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racom
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

vCenter 4.1 to vCSA 5.0 upgrade

Hi. We're running vSpere 4.1 Essential Plus on 3 hosts with about 20 running VM's in one HA cluster. vCenter server is installed on virtual W2003 guest with embeded SQL Server Express database.

My idea is migrate it to vCenter Server Virtual Appliance in the course of vSphere 4.1 to 5.0 upgrade 'cause I'd like to use this W2003 license for another server (and I'm much more Linux as Windows capable as well). I've went over vSphere Upgrade guide but I have no idea how to migrate  SQL Server Express database data to embeded DB2 database. Is any tool avalaible?

I know Update Manager plug-in won't work and I will have to install it on another Windows guest. Is it possible on Active Directory server?

Thanks for your advice

Tomas

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Troy_Clavell
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If you use vCSA you don't get VUM.  As for a move of SQL Express to the Embedded DB2 instance, I don't know.  Since the DB get's initialed while configuring the appliance, I don't see how you can migrate the Express DB to it.  However, you never know.

Below is list of features you will NOT get if using the vCenter Server Appliance

  • No Update Manager
  • No Linked-Mode
  • No support for the VSA (vSphere Storage Appliance)
  • Only support for Oracle as the external database
  • Embedded database, DB2, only supports 5 hosts and 50 VMs
  • No support for vCenter Heartbeat
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racom
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Thanks for an answer. I've known limitations of vCSA before so I was thinking about moving VUM to AD server. But it looks like vCSA is only for new small datacenters now and migration from Windows to Linux isn't supposed. I'll better upgrade running vCenter to prevent problems.

One more question. What would happened if I'd re-register hosts from running vCenter to vCSA?

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Troy_Clavell
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Immortal

just so you understand, and maybe I wasn't clear. If you use vCSA, you cannot use VUM, period.  As for  moving to the appliance, you'll have to add each host back into vCenter inventory.  It will be like starting from scratch.  However, there will be no impact on the guests.

Also, as you noted, 5 Hosts and 50 VM's is pretty much all the appliance can handle without some performance problems.

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racom
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Thanks again. I'm sorry if I expressed badly, my English isn't perfect. I only wanted to say I've went through discussions to find some info about vCSA limitations before I ask my question here.

I was sure I've found recommendation to install VUM on "stand alone" Windows server when using vCSA as well that's why I asked if I can use virtual Wndows 2008 AD server for it. But I can't find this discussion anywhere now.

My common idea of upgrade scenario:

1. Upgrade common vCenter on Windows 2003 R2 Standard x64

2. Upgrade VUM plug-in (?)

3. Upgrade all 3 hosts

4. Upgrade VM Tools

5. Migrate all running VM's to 2 hosts

6. Re-register free host to vCSA

7. Migrate (or stop and move if not possible) VM's to vCSA

8. Re-register remaining hosts to vCSA

9. Install VUM anywhere

10. Stop vCenter

Does it look meaningfully? Or I'm wrong completely?

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