move vc db server to another cluster

[Mike_MT]

I need to move my VC DB server to another cluster (VC is on another server, this one is just running SQL).  Cluster CPUs are incompatible so migration will not work.  I'm thinking that using the converter would be the way to go.  How do I got about moving the VM?  Do I need to install converter locally on the VM and do a conversion with the target server as a host in the other cluster?

All systems are vSphere 4.1

Thanks,

Mike

[Troy_Clavell]

I would install Converter remotely.  You would power down the VCDB guest, use converter to convert a VMware Infrastructure virtual machine.  Server would be the ESX(i) where the guest is registered.  The destination would be the new ESX(i) Host and VMware Infrastructure virtual machine

Once the V2V is compelete power on the VCDB VM, make sure vCenter comes back online and everything looks good, and then you can destroy the original.

[Mike_MT]

Does the VCDB server need the converter agent installed? I'm thinking not since it will be powered down and I'm doing the conversion remotely.

Mike

[Troy_Clavell]

no agent required, as it will be a V2V, and converter will recognized the powered down guest.

[Mike_MT]

Will the VM need to be renamed something like vcdb2 since you can't have same name VMs?  If so, what's the easiest way to change it back, do another conversion to a different host in the new cluster using the original name (after the original vm has been removed).

Mike

[Troy_Clavell]

yes, you'll have to have a unique name.  To change the object name and it's underlying files, you can always Storage vMotion to another Datastore in the cluster, after the remain of the vCenter object.

[Mike_MT]

Another idea (and it seems a lot simpler) is to shut down the vcdb vm, connect to source host, remove the vcdb from inventory, connect to destination host (in new cluster) and add the vcdb vm 'new virtual machine'. The underlying datastore isn't changing. Do you see any problems with this?

Mike

[Troy_Clavell · Accepted solution]

yes, sometimes I seem to over complicate simple things.  Assuming you have shared storage between the source ESX(i) Host and the destination ESX(i), that will be a very quick and easy solution.

[Mike_MT]

Thanks for your help.