When planning a vSphere 8 upgrade, addressing compatibility for associated VMware products is essential to ensure a seamless transition. VMware Live Recovery (formerly Site Recovery Manager) and vSphere Replication are tightly integrated with vSphere infrastructure, making their upgrade a crucial step before upgrading vCenter or ESXi.
It is a best practice to upgrade the Site Recovery Manager components before the vCenter Server components.
Why Upgrade These Products First?
VMware Live Recovery and vSphere Replication rely on specific vSphere APIs to function. Without upgrading them to versions compatible with vSphere 8, critical disaster recovery workflows could break. Upgrading these tools ensures everything continues to work as expected post-vSphere upgrade.
Lab Topology Overview for VMware Live Recovery and vSphere Replication Upgrade
To prepare for a seamless upgrade to vSphere 8, it’s essential to ensure our lab environment is fully aligned with VMware’s compatibility requirements. Below is an overview of our current lab topology, highlighting both the Protected and Recovery Sites.
Site Configuration
- vCenter Server: vCenter 7.0 U3
- Disaster Recovery Manager: Site Recovery Manager (SRM) Virtual Appliance 9.0
- Replication Solution: vSphere Replication Appliance 9.0
- vSAN 8
