[POLL] your VMware vSphere version plans for late 2015

[Gostev]

Dear all, please let us know what vSphere version are you planning to be running by the end of 2015. With the introduction of vSphere 6, we need to start looking at de-investing in support for legacy versions. The results of this poll will allow us to focus our QC resources on vSphere versions according to their actual market share, which in the end will result in better v9 code quality where it really matters.

Based on the poll results, we would also like to consider dropping vSphere 4.0 support in B&R v9 (while still supporting vSphere 4.1 for now, since this is the last vSphere version where "fat" ESX is available). Considering that by late 2015, vSphere 4.0 will be over 6 years old, it seems pretty fair to remove from our supported platforms for v9. So anyone voting for vSphere 4.0, please also comment below why the time to move off vSphere 4.0 has not come for you yet (this is very important, and may affect our decision).

Thanks as always for helping us shape our roadmap!

[roelvdw]

Vsphere 5.5 or vSphere 6. Depends on features or feature changes in vSphere 6

[arnfre]

vSphere 6

[Dave338]

Probably 5.5, because I have to make a version update from 5.1 in two-three weeks maximum, and even if 6.0 is released in that time.. i'm not sure if I would install it xD

Regards.

[slanger]

I'd be curious to hear... anyone who will be running v4 at the end of 2015... why?

[randy16randy]

5.1 update 1

[NOM115]

I am currently at vSphere 5.1 Update 3, which is the highest version supported by VMware on the Intel Modular Server. So, unless they support the hardware in Version 6, I am restricted to my current version until our server is replaced.

[ddockter]

5.1

[mezlo]

I am currently at vSphere 5.1 Update 3, which is the highest version supported by VMware on the Intel Modular Server. So, unless they support the hardware in Version 6, I am restricted to my current version until our server is replaced.

I'm currently running 5.5 U2d (2456374) on my Intel MFSYS25 v1 chassis and am not experiencing any issues with it.

[KiwiJJ]

Hi,
Will run 5.1 on our test environment as our SAN only supports up to that (Dell MD3000i). Production will run version 6

[Morgenstern72]

5.5 now and maybe 6, depends on features and if our infrastructure is in the compatibily matrix

[KiwiJJ]

Hi,
Will run 5.1 on our test environment as our SAN only supports up to that (Dell MD3000i). Production will run version 6

Ooops I meant version 5.0

[ArnoutBoer]

5.1,5.5 and 6

[VER]

5.1 since they dropped support for Quadro 4000 cards in 5.5 and our servers are not compatible with grid cards (which is annoying to say the least)

[ITP-Stan]

Some customer on 5.5, much of them still on 5.1, some on 5.0.
Only few remaining on 4.1 but not with Veeam.

We will wait a while before starting to adopt and upgrade to 6.0. probably not until 2016.

[francs]

Minimum 5.5 for all my customers.
6.0 on some DEV/TEST environments

[schenkewitz]

vSphere 6.0 as soon as possible in our own environments and 5.5+ at customers data center.
We've tested vSphere 6.0 beta and GA very long and discovered no issues preventing us from upgrading when it goes GA at the end of Q1/2015.

[CvB]

5.5 most likely as we have multiple vCenters in linked mode and it takes a considerable amount of coordination to update the whole environment and all clusters.

[Alaerus]

vSphere 6 in our production cluster, and vSphere 5.5 at some standalone installs.

[pufferdude]

Currently on 5.5 for main cluster, but (unfortunately) still have two 4.1 hosts at remote sites we replicate to, and also back up the few VMs on those hosts to the central veeam repository. It would be realllly nice if you could keep 4.1 support in the next version, but I understand if you have to axe it.

[tfelice]

5.5 now. Will probably migrate two clusters to 6.0 by year's end.

[kingswaygroup]

The poll only allows me to respond for my own system. We actually have customers with systems that span the complete range of vSphere from 4.0 and up.

Asking for a single response does not reflect the true response that I would like to give.

[andyadla]

5.5

[dellock6]

vSphere 6.0 as soon as possible in our own environments and 5.5+ at customers data center.
We've tested vSphere 6.0 beta and GA very long and discovered no issues preventing us from upgrading when it goes GA at the end of Q1/2015.

Jusst a note, I do hope that "as soon as possible" means when Veeam will add support for 6.0 and not as soon as the vSphere GA code is released

[Gostev]

Thank you all for such an active participation! This is amazing.

The poll results are pretty telling, and based on them in v9 we will:
1. Drop support for vSphere 4.0 (while still keeping support for vSphere 4.1)
2. Focus our QC efforts on vSphere 5.1 and later (which will represent 97% of market share)

Note that focus does not mean "dropping the ball on everything else". We have a large variety of dedicated test labs (separated "clouds"), and the results above will basically determine the amount of labs for every given vSphere version - to ensure most common configurations are most well tested.

And for those few with vSphere 4.0 who did not yet have a chance to vote, no worries as we will still support vSphere 4.0 with the current version (B&R v8). This version will remain supported once B&R v9 is out, and at least until B&R v10 is out (minus one is our absolute "minimal" support cycle). This should cover you even well beyond VMware's own vSphere 4.0 support timelines.

Thanks again!

[Roel]

Either 5.5 (latest update) or 6

[nmace]

Either 5.5 or 6.0 for our main production cluster, however we still have a few NT 4 VMs that aren't supported on anything newer than 5.1. So I still have a small 5.1 cluster that needs to be backed up.

[khallvmware]

5.5

[jig1]

I voted for 5.5, but if I have time I will start testing 6.0 out. But I am thinking of at least upgrading vCenter to 6.0 just to get the web client performance improvement.

[homerjnick]

5.1 for us....