VMware 9.0 Support

[oppemarc]

Will SimpliVity support VMware 9.0 sooner or later?

Any offical statements?

[carol956fang]

HPE has not yet released a formal certification or a specific GA (General Availability) date for SimpliVity support on VMware vSphere 9.0. While Broadcom released VMware 9.0 in June 2025, HPE's current roadmap and interoperability guides—including the recent March 2026 updates—primarily focus on stabilizing and recommending vSphere 8.0 and 7.0 for production environments. There have been community discussions and customized image release notes suggesting that internal validation is underway, but official support typically follows several months after a major hypervisor release to ensure the stability of SimpliVity’s specialized OmniStack software and data services.

[DCARTER2]

Why? VMware vSphere 7 (including ESXi 7, vCenter 7, and vSAN 7) reached End of General Support (EoGS) on October 2, 2025. HPE is slacking/dragging their heels. Even VMware vSphere 8 general support ends on October 11, 2027

[54FDGF]

HPE has not officially announced certification or a General Availability (GA) timeline for SimpliVity support on VMware vSphere 9.0 yet. Although VMware 9.0 was released by Broadcom in June 2025, HPE’s latest roadmap and interoperability updates as of March 2026 continue to emphasize vSphere 8.0 and 7.0 as the recommended platforms for stable production use. Some community discussions and custom image release notes indicate that internal testing may be in progress,

[DCARTER2]

That copy and paste doesn't change facts

[controles]

Hi,

At this point, I have not seen an official HPE statement confirming SimpliVity support for VMware 9.0.

My recommendation would be to rely only on:

• HPE SPOCK / interoperability information

• SimpliVity release notes

• Official HPE support advisories

Until VMware 9.0 is explicitly listed there, I would not treat it as supported for production.

In practice, HPE usually validates new hypervisor releases only after completing interoperability testing with OmniStack, drivers, and management components, so there is normally a delay between VMware GA and HPE certification.

For anyone planning upgrades, staying on the currently supported SimpliVity / vSphere combination is the safest approach until official certification is published.

Regards,
Carlos Parra Solano
HPE Master ASE Storage

[aritri]

I've opened a support case and asked for a statement regarding ESX 9 support for Simplivity, here is the answer I got:

"according to the latest Information Simplivity will support ESXi 9 early January 2027" 

That's 1.5 years after the GA of ESX 9....I guess most Simplivity ressources are working on VME now.

[controles]

Hi,

Thanks for sharing that update — that aligns with what we typically see from HPE validation cycles.

In practice, there is usually a significant delay between VMware GA releases and HPE SimpliVity certification, since full interoperability testing is required (OmniStack, drivers, firmware, etc.).

Given that timeline (early 2027), I would strongly recommend:

- Staying on a currently supported ESXi version listed in HPE SPOCK
- Avoid planning production upgrades to ESXi 9 until it is officially certified
- Tracking HPE advisories and SimpliVity release notes for any changes in roadmap

Also worth noting that early adoption (even if technically possible) can introduce risks around:
- Backup / replication
- Hardware compatibility
- Lifecycle support

So from a production standpoint, waiting for official certification is definitely the safest approach.

Regards,

[aritri]

Hi,

given that timeline I'm not recommending Simplivity to my customers anymore. How long does it take to test? 19 months from GA?

Even the last two patches for version 8 are not available, the older one was released in December 2025. 

[controles · Accepted solution]

Hi,

I understand your concern — the timeline does look long from a customer perspective.

In reality, SimpliVity validation tends to take longer because it is not just hypervisor certification. It includes full-stack validation across:
- OmniStack
- Firmware / drivers
- Backup and replication workflows
- Lifecycle management components

That said, I agree that long gaps between releases and patches can be challenging, especially for environments trying to stay current.

From a practical standpoint, most customers prioritize:
- Stability and full support alignment
- Proven interoperability (via HPE SPOCK)

rather than early adoption of new ESXi versions.

For environments where faster hypervisor adoption is critical, it’s definitely worth evaluating how that aligns with the platform roadmap.

So it really comes down to:
- Stability-first approach (SimpliVity strength)
vs
- Faster adoption cycles (other platforms may differ)

Appreciate you sharing your perspective — it's a valid point from an operational standpoint.

Regards,