VCF 9 Deployment Guide

Complete reference for VCF 9.0 implementation, migration from 4.5/5.2, and Dell hardware compatibility

About This Guide

This guide was created to support VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 deployment projects within existing VMware environments. It covers the complete lifecycle from assessment through operational handoff, specifically addressing the significant changes introduced in VCF 9.0.

Project Scope Coverage

This documentation supports the following deployment phases:

Assessment & Planning

Review existing vSphere, vSAN, and NSX infrastructure for VCF 9 readiness. Validate hardware compatibility, network configuration, and licensing requirements.
Environment Preparation

Prepare ESXi hosts (firmware, BIOS, networking, vSAN). Configure prerequisite VLANs, IP schemas, DNS, and NTP services.
VCF 9 Deployment

Deploy the Management Domain using VCF Installer. Configure vCenter, SDDC Manager, and vSAN with post-deployment validation.
Integration & Configuration

Integrate identity sources, backup solutions, and monitoring. Configure lifecycle management and implement RBAC security best practices.
Knowledge Transfer

Operational handoff documentation covering the critical SDDC Manager → VCF Operations transition.

Critical Changes in VCF 9.0

Component	What Changed	Impact
SDDC Manager	UI deprecated	Use VCF Operations console for day-2 operations
Cloud Builder	Replaced	VCF Installer appliance with JSON/wizard-based deployment
VCF Operations	Now mandatory	Replaces Aria Operations, handles lifecycle management
VCF Automation	Now mandatory	Replaces Aria Automation
Identity	vIDM replaced	VCF Identity Broker for unified SSO
Versioning	Unified	All components at 9.x (vSphere, NSX, vSAN, SDDC Manager)

Executive Summary

High-level overview of VCF 9.0 and what’s new in this release

Architecture & BOM

Fleet hierarchy, component versions, and architectural changes

Requirements

vSphere, vSAN, NSX, network, DNS/NTP, and licensing prerequisites

Dell Hardware

Certified PowerEdge servers, BIOS settings, firmware, and drivers

Migration Guide

SDDC Manager changes, upgrade path, and known gotchas

Integration

Identity, backup, lifecycle management, and security configuration

Aspect	Details
VCF Version	9.0.0.0 (Released June 17, 2025)
Upgrade Path	4.5 → 5.2 → 9.0 (no direct 4.5 → 9.0)
vSphere	9.0.0.0 (ESXi Build 24755229)
NSX	9.0.0.0 (Build 24733065)
vCenter	9.0.0.0 (Build 24755230)
Dell Hardware	16th/17th Gen PowerEdge (R760, R660, R670, R7625)

Key Resources

Last Updated: February 2026