• This article assumes that you have read the vSphere Installation and Setup Guide. This guide contains definitive information. If there is a discrepancy between the guide and this article, assume that the guide is correct.
• Because each environment is different, many installation decisions require knowledge and understanding beyond the scope of this article. For more detailed information about your installation, see the vSphere Installation and Setup Guide.
• Review the VMware vSphere 6.0 Release Notes for known issues or special installation notes.

Introduction

This article provides information on upgrading an external deployment of VMware vCenter Single Sign-On 5.5 to a VMware vCenter Server 6.0 Platform Services Controller. These conditions exist within the demonstration environment:

• VMware vCenter Single Sign-On 5.5 Update 3 was installed on the Windows machine sso.vcloud.local prior to the upgrade
• VMware vCenter Server, Inventory Service and vSphere Web Client are installed on a separate Windows machine vc1.vcloud.local
• All machines in this example have been configured with a static IP address
• Forward and reverse DNS lookup of sso.vcloud.local and vc1.vcloud.local are tested and verified

Before Upgrading

Before upgrading to VMware vCenter Server 6.0 Platform Services Controller from a previous installation of VMware vCenter Single Sign-On:

• Ensure that the machine you are upgrading meets the systems requirements. For more information, see the System Requirements section in the vSphere 6.0 Installation and Setup guide.
• Verify that you have a current backup of the machine running VMware vCenter Single Sign-On.
  
  Note: If you are upgrading from VMware vCenter Single Sign-On 5.1, ensure you also have a backup of the RSA database.
   
• Download the VMware vCenter Server 6.0 Installer. For more information, see the Download the vCenter Server for Windows Installer section in the vSphere 6.0 Installation and Setup guide.

Upgrading

To upgrade to a VMware vCenter Server 6.0 Platform Services Controller:

• For VMware vCenter Server 5.0, see the Upgrade vCenter Server 5.0 section in the vSphere 6.0 Installation and Setup guide.
• For VMware vCenter Single Sign-On 5.1, see the Upgrade vCenter Single Sign-On 5.1 for External Deployment section in the vSphere 6.0 Installation and Setup guide.
• For VMware vCenter Single Sign-On 5.5, see the Upgrade vCenter Single Sign-On 5.5 for External Deployment section in the vSphere 6.0 Installation and Setup guide.

Post-Upgrade

After the upgrade to a VMware vCenter Server 6.0 Platform Services Controller, upgrade any VMware vCenter Server systems registered with the upgraded instance of VMware Single Sign-On.

• For VMware vCenter Server 5.0, see the Upgrade vCenter Server 5.0 section in the vSphere 6.0 Installation and Setup guide.
• For VMware vCenter Server 5.1, see the Upgrade vCenter Server 5.1 for Windows section in the vSphere 6.0 Installation and Setup guide.
• For VMware vCenter Server 5.5, see the Upgrade vCenter Server 5.5 for Windows section in the vSphere 6.0 Installation and Setup guide.