Reasons for and against upgrading

VMware vSphere 6.7 does not represent a major release of vSphere compared to 6.5, but some exciting features might encourage you to think about going for the update. This is especially the case if you are interested in a hybrid cloud solution and interconnection with AWS; vSphere 6.7 is a clear way to go. Furthermore, the features described here are only available in the newest version of VMware vSphere. If you need to use some of those features, then make the update. There are almost no difference in configuration maximums, so scalability is probably not the most significant issue there.

Finally, don't forget to check that your physical hardware is supported by vSphere 6.7. This is necessary as there were some changes, especially with several CPU models that are no longer supported. Don't forget to consider all third-party code, including drivers, services, kernel modules, all vCenter plugins, or integration with external software such as backup products.

You can check all your components with the hardware compatibility List to see if they are fully supported in VMware vSphere 6.7 at https://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/search.php.

You can also try one of the newest VMware flings: ESXi compatibility checker. This is a Python script that can validate VMware hardware compatibility and resolve ESXi issues.

You can download the ESXi compatibility checker Python script for free from VMware labs at https://labs.vmware.com/flings/esxi-compatibility-checker.

Why upgrade?

There can be several reasons to upgrade vSphere to the latest version:

• To extend the support and the life cycle of the product: VMware vSphere 5.5 is no longer supported (since September 2018) and VMware vSphere 6.0 is only supported until March 2020.
• HTML-5 web client: Brings a big improvement for day-to-day administration of the environment.
• To have a new product: vSphere 6.7 provides new features but new hardware (and other new software) may require or benefit from this version.
• New infrastructure functions: This may include Instant Clone or the vTPM.

• Storage benefits: If you require a super-fast storage subsystem, persistent memory is a big deal.
• Cloud integration: VMware Cloud on AWS offers a genuinely cloud-based environment with the same capabilities as your on-premises vSphere environment.

Why shouldn't you upgrade?

There can be a few reasons to avoid upgrading vSphere 6.7:

• You may have a software or hardware part that does not support this version.
• Does the new version support existing servers? vSphere 6.7 drops the support for some old hardware and software. vSphere 6.7 no longer supports the following processors:
  • AMD Opteron 13xx Series, 23xx Series, 24xx Series, 41xx Series, 61xx Series, 83xx Series, and 84xx Series
  • Intel Core i7-620LE Processor
  • Intel i3/i5 Clarkdale
  • Intel Xeon 31xx Series, 33xx Series, 34xx Series, 34xx Series, 35xx Series, 36xx Series, 52xx Series, 54xx Series, 55xx Series, 56xx Series, 65xx Series, 74xx Series, and 75xx Series
• Do you really need the new functions? If you are involved in a digital transformation, you will probably need the new platform (AWS for vSphere or vSphere for integrated container management require the new version). However, for SMBs, most of the new functions are not usable or useful yet.
• Can you really use the new functions? Most of the new features are only for the Enterprise Plus edition (see the next paragraph for more details about the different editions).
• Is the new version mature and stable enough? Some customers prefer to wait several months for the upgrade to make sure that there are no significant bugs in the code.