Upgrade path for a ESXi on a VSAN cluster.

[Resolute21]

What's the correct upgrade path for a ESXi on a VSAN cluster?

I have 4 new hosts with 6.5 U1b installed and a vSAN 6.6 stretched cluster already configured with 4 hosts with 6.5.0d.

Can I just add the hosts to the existent cluster or do I have to install 6.5.0d on them, add them to the cluster and then upgrade the ESXi of all 8 hosts?

[TheBobkin]

Hello Resolute21,

Welcome to Communties.

vSAN clusters should have consistent build configurations - If using Unicast already in this cluster and all Disk-groups on v5 format, it is *unlikely* to cause major issues mixing the two versions you listed but will almost certainly get many incorrect errors thrown by Health check (if it functions normally at all).

Why not first update the 6.5.0d hosts (and the vCenter managing them) to same build as the new hosts and then add the new hosts to the cluster?

Hope this helps.

Bob

[Resolute21]

Thanks! I already have a cluster working with 6.5.0.d, with 2 hosts in each site on a stretched cluster.

I just though that it will be easier to do a Full data evacuation previous the upgrade with 4 hosts on each site.

In that matter I can install 6.5.0d on the new hosts, add them to the cluster and then upgrade each host. Is just that I didn't found too much information about different versions of ESXi on a vsan cluster.

In the middle of this process I will have some ESXi's in 6.5 U1b so I'm just trying to find some info that says this is the recommended path, instead of just adding the 6.5 U1b hosts to the existing cluster.

Our VSAN version is 6.6, and planning to go to 6.6.1 after upgrading all the hosts.