Dell PowerEdge Servers
Dell PowerEdge Server Compatibility for VCF 9
Certified Server Models
Dell has 48+ servers certified for vSphere 8.0 with 300+ configurations, and dedicated firmware catalogs for ESXi 9.x (VCF 9). The Broadcom Compatibility Guide (BCG) is the authoritative source for current certifications.
| Model | Generation | CPU Support | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| R760 | 16th Gen | Intel Xeon 4th/5th Gen Scalable | vSAN ESA Ready Node, Workload Domain |
| R760XA | 16th Gen | Intel Xeon 4th/5th Gen Scalable | GPU-accelerated workloads |
| R660 | 16th Gen | Intel Xeon 4th/5th Gen Scalable | vSAN ESA Ready Node, Management Domain |
| R6615 | 16th Gen | AMD EPYC 9004 (Genoa) | Single-socket vSAN Ready Node |
| R7615 | 16th Gen | AMD EPYC 9004 (Genoa) | Single-socket high-capacity |
| R7625 | 16th Gen | AMD EPYC 9004 (Genoa) | Dual-socket vSAN ESA Ready Node |
| R670 | 17th Gen | Intel Xeon 5th/6th Gen | Latest Intel platform |
| R6715 | 17th Gen | AMD EPYC 9005 (Turin) | Latest AMD single-socket |
| R770 | 17th Gen | Intel Xeon 5th/6th Gen | Latest Intel high-capacity |
| R7715 | 17th Gen | AMD EPYC 9005 (Turin) | Latest AMD single-socket capacity |
| R7725 | 17th Gen | AMD EPYC 9005 (Turin) | Latest AMD dual-socket |
| MX760c | 16th Gen | Intel Xeon 4th/5th Gen | Modular chassis compute sled |
Recommended Configurations
Management Domain Hosts
- Minimum 4 hosts for vSAN ESA
- R660 or R6615 recommended for smaller footprint
- 512GB-1TB RAM per host typical
- NVMe-only storage for vSAN ESA
Workload Domain Hosts
- R760, R7625, or R770 for compute-intensive workloads
- Scale based on workload requirements
- Consider R760XA for AI/ML with GPU acceleration
vSAN Ready Nodes
- Pre-configured, tested, and certified by Dell and Broadcom
- Profiles: HY-2, HY-4, HY-6, HY-8 (hybrid), AF-6, AF-8 (all-flash)
- vSAN ESA requires NVMe storage controllers and drives listed on BCG
BIOS Requirements
Minimum BIOS Versions (16th Gen - Check Dell KB000355982)
- R760/R660: BIOS 2.x or later (verify exact version with Dell firmware catalog)
- AMD platforms: AGESA 1.0.0.G interface specification
Key BIOS Settings
- Virtualization Technology (VT-x/AMD-V): Enabled
- VT-d/AMD-Vi (IOMMU): Enabled
- SR-IOV: Enabled (if using network virtualization offload)
- Memory Operating Mode: Optimizer Mode
- Power Profile: Performance
- Boot Mode: UEFI
- Secure Boot: Can be enabled (ESXi 9 supports it)
Firmware Bundle
Dell vSAN Firmware Catalog
- ESXi 9.x dedicated catalog available at Dell Support (KB000337386)
- ESXi 8.x catalog available separately (KB000183111)
- Includes validated firmware for BIOS, iDRAC, NIC, storage controllers, drives
iDRAC9 Firmware Requirements
- 16th Gen: iDRAC9 firmware 7.x recommended
- Security updates: DSA-2025-350, DSA-2025-351, DSA-2025-352, DSA-2026-004
- Enable Lifecycle Controller for firmware management
NIC Firmware
- Intel X710/E810: Check VMware HCL for specific firmware versions
- Broadcom BCM57xxx: Verify compatibility with ESXi 9 drivers
- Mellanox ConnectX-6/7: Supported with appropriate firmware
Driver Versions
Dell OpenManage Enterprise Integration for VMware vCenter (OMEVV)
- Acts as Hardware Support Manager (HSM) for vSphere Lifecycle Manager (vLCM)
- Provides firmware and driver add-on bundles
- Requires OME Advance+ license for full functionality
- Version 1.3 or later recommended for VCF 9
Key Driver Sources
- Dell Customized ESXi 9.x Image: Available from Dell Support
- VMware HCL: Verify I/O device compatibility at compatibilityguide.broadcom.com
- Dell Repository Manager: Create platform-specific bootable ISOs
vLCM Integration
- OMEVV presents Hardware Support Packages (HSP) to vCenter
- Single remediation operation handles firmware, drivers, and ESXi updates
- Compliance monitoring against BCG and vSAN compatibility guide
Dell VxRail vs. Custom PowerEdge for VCF 9
| Aspect | VxRail | Custom PowerEdge |
|---|---|---|
| Integration | Fully integrated, pre-tested | Manual configuration required |
| Lifecycle Management | Automated full-stack updates | Separate firmware/driver management |
| Pre-check Validation | Built-in before upgrades | Manual verification needed |
| Time to Deploy | Faster, turnkey | More planning required |
| Flexibility | Fixed configurations | Full customization |
| Support Model | Single vendor (Dell) | Split support possible |
| VCF Updates | Coordinated with VxRail bundles | Independent update cycles |
| Upgrade Time | 1.5-2 hours per host | Varies based on approach |
VxRail Series Based on PowerEdge
- V Series: PowerEdge R660/R760 based
- E Series: PowerEdge R6615/R6625/R7615/R7625 based
- P Series: High-performance configurations
VCF 9 Specific Considerations
vSAN ESA HCL Validation
- VCF 9 Installer performs pre-validation using offline HCL JSON
- Error: “No vSAN ESA certified disks found” if database >90 days old
- Solution: Update /nfs/vmware/vcf/nfs-mount/vsan-hcl/all.json from https://vvs.broadcom.com/service/vsan/all.json
- VCF 9.0.1: Added bypass option in installer UI
ESXi 9 License Assignment
- After VCF 9 upgrade, assign vSphere licenses through VCF Operations
- Includes vCenter, vSAN, and ESXi licenses
Sources
- Dell PowerEdge Servers Certified for vSphere 8.0
- Dell vSAN Ready Nodes Firmware Catalog (ESXi 9.x)
- Dell vSAN Ready Nodes Firmware Catalog (General)
- Broadcom Compatibility Guide - vSAN ESA
- Broadcom Compatibility Guide - Dell vSAN ReadyNodes
- OpenManage Enterprise Integration for VMware vCenter
- PowerEdge 16th Gen BIOS/iDRAC Upgrades
- vSAN ESA HCL Workaround for VCF 9.0
- Firmware Lifecycle with vSphere Lifecycle Manager
- Verifying VCF vSAN Compatibility
- VxRail Models to PowerEdge Models
- VCF on VxRail Upgrade Information