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Skumar704
Contributor
Contributor

ESXI Server maintenance using essential kit

Hi,

We are using two ESXI server running on shared storage.Each ESXI server running 2x300GB HDD in RAID1.

One around 2TB LUN is dedicated and each ESXI server vm location is on that lun. i.e 2 vm machine running on each server.

Now there are some issues with the HDD bottom plane of one of the ESXI server and HDD neeeds to be replaced or bottom plane has to be changed.

Can someone recommned me the how to carry this out?

1. Do I need to backup my vm i.e vmdk which is running on shared storage?Do I need to unregister it from problematic host and register it on other host which is working fine?

2. Is it possible to backup the ESXI5 hypervisor of problematic host and restore it once HDD are resotred back?

3. Once HDD gets rectified can I move the original VM running on this host? What procedure do I need to follow?

I have license of essential kit only with me.

Reg,

Sushil

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a_p_
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Leadership

If I understand this correctly, only the ESXi installation is on the local disks and all the VMs are on shared storage!?

In this case you can migrate the powered off VM's to the "surviving" host using vCenter Server. If it's the vCenter Server itself which has to be migrated to the other host you need to do this manually with the Essentials Kit, i.e. login to the host on which vCenter is currently registered, shut down the VM and remove it from the inventory, then login to the other host and add it to the inventory by right clicking the .vmx file in the datastore browser.

With the issue you describe - the HDD's bottom plane - I'd assume you will use the same disks after repair and there will be no need to reinstall. Anyway, for backup and restore of the configuration, take a look at the vCLI command "vicfg-cfgbackup". Even if you need to reinstall ESXi this will probably be very easy and straight forward (depending on your configuration).


André