What is vSphere Lifecycle Manager used for?

vSphere Lifecycle Manager is specifically designed to streamline the lifecycle management of ESXi hosts. It allows administrators to simplify the process of deploying, updating, and patching ESXi hosts within a vSphere environment. This tool enables organizations to define image baselines with a standardized configuration and ensure that all hosts maintain compliance with these baselines.

By integrating tools such as host profiles, vSphere Lifecycle Manager helps maintain the consistency and reliability of the host environment, reducing the complexity often associated with patching and upgrades. This is particularly important for maintaining operational efficiency and minimizing downtime, thus enhancing the overall performance and reliability of the virtual infrastructure.

The focus on managing the lifecycle of ESXi hosts differentiates it from other functionalities such as network performance monitoring, user permissions management, or storage optimization, which are not the primary objectives of vSphere Lifecycle Manager.