Migration between ESXi/vCenter using trial

[denonsix1]

All,

We use a vCenter, vSphere 4 environment in our enterprise across multiple offices. One branch office of ours has a single server located overseas with a slow WAN link. This server runs as a Win 2003 DC, fileserver, and Exchange 2007 server.

Our goal is to migrate these services to separate VMs using ESXi and upgrade the DC/services to 2008 at the same time. We have a license ready to go for this server once it is brought online using ESXi so we can connect it to our vCenter.

However, we have an issue in that we need to pull everything off and move everything back to the same server after ESXi is installed…

Here’s the general plan to be carried out onsite:

- Install ESXi to a Laptop or desktop machine

- Use a trial license on the ESXi laptop/desktop so it can be joined to our vCenter.

- Configure VMs on this ESXi ‘trial’ laptop/desktop

- Move all services/files off of current (non-esx) server and relocate them to VMs on the laptop/desktop

- Reformat current (non-esx) server using ESXi.

- Install actual license for this production server and connect to vSphere

- Using vCenter, cold migrate the VMs and datastore off of the ‘trial’ ESXi desktop/laptop back over to the newly formatted ESXi production server

- Bring down and disable/disconnect from vCenter the ‘trial’ ESXi desktop/laptop

Does this plan sound like the most efficient way to do things with minimal downtime/hassle?

Is it ok to do this from a license standpoint (use a trial for 2 days or so)? It seems like connecting both systems to vCenter makes for the cleanest migration.

Any other comments?

Thanks in advance for the help…

[AndreTheGiant]

Welcome to the community.

Run ESX/ESXi on a laptop could be difficult.

I suggest to use Workstation or VMware Server to templorally place the conversion.

Andre

[JimPeluso]

I echo what Andre posted. Is there a chance you have a Workstation or extra low end server there that has components that are on the ESXi HCL? If so that will be a better route than a laptop running workstation.

I don't know the answer to this but I know you can run ESXi on a Workstation instance but the idea of moving VMs to the running instance of ESXi? That I'm not sure about. Also what's the Storage situation? is it DAS I assume?

Can you just install Workstation on a Laptop then Convert the server to the Laptop running workstation. It's then a VM. Format the ESXi server then convert the Workstation VM to a OVF and import it into the ESXi Server.

Then you have the ability to either A start converting the Server by building new VMs and let it run off the laptop and move the services or B Just run the old server off the ESXi Server once converted and start migrating everything to new VMs

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[DSTAVERT]

ESXi on a laptop or desktop is seldom successful. As Andre suggests, VMware Workstation is a better choice. I would suggest that you practice the the procedure several times and document well if someone else will performing the procedure since it can go very wrong. You might even want to consider replacing drives in the old server and retaining the drives just in case. You could consider renting a server for a short time to help with the migration.

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[denonsix1]

Thanks for the responses thus far!

I would plan to use a desktop with a quad-core, 8gb ram, 1tb harddrive. We're talking about 2 VMs here, so nothing big.

Either way, I could plan to use VM workstation, however, what is the best method then for transferring them to the ESXi server once it is rebuilt?

[DSTAVERT]

It isn't that a desktop or laptop isn't powerful enough it it that ESXi doesn't have support for most desktop embedded components especially NICs. Getting it to work reliably on a desktop machine is difficult at best.

I would use VMware Standalone converter. If you install it directly on the Physical machine to migrate it off the hardware it will be available already.

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[JimPeluso]

You could load up workstation on your desktop then Import the physical machine to the Workstation on your desktop which essentially is a P2V. Next format the original server as an ESXi host. After that convert the Virtual Machine on the Workstation to a OVF and import it into the ESXi host.

Test, Test, Test. If that's the process you choose test it until your done testing it then test it again. In a situation where your stuck in a WAN site with a slow uplink you can't be more safe than sorry. It's going to be a long process but worth it if it works correctly. Another thing is to verify that you can use the import feature in Workstation with the Server OS you are running.

Hope that helps

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