vCenter Server 7.0 U2 support

[sergeisokolov]

Is vCenter Server 7.0 Update 2 already supported?

In the light of the latest critical vulnerability CVE-2021-21985 everyone would really like to install the latest patch.

OmniStack 4.1 interoperability guide only lists 7.0 build 16749653 (that's not even U1), which dates to 08/2020.

[giladzzz]

Hi

you are right and it is a big problem I don't know if HPE support will answer this message

I would suggest to do the upgrade. you have a good chance  that everything will work

but take a snapshot of the vcenter before you start.

Regards

Give a KUDO if this helps

[Ryan_Hardy]

While I would not go as far as installing unsupported vCenter/ESXi versions, I sure want to (again) say out loud that HPE sucks big time with their ultraconservative superslow release cycle. Being 20 years on the job I know the rule to not change a running system, but this is 2021 and we can't ignore security patches that long anymore.

I am eagerly waiting for the day I can throw my SimpliVity systems out of our datacenters and replace them with something ready for serious business use. 2022 will be my year.

[Brian_Galante]

They gave us permission a while back that we can apply patches to VCenter Server / VCSA so long as it's within the same major update. So if they support VCSA 7.0 you can apply any patches within that, but not go to 7.0 U1. And thats VCSA only, not ESX. And yes I gave everyone kudos, this is a sore subject for me as well.

[gustenar]

Hello @sergeisokolov 

Thank you for using HPE Simplivity Forum. 

Just wanted to confirm that at this time version 7.0 U2b is not supported as per our compatibility matrix and we do not recommend installing it as it hasn't been qualified. 

Thanks. 

[sergeisokolov]

That's too bad.

Is there any information when support for 7.0 U2 can be expected? At least approximately.

[gustenar]

I don't have an ETA but I'm sure we will be adding more version compatibility in next release. 

[Kipp_Glover]

Good day all!   In regards to the VMWare vulnerability, SimpliVity Engineering is actively investigating and will have an official response with a Security Bulletin or Customer Advisory once the analysis is complete.  I will update this thread once the information is available.   

Cheers!
/Kipp

[Kipp_Glover]

An advisory has been released that contains some additional information about VMware vCenter Server 7.0 U2b support.   Here is the link to the Customer Advisory:

Advisory: HPE SimpliVity Gen10 Systems - Hosts Running VMware vCenter Server 7.0 Update 1 (or Later) May Experience Unpredictable Behavior

Please look in the resolution section of the advisory.   VMware vCenter Server 7.0 Update 2b will be supported by SimpliVity in a future release.  

[Ryan_Hardy]

Thanks for the info. But you gotta admit: while HPE and HPE employees might find that great news, us customers will say "duh" or "of course it will be supported SOMEDAY". This "future release" was due several weeks ago. Jumping on the hyper-converged train means you have to stay on top of recent hypervisor releases too - and that is the part that HPE completeley ignored from the beginning. It will be the reason why this product line in the long run will fail, too.

[bbelew]

So does this announcement from HPE mean that 7.0U2 is supported as an upgrade but because of the advisory listed in the doc we shouldn't use many of the UI plug-in features?

https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/docDisplay?docLocale=en_US&docId=hpesbst04178en_us

[Ryan_Hardy]

A month and a half later there's still not even an ETA of the "future release". You guys are hilarious. Glad not everybody treats its customers security like this.

[Matthew Ingram]

They seem to be locked in a battle with VxRail to see who can have the worst support timeline for 7.0U2.

[Kipp_Glover]

HPE SimpliVity will soon have a new release of OmniStack that will support vCenter Server Appliance 7.0 U2b.   Sorry for the delay and stay tuned.   I will update this thread once it is available.  

[Ryan_Hardy]

Apart from the fact that anyhow it is too little too late, what is stopping HPE from at least giving us an ETA?

For me it looks like the SimpliVity team went a direction that's turned out to be a dead end and now they struggle to turn back. First they gave up their former USP, the hardware offloading card that was praised to be pure magic - at least this was advertised before SimpliVity was bought by HPE.
Now they are having a really hard time with every new release that VMware is pushing out. You'd think that HPE would have the manpower to handle that, but apparently they don't. They don't even update documentation anymore - a task that's done within minutes. "It will be updated later"... Well, why?? To make it hard for us to find out what exactly is supported? It's getting hard to do things right with SimpliVity systems these days. This all comes to a point where for us customers it is not just annoying anymore - they are playing with our companies safety now and don't even bother to give us any information about when they will be kind enough to release an update (that will only support previous patch levels by then). And that is when I personally draw a line.

[Matthew Ingram]

The issue here is that they have gone from quarterly releases to every 6 months at best. Being 2-3 months behind isn't great but its not too bad. At this point the supported ESXi build is 1 year old. Thats completely unacceptable from a support and security stand point.

[Kipp_Glover · Accepted solution]

Today, August 11, 2021, HPE release OmniStack 4.1.0U1.  You can find this on the HPE Support Center:  https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/swd/detail?swItemId=MTX_ee6db5e1e7e74efba1698a53c5  

New in HPE SimpliVity OmniStack 4.1.0 U1

• This release adds vSphere 7.0 upgrade and deployment support for Gen9.

Refer to HPE OmniStack 4.1.0U1 for vSphere Release Notes for the complete list of enhancements in this release.
Refer to HPE SimpliVity OmniStack 4.1.0U1 Interoperability Guide for the latest firmware and software policies.

[Matthew Ingram]

When should we except the updated interop matrix? Links all go to the 4.1 non-U1. Hasn’t been updated.

[Brian_Galante]

It works now, for me anyway. Try this link.

https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/docDisplay?docLocale=en_US&docId=a00117319en_us

[Ryan_Hardy]

Nice, so like some of us already expected HPE decided to support ESXi versions only up unto February 2021 (instead of the latest and greatest from April 2021). So that's 6 months old now and will be easily one year old until the next SimpliVity update is released. That's just messed up.