think military or federal use.
    • This is a very uncommon mode and isn’t intended for customer consumption.

Other Notes:

  1. Manage licenses and assign them to vCenter instances from VCF Operations. All hosts and components connected to a vCenter instance with an assigned license are automatically licensed from vCenter assignments.
  2. VCF Operations can be connected to the VCF Business Services console for faster licensing, updates, and automated reporting. VCF Operations can also operate in disconnected mode.
  3. Fewer licenses to manage.
    1. Now, instead of 11 license keys, there are only two licenses for VCF – “VMware Cloud Foundation (cores)” and “VMware vSAN (TiBs)”. vSphere Foundation follows this same pattern.
    2. Multiple subscriptions pool together into a single license that can optionally be split later.
    3. All licenses can be applied into your environment by importing a single license file. For connected VCF Operations instances, the first license file will download automatically after you complete the registration.
    4. License your vCenter, ESX hosts, NSX , VCF Operations HCX, VCF Automation, and other components by assigning the license to the vCenter instance.
  4. License usage must be submitted from VCF Operations every 180 days, or hosts will disconnect from the vCenter instance and new workloads cannot be started (existing workloads will not be proactively stopped). If VCF Operations is in connected mode, license usage submission is automatic but still must be confirmed in VCF Operations by clicking Update Licenses. For VCF Operations in disconnected mode, follow the steps in the documentation to submit license usage.
  5. Hosts are automatically reconnected to the respective vCenter instance with full capabilities when a valid license is applied and/or license usage is submitted and license refreshed.
  6. Dynamic license quantity adjustment means that license changes made in the VCF Business Services console do not require reassignment.
  7. Visualize a unified view of your usage over time for your fleet in VCF Operations and across multiple VCF Operations instances in the VCF Business Services console.
  8. Evaluation Mode has been extended to 90 days.
  9. The license usage file only records the following license usage data points: the usage generation timestamp, utilization details for both post-version 9 and pre-version 9 licenses, the unique VCF Operations instance ID, a unique identifier for the usage report, a list of post-version 9 licenses added to VCF Operations but currently unused, any detected usage anomalies, and the active status. Note that the license usage file exclusively gathers this specific information and, for clarity, does not collect personal data and customer data.

REF:

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