Azure VMware Solution AV36P - BYOL & VCF 9.x Upgrade Path

Question

Hello Team,

Greetings!

Very soon we will be creating a new AV36P cluster to migrate workloads from existing AV36 for our customer. I have couple of questions:

Q1. The AVS (VMware software versions) deployment is still on VMware version 8.x, what will be the impact when this has to be upgraded to version 9.x?

The reason for asking this is because customer will do 3 years reservation of AV36P nodes and reservation will end only June 2029 but the VMware version 8.x will be EOL by Oct 2027.

Link: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-vmware/introduction#vmware-software-versions

Q2. This documentation doesn't talk about "Serial number" section, highlighted in the screenshot, what is this referring too? Will we get this information from Broadcom portal?

[https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-vmware/vmware-cloud-foundations-license-portability#enable-portable-vcf-byol-on-an-existing-azure-vmware-solution-private-cloud

](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-vmware/vmware-cloud-foundations-license-portability#enable-portable-vcf-byol-on-an-existing-azure-vmware-solution-private-cloud

)

@Silvia Wibowo @Anusree Nashetty

~ Ravi Kumar S

Answer 1

Hello @Ravi Kumar Shanker

Great set of questions and you're right to think about this ahead of time, especially given the 3-year reservation commitment. Let me address Q1 directly.

Q1: What is the impact when AVS moves from VMware version 8.x to 9.x — and does the AV36P reservation affect this?

Short answer: The upgrade is Microsoft's responsibility, not yours. Your 3-year AV36P reservation has no bearing on the software version lifecycle.

Microsoft owns the full VMware software lifecycle in AVS

One of the key benefits of AVS as a managed service is that Microsoft is entirely responsible for the lifecycle management of the VMware software stack ESXi, vCenter Server, vSAN, and NSX. This includes all patches, updates, and major version upgrades.

As the official Microsoft FAQ states:

"One benefit of Azure VMware Solution private clouds is that the platform is maintained for you. Microsoft is responsible for the lifecycle management of VMware software (ESXi, vCenter Server, and vSAN) and NSX appliances. Microsoft is also responsible for applying any patches, updates, or upgrades to ESXi, vCenter Server, vSAN, and NSX in your private cloud."

So when VMware vSphere 8.x approaches its End-of-Life (EOL) in October 2027, Microsoft will orchestrate the upgrade to vSphere 9.x across all AVS private clouds before the EOL deadline.The customer doesn't need to plan, execute, or manage this upgrade at all.
This is exactly how the vSphere 7 → vSphere 8 upgrade was handled: Microsoft sent notifications, managed the upgrade window, and customers could reschedule if needed.

Azure VMware Solution FAQ – Lifecycle management responsibility
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-vmware/faq

The AV36P reservation is a hardware commitment, not a software version lock

This is an important distinction to clarify for your customer. The 3-year Reserved Instance (RI) is a pricing/capacity commitment for the AV36P node hardware it guarantees that pricing and node capacity for those specific host SKUs are locked in through June 2029. It has absolutely nothing to do with which version of VMware software runs on those nodes.

Microsoft can (and will) upgrade the VMware software stack on AV36P nodes while the reservation is still active. The reservation doesn't freeze the platform version. Your customer gets the best of both worlds:

• Cost savings and capacity assurance from the 3-year reservation
• Automatic VMware software upgrades handled by Microsoft, keeping the environment supported and up to date

AVS Pricing – Reserved Instances
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/azure-vmware/

What does the upgrade experience actually look like?

When Microsoft schedules a VMware version upgrade, here's what the customer can expect:

Advance notification via Azure Service Health with the timeline and impact details. The customer can reschedule the upgrade window if it conflicts with business activities.

ESXi host upgrades: No impact to running workloads. vCenter Server and NSX remain accessible during this phase.

vCenter Server upgrades: Temporary management plane unavailability (you can't stop/start/create/delete VMs during this window), but workloads continue running uninterrupted.

NSX upgrades: Generally non-disruptive to running workloads.

Azure VMware Solution – Private Cloud Maintenance
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-vmware/azure-vmware-solution-private-cloud-maintenance

One area the customer should own: 3rd Party solution compatibility

While Microsoft handles the VMware platform upgrade, the customer is responsible for verifying that any third-party solutions deployed on AVS (backup agents, security tools, VDI components, etc.) are compatible with vSphere 9.x. As part of migration planning, it's worth compiling a list of third-party ISV solutions in use and checking ahead of time whether they support the next major vSphere version. Vendors typically publish compatibility matrices for each vSphere release.

AVS Shared Responsibility Matrix
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-vmware/introduction#azure-vmware-solution-responsibility-matrix---microsoft-vs-customer

Thanks,
Manish.

Answer 2

Hi ,

Thanks for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A.

Q1: VMware 8.x to 9.x Upgrade Impact

vSphere 8.x reaches End of General Support on Oct 11, 2027, which creates a critical planning issue for your 3year reservation (ending June 2029

• vSphere 9 is subscription only from Broadcom (no perpetual licenses available), unlike vSphere 8
• You must plan and execute the upgrade before October 2027 to remain in full support
• The upgrade is a substantial undertaking requiring testing, compatibility validation, and workload migration planning
• Budget for Broadcom subscription licensing costs from October 2027 onwards

Recommendation: Schedule your upgrade path now, do not wait until 2027. Plan for the migration during your first 12 to 18 mths on AV36P to spread the operational load.

Q2: Serial Number Field in VCF BYOL Documentation

The "Serial number" field refers to your VCF License Key provided by Broadcom when you purchase portable VCF subscriptions. This is not a hardware serial number.

Where to obtain it:

• Broadcom portal under your VCF subscription entitlements
• Provided in your Broadcom license purchase confirmation

Important constraint: The no of cores you enter cannot exceed the cores purchased under your VCF key from Broadcom. For AV36P with 36 cores per host, multiply by your node count to determine required license coverage.

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