About Event
Agenda VCF 9.1 operational deep-dive (engineers · admins · architects)
- VCF 9.1 Import and Upgrade paths, prechecks, decision criteria Brownfield import vs upgrade-in-place: when each applies. SDDC Manager precheck deep-dive: specific checks, common failure modes, remediation. Phased upgrade workflow with rollback considerations. Hardware compatibility and firmware prerequisites you should validate before kick-off.
- Day-2 NSX lifecycle VIBs in the ESXi base image, Manager and Edge upgrades What it actually means now that NSX VIBs ship in the ESXi base image. NSX Manager cluster and Edge node upgrade orchestration in 9.1. Operational simplifications at the cluster level. Migration considerations from existing NSX-T deployments and what to plan around for production estates.
- Live patching framework vulnerability management for AI and compliance workloadsvSphere live patching in 9.1: what's hot-patchable, what isn't. Patch sequencing for workload-sensitive estates (AI clusters, regulated workloads). Roll-forward / roll-back behaviour, hypervisor state preservation, and telemetry for change validation.
- VCF 9.1 common services certificate lifecycle, identity, secrets The unified "common services" architecture: what's actually unified across components, what isn't. Certificate rotation workflows and external CA integration. Password and credential rotation, integration with corporate IDPs. APIs and scripting hooks for automation rather than UI clicks.
- NSX Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs) and Virtual Network Appliance (VNA) architecture and consumption model The VPC architectural model: segments, gateways, security. VNA architecture vs legacy NSX-T design patterns when to use which. Self-service consumption: IDP integration, RBAC, quota and policy guardrails. Migration and coexistence patterns from existing NSX deployments.
- Open Q&A and roadmap discussion direct to VCF Product Management Open-mic feedback block. Direct line to Rishabh and VCF PM on production pain points, deployment edge cases, feature requests, and roadmap priorities. Architect-level questions especially welcome this is the slot where complex design questions get the most useful answers.
Speaker
Rishabh Awasthi
Rishabh Awasthi is a Product Manager in the VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) team, with the last 5 years focused specifically on the VCF Networking / NSX roadmap. Over 17 years in enterprise IT spanning product engineering, presales architecture, and field engagements with VCF customers. Rishabh's product remit covers the VCF Networking stack: NSX (formerly NSX-T) in the 9.x line, the integration points between NSX and the underlying ESXi / vCenter Server / SDDC Manager layers, and the architectural choices that drive Day-0 through Day-2 operations across networking and vSphere. He works at the intersection of product engineering and customer environments, and the agenda below reflects what VCF Product Management hears most from practitioners running production estates. For 22 July, Rishabh will walk through VCF 9.1 operational changes, upgrade considerations, the architectural shifts in NSX VPCs, and the live patching framework. The session is built for engineers, admins and architects running VCF environments. The back half of the session is reserved for direct open-mic feedback to VCF Product Management.