Thinking about upgrading to NSX 6.4.0? As I discussed in my recent Ten Tips for a Successful NSX Upgrade post, it’s always a good idea to do your research before upgrading. Along with reading the release notes, checking the VMware compatibility Matrix is essential.
VMware just updated some of the compatibility matrices to include information about 6.4.0. Here are the relevant Links:
- NSX and ESXi Compatibility Matrix
- NSX and vCenter Server Compatibility Matrix
- NSX Upgrade Path Matrix
From an NSX upgrade path perspective, you’ll be happy to learn that any current build of NSX 6.2.x or 6.3.x should be fine. At the time of writing, this would be 6.2.9 and earlier as well as 6.3.5 and earlier.
On a positive note, VMware required a workaround to be done for some older 6.2.x builds to go to 6.3.5, but this is no longer required for 6.4.0. The underling issue that required this has been resolved.
From a vCenter and ESXi 6.0 and 6.5 perspective, the requirements for NSX 6.4.0 remain largely unchanged from late 6.3.x releases. What you’ll immediately notice is that NSX 6.4.0 is not supported with vSphere 5.5. If you are running vSphere 5.5, you’ll need to get to at least 6.0 U2 before considering NSX 6.4.0.
From the NSX 6.4.0 release notes:
Supported: 6.0 Update 2, 6.0 Update 3
Recommended: 6.0 Update 3. vSphere 6.0 Update 3 resolves the issue of duplicate VTEPs in ESXi hosts after rebooting vCenter server. See VMware Knowledge Base article 2144605 for more information.Supported: 6.5a, 6.5 Update 1
Recommended: 6.5 Update 1. vSphere 6.5 Update 1 resolves the issue of EAM failing with OutOfMemory. See VMware Knowledge Base Article 2135378 for more information.Note: vSphere 5.5 is not supported with NSX 6.4.0.
It doesn’t appear that the matrix has been updated yet for other VMware products that interact with NSX, such as vCloud Director.
Before rushing out to upgrade to NSX 6.4.0, be sure to check for compatibility – especially if you are using any third party products. It may be some time before other vendors certify their products for 6.4.0.
Stay tuned for a closer look at some of the new NSX 6.4.0 features!
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