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Prerequisites and the Planning and Preparation Workbook for VCF 9.1 (VCF 9.1 Upgrade Series, Part 3)
Before you upgrade to VCF 9.1, get the prep right: the Planning and Preparation Workbook, minimum component versions like VCF Operations 8.18, temporary IPs, certificates, the vSAN HCL, and a clean SDDC Manager precheck.
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Supported Upgrade Paths to VCF 9.1: From 9.0.x, Skip-Level and vSphere Foundation (VCF 9.1 Upgrade Series, Part 2)
Which supported path to VCF 9.1 you take depends on where you start. A clear map of the 9.0.x direct hop, the VCF 5.2.x route, the two-stage 4.x climb and the three vSphere Foundation shapes, with the version floors that block the run.
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What Is New in VCF 9.1 and the Case for Upgrading (VCF 9.1 Upgrade Series, Part 1)
VCF 9.1 adds a mandatory VCF Management Services cluster and reshuffles the management plane. Here is what changed, why to upgrade from 9.0.x, and the order the upgrade runs in.
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Configuration Compliance and Drift in VCF Operations: Catching Drift Before the Auditor Does (VCF 9 Operations Series, Part 10)
How VCF Operations scores configuration compliance, why a green cluster can still drift, and the honest line between what base Operations shows and what the Advanced Cyber Compliance add-on enforces.
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VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 vs 9.1: What Actually Changed
A plain comparison of VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 and 9.1: what changed, which features matter (vCenter quick patch, VKS Fast Deploy, vSAN object storage, VCF Management Services), and whether to upgrade.
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Rightsizing and Reclamation in VCF Operations (VCF 9 Operations Series, Part 9)
Reclaim capacity in VCF Operations from snapshots, orphaned disks, dead VMs and oversized VMs. Rightsize CPU freely, memory carefully, and record realized savings.
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Set Up Cost Visibility and Showback in VCF Operations (VCF 9 Operations Series, Part 8)
VCF Operations Cost Management turns invisible infrastructure spend into per-workload cost. Showback vs chargeback, cost drivers, rate cards, and why to show before you bill.
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Performance Troubleshooting in VCF Operations: Chase Contention, Not Utilization (VCF 9 Operations Series, Part 7)
Performance troubleshooting in VCF Operations is a hunt for contention: CPU ready, co-stop, ballooning, swap and latency. Use the Troubleshooting Workbench to find cause, not utilization.
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What Does Running Out of Capacity Mean in VCF Operations? (VCF 9 Operations Series, Part 6)
Capacity in VCF Operations is time remaining on your most constrained resource, measured against usable capacity. How the demand vs allocation model and HA admission control change the answer.
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Alerts and Symptoms in VCF Operations Without the Alert Fatigue (VCF 9 Operations Series, Part 5)
Symptoms, alert definitions, recommendations and actions in VCF Operations, and the four levers, wait cycles, severity ladders, notification rules and deactivation, that end alert fatigue.
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Dashboards in VCF Operations That Actually Get Used (VCF 9 Operations Series, Part 4)
Most predefined VCF Operations dashboards never get opened twice. How to build the few that earn their place: scoped, interactive, audience-driven, plus views and reports.
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Deploying and Connecting VCF Operations: Adapters, Cloud Proxies and Data Sources (VCF 9 Operations Series, Part 3)
In VCF 9 the installer deploys VCF Operations, so the work is connection: integrations, accounts and adapters, cloud proxies and collector groups, and the defaults that bite.
Architect’s Toolkit
PJ’s Tools
VMware Cloud Foundation
- VCF Documentation
- VCF 9 Planning & Preparation Workbook
- VCF Bill of Materials (BoM)
- VMware Compatibility Guide
- VMware Interoperability Matrix
- VMware Configuration Maximums
- VMware Ports & Protocols
- VMware Hands-on Labs
- RVTools Download
Nutanix
AI & Cloud-Native Platform
- NVIDIA Build (Model Catalog)
- NVIDIA AI Enterprise Reference Architecture
- NVIDIA NIM Performance Benchmarking
- NVIDIA NGC Catalog
- NeMo Microservices Helm Chart
- Helm Charts Repository
- Hugging Face Models
Architecture & Design
About the Author
Dr Pranay Jha
Dr. Pranay Jha is a Cloud and AI Consultant with 18+ years of experience in hybrid cloud, virtualization, and enterprise infrastructure transformation. He specializes in VMware technologies, multi-cloud strategy, and Generative AI solutions. He holds a PhD in Computer Applications with research focused on Cloud and AI, has published multiple research papers, and has been a VMware vExpert since 2016 and a VMUG Community Leader.
Recommendations & Endorsements
Pranay has very deep technical knowledge and exceptional capabilities. He has strong ability to well-manage complex situations and deliver the customer expectations with high standards of satisfaction. We worked together in one of most complex migration projects and Pranay delivered flawlessly.
Pranay was my VMware Architect on one of our financial accounts at IBM. He was instrumental in documenting and recommending our reference architecture. As a Chief Architect, you are only as good as your team that supports you. Pranay was top notch.
Pranay is proactive, result oriented, responsible and technically sound. Always ready to put all his energy to get the job done. Exceptional troubleshooting skills in Windows Server, virtualization and VMware — a great asset to any company.
Pranay is one of the most talented and dedicated persons I have ever worked with. His vast knowledge from different domains enables him to discuss and help on almost every topic in IT. Needless to say, he is expert of experts in VMware.
DrJha