VMware vSphere 6.5 update 1 and more Released

VMware has released vCenter 6.5 Update 1, ESXi 6.5 Update 1, vSAN 6.6.1, Replication 6.5.1, Site Recovery Manager 6.5.1, and VMware Tools 10.1.10.

This means that we now can upgrade from vSphere 6.0 update 3 to vSphere 6.5.

vCenter 6.5 Update 1

What's new:

• You can run the vCenter Server Appliance GUI and CLI installers on Microsoft Windows 2012 x64 bit, Microsoft Windows 2012 R2 x64 bit, Microsoft Windows 2016 x64 bit, and macOS Sierra.
  
• TcServer is now replaced with Tomcat 8.5.8.
  
• vCenter Server 6.5 Update 1 supports Guest OS customization for Ubuntu 17.04 OS.
  
• VMware vSphere Storage APIs – Data Protection (VADP) now also support Windows Server 2016 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux RHEL 7.3 as operating systems to perform proxy backup. This is in addition to the backup proxy operating systems already supported with VADP and VDDK 6.5.
  
• If you prefer to use Update Manager for the upgrade of ESXi and vSAN stack, you can now enable vSAN software upgrades through integration with vSphere Update Manager. This provides a unified and common workflow. For more information see the vSphere Update Manager Installation and Administration Guide. 
  
• External database support: vCenter Server now supports Microsoft SQL Server 2016, Microsoft SQL Server 2016 SP1, and Microsoft SQL Server 2014 SP2.
  
• The HTML5-based vSphere Client now supports most content library and OVF deployment operations, as well as operations on roles and permissions, basic customization of the Guest OS, and additions to virtual machine, host, datastore, and network management.
  
• The HTML5-based vSphere Client now supports French, Swiss-French, and Swiss-German keyboards. For known issues related to the keyboard mapping, see https://kb.vmware.com/kb/2149039.
  
• Linked vCenter Server instances now support up to 15 vCenter Server instances, 5,000 ESXi hosts, 50,000 powered on virtual machines, and 70,000 registered virtual machines. For more information, see the vSphere Configuration Maximums.
  
• During the command-line installation, upgrade and migration processes of vCenter Server Appliance, a structured status file is provided along with installer logs.
  
• Updates to JRE package. The Oracle (Sun) JRE package is updated to version 1.8.0_131.
  

See the full release notes here:https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphere/6.5/rn/vsphere-vcenter-server-651-release-notes.html

ESXi 6.5 Update 1

What's new:

• If you prefer to use Update Manager for the upgrade of ESXi and vSAN stack, you can now enable vSAN software upgrades through integration with vSphere Update Manager. This provides a unified and common workflow.
  
• Driver Updates:
  
  • Cavium qlnativefc driver
    
  • VMware nvme driver
    
  • Intel i40en driver with Lewisburg 10G NIC Support
    
  • Intel ne1000 driver with Lewisburg 1G NIC Support
    
  • Intel igbn driver
    
  • Intel ixgben driver
    
  • Broadcom ntg3 driver
    

See the full release notes here: https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphere/6.5/rn/vsphere-esxi-651-release-notes.html

vSAN 6.6.1

What's new:

• VMware Update Manager build recommendations for vSAN. Update Manager can scan the vSAN cluster and recommend host baselines that include updates, patches, and extensions. It manages recommended baselines, validates the support status from vSAN HCL, and downloads the correct ESXi ISO images from VMware. 
  
• vSAN requires Internet access to generate build recommendations. If your vSAN cluster uses a proxy to connect to the Internet, vSAN can generate recommendations for patch upgrades, but not for major upgrades.
  
• Performance diagnostics. Performance diagnostics analyzes previously executed benchmark tests. It detects issues, suggests remediation steps, and provides supporting performance graphs for further insight. Performance Diagnostics requires participation in the Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP).
  
• Increased support for locator LEDs on vSAN disks. Gen-9 HPE controllers in pass-through mode now support vSAN activation of locator LEDs. Blinking LEDs help to identify and isolate specific drives.
  

See the full release notes here: https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphere/6.5/rn/vmware-vsan-661-release-notes.html

Site Recovery Manager 6.5.1

What's New:

• VMware Site Recovery Manager 6.5.1 is compatible with VMware vSphere 6.5 Update 1.
  
• Supports upgrade migration path from vCenter Server Virtual Appliance 6.0 Update 3 to vCenter Server Virtual Appliance 6.5 Update 1 by delivering a direct upgrade path from Site Recovery Manager 6.1.2 to Site Recovery Manager 6.5.1.
  
• Site Recovery Manager 6.5.1 now supports the following external databases:
  
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Service Pack 2
    
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2016 Service Pack 1
    
• Site Recovery Manager 6.5.1 now supports the following guest operating systems:
  
  • Windows Server 2016
    
  • CentOS 6.9
    
  • RHEL 7.3.5
    
  • Ubuntu 17.04 non Long Term Support (LTS) 
    

See the full release notes here: https://docs.vmware.com/en/Site-Recovery-Manager/6.5/rn/srm-releasenotes-6-5-1.html

Replication 6.5.1

What's new:

• vSphere Replication 6.5.1 is compatible with VMware vSphere 6.5 Update 1.
  
• Supports upgrade migration path from vCenter Server Virtual Appliance 6.0 Update 3 to vCenter Server Virtual Appliance 6.5 Update 1 by delivering a direct upgrade path from vSphere Replication 6.1.2 to vSphere Replication 6.5.1.
  
• vSphere Replication 6.5.1 now supports the following external databases:
  
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Service Pack 2
    
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2016 Service Pack 1
    
• vSphere Replication 6.5.1 now supports the following guest operating systems:
  
  • Windows Server 2016
    
  • CentOS 6.9
    
  • RHEL 7.3.5
    
  • Ubuntu 17.04 non Long Term Support (LTS) 
    

See the full release notes here: https://docs.vmware.com/en/vSphere-Replication/6.5/rn/vsphere-replication-651-release-notes.html

VMware Tools 10.1.10

This i primary a bug fixing, see the release notes here: https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-Tools/10.1/rn/vmware-tools-10110-release-notes.html