Posted on by jonas

Still on 7.0? What in vSphere 8.0 would make the shift worthwhile?

For those who have remained on 7.0, perhaps it is time to look at what new features were introduced in 8.0 to see if an upgrade is in order. This is especially pertinent as the 7.0 u3 release will be EOL in October of 2024. So what’s new? The 8.0 release introduces a good few updates and improvements. Please refer to the below for an overview:

1. Performance Enhancements

  • Distributed Services Engine: vSphere 8 introduces support for Data Processing Units (DPUs), which offload infrastructure tasks like networking and security from the CPU to DPUs, improving efficiency and performance.
  • NVMe Over Fabrics (NVMe-oF): Enhanced support for NVMe devices boosts storage performance for modern workloads.
  • vSphere Memory Monitoring and Remediation (vMMR): Provides improved memory utilization insights for better troubleshooting and optimization.

2. Scalability and Operations

  • Increased Limits: The release supports up to 10,000 active vSphere Pods in a vSphere Cluster, enhancing scalability for modern applications.
  • vSphere Lifecycle Manager (vLCM): Updates include streamlined host upgrade workflows and enhanced compatibility management.

3. Security Enhancements

  • Enhanced TPM Support: Virtual TPM devices are automatically replaced during cloning or deployment, aiding in Windows 11 compliance.
  • Deprecation of Legacy Protocols: Integrated Windows Authentication (IWA) and NPIV are being phased out in favor of more secure alternatives.

4. Upgrade Considerations

  • Deprecation of Legacy BIOS: UEFI is now strongly recommended for ESXi hosts, as some may fail to boot in legacy BIOS mode.
  • Driver and VIB Compatibility: Certain drivers (e.g., nmlx4_en and older lpfc devices) and legacy VIBs are no longer supported, requiring replacements before upgrading.

5. Application Modernization

  • Kubernetes and Containers: With the enhanced vSphere with Tanzu, support for Kubernetes-native workloads is better integrated, aligning with enterprise modernization goals.

6. Simplified Licensing

  • A point of contention for many as some have seen price hikes: VMware introduced a new licensing structure tailored for organizations to leverage flexible consumption models, reducing overhead for hybrid and multi-cloud deployments