How to safely update a free ESX3.5i to licensed version

[Spjallman]

We have an ESX3.5i host running. It was installed a couple of years ago, as a free version and now running some production servers.

When testing a couple of backup solutions, I got stuck on the "RestrictedVersionFault" problem, i.e. the backup system (for instance Veeam) can't create a snapshot due to licensing restrictions from VMWare.

(At least that's the explaination I found in a forum). So I can't make backups on a running VM.

Two years ago I bought an VMWare vSphere Essentials license, in order to be entitled to support.

For technical reasons I downgraded the vSphere 5 to a version 4 license. (I needed access to a group of download files only accessible after downgrading.)

But I have not done any system updates on the host, it's still ESX3.5i build 226117.

Questions:

- Can I change the license key in the ESX3.5i host, from the free version key to the vSphere 4 Essentials key, without risking malfunction and can I do it without stopping the VM-s?

- Would that license change solve the "RestrictedVersionFault" problem?

Best Regards

Spjallman

[vmroyale]

Hello and welcome to the communities.

The license keys between v3 and v4 are not compatible, so you won't be able to assign a v4 key to the v3 ESXi. The licensed version would give you access to the backup APIs and solve your problem though.

Do you just have a single ESXi host?

[Spjallman]

Yes, we have only one ESXi host.

- Do you know of any workaround or any other means to take backups "on the fly" from ESX3.5i?

[vmroyale]

Check out: https://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-9852

[Spjallman]

Hi again!

I followed the link you provided, it seems to be a collection of scripts for host maintenance.

But I can't find anything related to my questions there, probably due to my lack of knowledge.

- Can you give any other hint about a utility or method that can take backups on running vms from a free ESX3.5i?

I've tried Veeam Backup & Replication 6.5 and it works fine when copying files from shut down vms, but when I try to "VeeamZIP" a running VM I encounter the "RestrictedVersionFault" problem.

Best Regards

Spjallman

[vmroyale]

I should have been more specific with that link. Look on that page for the "ghettoVCB" scripts. Those are backup scripts.