On May 25, 2026, Broadcom announced VMware Cloud Foundation 9.1 reached general availability. Release 9.1 is a feature update to VCF 9.0 that strengthens AI infrastructure, ransomware recovery, and the management plane significantly. Learn about new features, licensing changes and frequently asked questions in this article.
What is new in 9.1
- NVMe memory tiering: A new capability at the VMware ESX hypervisor level lets fast NVMe storage act as an extension of system memory, transparent to both traditional VMs and Kubernetes VMs. In practice, each host can run more AI inference and in-memory database workloads without adding physical RAM.
- vSAN global deduplication: Duplicate data blocks are now removed across the entire cluster, instead of just within a single disk group as before. In large vSAN environments this can reduce effective storage consumption significantly.
- Fleet scale and speed: A single VCF instance can now manage up to 5,000 hosts, and cluster upgrades run up to four times faster, including in air-gapped environments with no internet access. VCF Operations can also be upgraded on its own schedule, separate from the rest of the platform. This means you no longer have to bundle a management update with a full-stack upgrade.
- On-premises ransomware recovery: VCF 9.1 includes an isolated recovery vault on customer hardware, pre-validated ReadyNode configurations for cyber recovery, and EDR scans that check workloads for threats before they are restored. The most advanced cyber recovery flows still require the ACC (Advanced Cyber Compliance) add-on.
- Live patching: On Trusted Platform Module (TPM)-enabled hosts, up to 80% of ESX patches can now be applied without evacuating workloads. That removes the maintenance window for most patches and significantly reduces business disruption during routine security updates.
- New management plane: VCF management services, a separate VCF License Server appliance, and dedicated Fleet lifecycle and SDDC lifecycle components. These replace the old VCF Operations fleet management appliance and Aria Suite Lifecycle. The SDDC Manager UI is deprecated (lifecycle work moves into VCF Operations) and Cloud Builder is fully replaced by VCF Installer, which uses a guided UI and JSON configuration templates.
Licensing in 9.1
VCF 9 is subscription-only and licensed through VCF Operations. A single per-core subscription covers vSphere, vSAN, NSX, HCX, VCF Operations, VCF Automation, vSphere Kubernetes Service, and VCF Private AI Services. Advanced Services such as ACC, Advanced Security, Load Balancing, and Data Services are sold separately. Perpetual VCF licenses cannot be upgraded to VCF 9, meaning you would need to move to a subscription first.
In VCF 9.1, licensing now runs in its own VCF License Server appliance instead of inside VCF Operations. The appliance is auto-deployed during the VCF Operations upgrade. The customer workflow is unchanged.
FAQ
Do I need a new license to upgrade from VCF 9.0 to VCF 9.1?
No. An active VCF 9 subscription covers both 9.0 and 9.1. Two things to confirm:
- Does your deployed core count still fit your entitlement?
- Are there any Advanced Services you plan to start using that need to be added to your contract?
Do I need a new license to upgrade from VCF 5.x to VCF 9.1?
Yes. The old 25-character 5.x license keys do not carry forward. Components move to evaluation mode during the upgrade and are re-licensed through VCF Operations using the new subscription license files. Mixed estates are supported.
What if I am on a perpetual VCF license?
Switch to subscription first, then perform the technical upgrade. The commercial conversion often takes longer than the technical work, so start it early with your reseller SCHNEIDER IT MANAGEMENT.
Is the upgrade automatic?
No, it is guided and sequenced. A few specific steps do happen automatically:
- The new VCF License Server appliance is deployed during the VCF Operations upgrade.
- The old VCF Operations fleet management appliance is decommissioned; credentials, inventory, certificates, and service accounts are migrated for you.
- VCF Identity Broker in embedded mode is upgraded with vCenter (appliance mode has its own upgrade).
Everything else follows a strict component order: management components and the management domain first, then the rest of the fleet, and only then, optionally, the workload domains as a Day-N operation.
What are the upgrade prerequisites?
- Active VCF 9 subscription that covers the deployed cores after the upgrade.
- Working VCF Operations instance, and access to vcf.broadcom.com to generate license files.
- Supported source version: VCF 9.0.x for the in-place 9.1 upgrade, or VCF 5.2.x for sequential or skip-level. Earlier than 5.2 must first reach 5.2.x.
- Verified backups of management components and inventory data.
- Compatibility check against the 9.1 hardware and component matrices, including ESX hosts, NSX, vCenter, and any Advanced Services already in use.
What changes in the management plane?
- Aria Suite Lifecycle, VMware Identity Manager, and Aria Operations for Logs have no 9.1 upgrade. Their roles move to the new VCF management services.
- SDDC Manager UI is deprecated; lifecycle work moves to VCF Operations.
- Cloud Builder is fully replaced by VCF Installer, with a guided UI and JSON configuration templates.
- vVols are deprecated and will be removed in a future release. Plan a migration to vSAN, NFS, or FC on the same timeline as the upgrade.
Do I have to upgrade my workload domains?
No. Workload domain upgrades are optional and can be staged after the management domain of the respective VCF instance reaches 9.1.
Ready to plan your move to VCF 9.1?
As a leading Broadcom partner, SCHNEIDER IT MANAGEMENT supports your organization making the most of your VMware environment. Contact our Broadcom expert team today to optimize your VMware licensing and maximize the return on your investment.
Sources
Official Broadcom VCF 9.1 upgrade documentation: https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/vmware-cis/vcf/vcf-9-0-and-later/9-1/deployment/upgrading-cloud-foundation.html
VCF Business Services console: https://vcf.broadcom.com.
VCF 9.1 Solution Brief (April 2026): https://www.schneider.im/media/2026/05/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-10-Update-VMware-Cloud-Foundation-9-1-Solution-Brief.pdf
VCF 9.1 FAQ (May 2026): https://www.schneider.im/media/2026/05/SCHNEIDER-IT-MANAGEMENT-2026-04-13-Website-VCF-9.1-General-FAQs.pdf.