Status

We have divided the vSphere upgrade in two stages: vCenter and ESXi upgrades. The vCenter upgrade will complete on Friday, February 21, 2025. The ESXi host upgrades will be performed in the upcoming weeks and the following section will be updated accordingly.

ITS Private Cloud Ecosystem

Will the ITS Private Cloud API work in version 8.0?

Yes. The VSS API will keep its current feature set and eventually add new functionalities integrating with v8.0.

Will the ITS Private Cloud CLI work in version 8.0?

Yes. Since the VSS CLI is a client to the API, it will work. Please upgrade your vss-cli install to v2025.2.1 to get the best experience.

Will the ITS Private Cloud Portal work in version 8.0?

Yes. The ITS Private Cloud Portal communicates with the VSS API. If you experience any issues, please follow Clearing Browser Cookies | University of Toronto Libraries (utoronto.ca) to clear cache of cloud-portal.eis.utoronto.ca and vss-portal.eis.utoronto.ca.

vSphere Client

The vSphere client is not working properly, is this normal?

Usually, the vSphere client web browser cache should be cleared after a version upgrade. Please, follow this great how-to from U of T Libraries Clearing Browser Cookies | University of Toronto Libraries (utoronto.ca).

What are the new inactivity timeout settings in the vSphere Client?

Based on the vSphere Security best practices the new inactivity timeout has been set to 30 minutes.

Guest Operating Systems

What Operating Systems will be deprecated/terminated in version 8.0?

The following guest operating system releases are deprecated or terminated in this release:

What are the consequences of running a deprecated operating system on version 8.0?

Deprecated guest operating systems in vSphere 8.0 are still supported and receive technical support and engineering fixes until they move to the next support level4. However, there are several important consequences to be aware of:

• Future removal: Deprecated guest operating systems will likely be removed in future vSphere releases, meaning they will no longer be supported.

• Limited feature access: Deprecated guest operating systems may not have access to the latest features and capabilities introduced in vSphere 8.0, such as those supported by VM hardware version 20 (vmx-20).

• Potential performance impact: Using deprecated guest operating systems may result in suboptimal performance, as they may not be able to take advantage of the latest optimizations and improvements.

• Security considerations: Deprecated operating systems may have security vulnerabilities that are no longer being addressed, potentially exposing your virtual environment to risks.

• Upgrade planning: ITS Private Cloud partners using deprecated guest operating systems should start planning for upgrades or migrations to supported versions to ensure continued compatibility and support in future vSphere releases.

What Operating Systems will be added in version 8.0?

The following Operating System are recently added by vSphere 8.0:

For more information about vSphere 8.0 and Guest Operating System Compatibility refer to the following document.

VMware Tools

What VMware Tools version is recommended for Windows based operating systems?

Based on the VMware Tools compatibility with guest operating systems, VMware Tools 12.5.0 is the recommended version. This VMware Tools version is available from the Content Library for you to mount on your virtual instance and upgrade it.

What VMware Tools version is recommended for linux based operating systems?

Based on the VMware Tools compatibility with guest operating systems, open-vm-tools is the recommended package for any Linux based operating system. Use your package manager to upgrade to the latest supported.

Security

What pre-defined settings are changed or introduced to enhance security on new Virtual Machines?

The VMware vSphere 8 Security Configuration Guide has been carefully reviewed by the ITS private Cloud team and due to prioritization and positive impact on the virtual machine hardening level, we have decided that new virtual machines will have the following pre-defined settings to enhance security as of February 21, 2025.

New Features

Introducing Virtual Machine Encryption

Virtual Machine Encryption (VME) is a security feature that protects your VM files and disks by encrypting them. This ensures that even if storage or backup files are accessed without authorization, the data remains unreadable.

What are the benefits of encrypting my virtual machines?

• Enhanced Security: Protects sensitive data at rest and in transit.

• Regulatory Compliance: Helps meet security standards and compliance requirements.

Are there any trade-offs to using Virtual Machine Encryption?

Yes, while encryption significantly improves security, there are some considerations:

• Performance Impact: Encryption may introduce slight CPU overhead, depending on workloads.

• Backup & Restore Considerations: Not all backup solutions support encrypted VMs natively; ensure compatibility with your backup tools.

How can I enable Virtual Machine Encryption?

You can enable VM encryption through the ITS Private Cloud API or command-line interface (CLI). See How-to encrypt your virtual machine .

When will Virtual Machine Encryption be available?

VM Encryption will be available following our upgrade to vCenter 8.0. Stay tuned for further updates!