VSphere is VMware’s virtualization platform, which transforms data centers into aggregated computing infrastructures that include CPU, storage, and networking resources. vSphere7.0 is the newest update and it’s a major version update which including new parts introduced like the lifecycle manager and the VSphere for Kubernetes with another features and supportability in VMotion, DRS and others. In my post I will try to cover and take about most of these new features introduced to VSphere 7. As we all now that VSphere is consists of the two main components VCenter 7 which managing the hypervisor platform and ESXI which is the virtualization platform.

Changes in Licensing module

Previously the licenses were per CPU without limit, but the new model become limited with 32 core per CPU any additional core will require additional licenses. And this for all the software not only vSphere details link. (This applied from April 2020)

How to calculate the required licenses VMware update the tool with the new policy check the Link

New features

VMware vSphere 7 and Kubernetes

This is a totally new special version to have Kubernetes integrated in the VSphere. Not only integrated it’s built deeply in the esxi . Kubernetes is the most popular platforms for managing the containers in the modern applications. And due to the Kubernetes require a flexible network. So, it is requiring NSX-T. And to make life easy with automating and managing and operate will need the SDDC manager for Automation and orchestration. SO to get a workable operated Kubernetes system will require VCF VMware Cloud Foundation.

lifecycle management

This was introduced previously as update manager in the VCenter and this deprecated as VMware replace it with the new life cycle manager in the vSphere console. So, in general the Lifecycle manager in the VCenter is responsible for the updates, upgrades, patches and installing new esxi-image for the Vsphere System and to close the life cycle so before the update must check the supportability of the components before the update. Generally, some features are like the update manager in version 6.7 but the major improvements are the Update Planner and the Image Depot is more enhanced in lifecycle manager.

Update Planner

This is one of the major improvements in the Lifecycle Manager, that responsible to plan and manage the updates for the next or the new versions. So, update planner will check the current version which is VSphere 7 or higher and will check the available updates and will provide based on the Interoperability matrix provided by VMware after joining the CEIP program the compatibility matrix and what is supported and what not. Also, it will generate report for all the prerequisites and issues for the update.

New enhancements in current features

1. VMware for AI/ML Virtual machines that you can provide high computing resources with sharing the High GPU and this enhanced after vmware acquired bitfusion, due to of that they include it in the new VSphere.
   
2. New improvement in the VMotion to provide better performance with less disruptions for the huge vms like sap-hana VMs and others.
   
3. It is supporting the integration with the enterprise federation services like Microsoft ADFS which will give the capabilities for the advanced features like multifactor authentications and for more security.
   
4. Content Library now supporting the versioning.
   
5. DRS was cluster centric and run each 5 minutes and it calculate based on the compute resources. In the new version DRS become workload centric and run every 1-minute check the performance (cpu radiance time, vm memory swap, cpu cache, others ) + the VMotion cost.
   
6. Additional simplification for the certificate services in the vcenter and the esxi, As in old versions the number of certificates and the process of importing it and install it was very tricky but now become easier. As the number of certificates to manage became lower than previous. Wether you will use the vmware certificate authority or the manual import from the enterprise pki solution.
   

The new scalability for the VCenter 7 capabilities

Note: Up to 15 VCenter servers in linked mode.

Also, for more details about the maximum configuration supported for all the systems of VMware. VMware having a very helpful link .

Major Removed features

• The Flash based vSphere web client deprecated notice in version 6.7 and removed in Version 7.
  
• No more external PSC (Platform Services Controller)
  

  Platform Services Controller is providing the authentication, certificate management, tags, and licensing. As VMware announce in version 6.7 that this will be the last external psc and the recommended design will be with embedded PSC. Already vcenter 7 deployment including the migration tool embedded the upgrade package flow. So, once you will upgrade the VCenter 6.5 or 6.7 with external PSC to VCenter 7.0. the new VCenter will include the embedded psc automatically.