--- name: vmwaresolutions-vc_deletinginstance title: Deleting VCF for Classic - Automated instances description: As of 17 July 2025, new automated installations of Red Hat® OpenShift® for VMware® are no longer available for new or existing deployments of VMware Cloud Foundation for Classic - Automated instances. You can still use or delete your existing Red Hat OpenShift for VMware automated installations until 16 July 2026. The service will no longer be available from 17 July 2026. last-updated: 2025-10-24 --- > ## Documentation Index > The table of contents for this documentation set is at https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vmwaresolutions?format=markdown > The index for all IBM Cloud docs is at: https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/llms.txt > Use these files to discover more information as needed. # Deleting VCF for Classic - Automated instances {: #vc_deletinginstance} As of 17 July 2025, new automated installations of Red Hat® OpenShift® for VMware® are no longer available for new or existing deployments of VMware Cloud Foundation for Classic - Automated instances. You can still use or delete your existing Red Hat OpenShift for VMware automated installations until 16 July 2026. The service will no longer be available from 17 July 2026. {: deprecated} To release the components that you ordered in a VMware Cloud Foundation for Classic - Automated instance, delete the instance. Review the following information before you proceed: * Any existing VLANs that you own, outside of IBM Cloud® for VMware Solutions, are not deleted. * Any VLANs that contain your own resources, such as gateways or Veeam® servers are not deleted. * Any VLANs or subnets without attached gateways or servers are deleted even though you might have IP addresses assigned to it from the subnets to your VMs. Because of resource dependencies, the components in your instance are not released immediately when you delete the instance. For example, the VLANs and the VLAN primary subnets cannot be deleted until the ESXi servers are fully reclaimed by the IBM Cloud infrastructure, which happens at the end of the IBM Cloud infrastructure billing cycle. At the end of the billing cycle, which is typically 30 days, the subnets and VLANs are deleted and the instance deletion is completed. You are billed until the end of the IBM Cloud infrastructure billing cycle for the deleted instance. {: important} CONTENT: Whenever possible, add ESXi servers by using the IBM Cloud® for VMware Solutions console because changes that you make on the VMware vSphere® Web Client are not synchronized with the VMware Solutions console. Therefore, add ESXi servers to vCenter Server only for on-premises ESXi servers or ESXi servers that you don't manage in the VMware Solutions console. {: important} The instance remains in **Deleting** status and the monthly ESXi servers are available for the remainder of the account monthly billing cycle. After the billing cycle ends, the status of the device changes from **ACTIVE** to **RECLAIM** until the reclaim process completes which can take days or weeks into the following month. After the ESXi server reclaim process completes, the subnets and VLANs are deleted and the instance deletion is completed. You can review the next account invoice to confirm that you are no longer billed for this instance. From the IBM Cloud console, click **Manage > Billing and usage** and click **Invoices**. ## Procedure to delete Automated instances from the Resources page {: #vc_deletinginstance-procedure1} 1. In the VMware Solutions console, click **Licensing and metering > Add-on services** from the left navigation panel. 2. In the **VMware Cloud Foundation for Classic** table, find the instance to delete. 3. Click the **Delete** icon ![Delete icon](../../icons/delete.svg "Delete") next to the **Status** column. 4. In the **Delete instance** window, enter the instance name to confirm, and click **Delete**. The instance status is changed to **Deleting**. When the instance is deleted successfully, the instance components are released, and the instance status is changed to **Deleted**. ## Procedure to delete Automated instances from the instance details page {: #vc_deletinginstance-procedure2} 1. In the VMware Solutions console, click **Resources > VCF for Classic** from the left navigation panel. 2. In the **VMware Cloud Foundation for Classic** table, click the instance to delete. 3. Click **Actions** next to **vCenter console** and click **Delete instance**. The instance status is changed to **Deleting**. When the instance is deleted successfully, the instance components are released, and the instance status is changed to **Deleted**. ## Related links {: #vc_deletinginstance-related} * [Ordering Automated instances](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vmwaresolutions?topic=vmwaresolutions-vc_orderinginstance-req&format=markdown) * [Viewing Automated instances](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vmwaresolutions?topic=vmwaresolutions-vc_viewinginstances&format=markdown) * [Expanding and contracting capacity for Automated instances](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vmwaresolutions?topic=vmwaresolutions-vc_addingservers&format=markdown) * [Managing virtual servers](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/virtual-servers?topic=virtual-servers-managing-virtual-servers&format=markdown) * [Getting help and support](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/vmwaresolutions?topic=vmwaresolutions-trbl_support&format=markdown)