VMware Backward Compatilbity

[glennda]

Does anybody know if VMware guarantee backward compatibility in future revisions?

[kmount]

Backward compatibility of what?

[glennda]

Backward compatibility of what?

 

My Bad - VM's, we a looking at long term (10 years plus) archival of VM's and need to make sure they will be bootable, it might be something to take up with them.

[kmount]

I'd imagine as long as the hardware version is kept note of it should be fine.

 

Worst case scenario I suppose is you store a copy of the compatible ESXi and VC client with the archive.

 

I don't recall seeing anything in writing about a specific policy on it though so if you do ask them, let us know

[glennda]

I'd imagine as long as the hardware version is kept note of it should be fine.

 

Worst case scenario I suppose is you store a copy of the compatible ESXi and VC client with the archive.

 

I don't recall seeing anything in writing about a specific policy on it though so if you do ask them, let us know

 

Yup - but if you take the likes of VMware 5.1 it is not supported on HL DL380 G5's - if we get to ESXI 9 it will probably mean that 5.1 is not supported on say HP DL380 G12 etc.

 

I also need to ask the same question of Veeam.

 

Essentially we are looking at potentially using Veeam Cloud to indefinitely keep a copy of a File server in Amazon Glacier (for regulatory reasons), which would mean that if we had to we could get back a copy as a VIB file of a Server from now in 2020 for example.

[kmount]

Suspect nested esxi would be your friend in that instance.

[CyberNerd]

You might be better off converting them into an open format such as OVF for long term storage because you will have a better chance of other products reading it.

https://communities.vmware.com/community/vmtn/automationtools/ovf

[glennda]

You might be better off converting them into an open format such as OVF for long term storage because you will have a better chance of other products reading it.

https://communities.vmware.com/community/vmtn/automationtools/ovf

 

Thats potentially a good idea so is Nested ESXI - I am just finding the best person to speak with @ VMware and Veeam so I will see what they say is the best way to do this is.