// Module included in the following assemblies:
//
// * installing/installing_vsphere/ipi/ipi-vsphere-installation-reqs.adoc
// * installing/installing_vsphere/upi/upi-vpshere-installation-reqs.adoc

:_mod-docs-content-type: REFERENCE
[id="installation-vsphere-infrastructure_{context}"]
= VMware vSphere infrastructure requirements

[role="_abstract"]
You must install an {product-title} cluster on one of the following versions of a {vmw-full} instance that meets the requirements for the components that you use:

* Version 8.0 Update 1 or later, or VMware Cloud Foundation 5.0 or later
* {vmw-full} Foundation 9 or later, or VMware Cloud Foundation 9 or later

Both of these releases support Container Storage Interface (CSI) migration, which is enabled by default on {product-title} {product-version}.

[NOTE]
====
Red Hat follows Broadcom's End of Support dates for VMware products that {product-title} runs on. After a VMware product version reaches End of Support, that version is no longer supported for use with {product-title}.
====

You can host the VMware vSphere infrastructure on-premise or on a link:https://cloud.vmware.com/providers[VMware Cloud Verified provider] that meets the requirements outlined in the following tables:

.Version requirements for vSphere virtual environments
[cols=2, options="header"]
|===
|Virtual environment product |Required version
|VMware virtual hardware | 15 or later
|vSphere ESXi hosts | 8.0 Update 1 or later, or {vmw-full} Foundation 9 or later; VMware Cloud Foundation 5.0 or later, or VMware Cloud Foundation 9 or later
|vCenter host | 8.0 Update 1 or later, or {vmw-full} Foundation 9 or later; VMware Cloud Foundation 5.0 or later, or VMware Cloud Foundation 9 or later
|===

[IMPORTANT]
====
You must ensure that the time on your ESXi hosts is synchronized before you install {product-title}. See link:https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/vmware-cis/vsphere/vsphere/8-0/vcenter-and-host-management/host-configuration-host-management/synchronizing-clocks-on-the-vsphere-network-host-management/editing-time-configuration-for-a-host-host-management.html[Editing the Time Configuration Settings of Your ESXi Host (Broadcom documentation)].
====

.Minimum supported vSphere version for VMware components
|===
|Component | Minimum supported versions |Description

|Hypervisor
|vSphere 8.0 Update 1 or later, or VMware Cloud Foundation 5.0 or later with virtual hardware version 15; {vmw-full} Foundation 9 or later, or VMware Cloud Foundation 9 or later
|This hypervisor version is the minimum version that {op-system-first} supports. For more information about supported hardware on the latest version of {op-system-base-full} that is compatible with {op-system}, see link:https://catalog.redhat.com/hardware/search[Hardware] on the Red Hat Customer Portal.

|Networking (NSX)
|vSphere 8.0 Update 1 or later, or VMware Cloud Foundation 5.0 or later; VMware vSphere Foundation 9 or later, or VMware Cloud Foundation 9 or later
|Red Hat uses the Partner Certification process to verify NSX compatibility.

|CPU micro-architecture
|x86-64-v2 or higher
|{product-title} version 4.13 and later are based on the {op-system-base} 9.2 host operating system, which raised the microarchitecture requirements to x86-64-v2. See link:https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-us/red_hat_enterprise_linux/9/html-single/9.2_release_notes/index#architectures[Architectures] in the {op-system-base} documentation.
|===

[IMPORTANT]
====
To ensure the best performance conditions for your cluster workloads that operate on {oci-first} and on the {ocvs-first} service, ensure volume performance units (VPUs) for your block volume are sized for your workloads.

The following list provides some guidance in selecting the VPUs needed for specific performance needs:

* Test or proof of concept environment: 100 GB, and 20 to 30 VPUs.
* Base-production environment: 500 GB, and 60 VPUs.
* Heavy-use production environment: More than 500 GB, and 100 or more VPUs.

Consider allocating additional VPUs to give enough capacity for updates and scaling activities. See link:https://docs.oracle.com/en-us/iaas/Content/Block/Concepts/blockvolumeperformance.htm[Block Volume Performance Levels (Oracle documentation)].
====

[NOTE]
====
The following additional {vmw-full} Foundation and VMware Cloud Foundation components are outside the scope of Red Hat support:

* Management: VCF Operations, VCF Automation, VCF Fleet Management, and VCF Identity Broker.
* Networking: VMware NSX Container Plugin (NCP).
* Migration: VMware HCX.
====