Migration from DL360 to DL380

[msanjay196]

Hi,

I have a DL360 on which we are running VMWare Esx4i. I want to buy a new DL380 and move the VWMare Esxi onto the new server.

I am able to just shutdown the DL360, unplug the hard drives, and replug them onto the new DL380 server.

Thanks for your help.

[Gerrit_Lehr]

Even though it might work if the chipsets and controllers are the same, it is a much safer and better way to set up a new box and migrate the VMs. I it not really a complex task and I would not risk the to get an instable system by swapping the disks.

Kind Regards,

Gerrit Lehr

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[bulletprooffool]

I am with Gerrit,

Build it as a new ESX host, then simply use Storage vMotion to shift the VMs.

The alternative is to Build it and use FastScp to copy the VMs over to the new host (if you do not have VCenter etc) and just impotr them into the host.

Also, if it is only the build part and the effort you are bothered about . . and you;re lucky enough to have the right license on your vCenter . . .you could use host profiles?

[msanjay196]

Hi,

we are only using VMWare Esx4i. SO we have not bought vCenter (or is it called VI), so I am not able to use Storage vMotion.

Would I be able to use FastScp, to copy the virtual machines from the VMWare Esx4i to Windows.

Then, do rebuild as per Gerrit's suggestion.

Then, import the virtual machines from a windows host into the new server (DL380) using FastScp?

Thanks (again)

[Gerrit_Lehr]

You can set up the new box and then use the free VMware converter to move the VMs from one Server to another.

Kind Regards,

Gerrit Lehr

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[Dave_Mishchenko]

How much VM data are you looking at moving? The best option would be to rebuild and then move with Converter or via some sort of shared storage (NFS share / iSCSI). If you really had to do it by disk transfer, then you could migrate the disks in the array, boot up ESXi on the new host, reset the configuration in the DCUI and then readd the VMs to inventory. That assumes the array would tranfer better servers without issues and I wouldn't do it without good backups of the VMs.

Dave

VMware Communities User Moderator

New book in town - vSphere Quick Start Guide -http://www.yellow-bricks.com/2009/08/12/new-book-in-town-vsphere-quick-start-guide/.

Do you have a system or PCI card working with VMDirectPath? Submit your specs to the Unofficial VMDirectPath HCL - http://www.vm-help.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=21.

[bulletprooffool]

Sanjay, you could move the VMs to Windows and then back to the new ESX if you needed to, using Fast SCP

vm Convertor . .or sVMotion is the pretty option.

depending on how techie you are, you could consider looking on the cimmunity at the Ghetto Backup scripts - this will teach you to backup your VMs going forward and you can use them for this migration (backup . . restore)

[msanjay196]

I thought about this myself previously, also but we don't want to buy hard drives for the new DL380.

We are currently using three 146GB drives on the DL360 which I want to reuse on the DL380 .

So, I am stuck on how to power up machine ...

>You can set up the new box and then use the free VMware converter to move the VMs from one Server to another.

>

>Kind Regards,

>Gerrit Lehr

[msanjay196]

that seems like a good idea.

where do I find the Gheeto Backup scripts?

> ______________________________________________________________________________________

Sanjay, you could move the VMs to Windows and then back to the new ESX if you needed to, using Fast SCP

vm Convertor . .or sVMotion is the pretty option.

depending on how techie you are, you could consider looking on the

cimmunity at the Ghetto Backup scripts - this will teach you to backup

your VMs going forward and you can use them for this migration (backup

. . restore)<!-- BEGIN attachments -->

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[Gerrit_Lehr]

In this case you could convert to stand alone VM (and store it on a Windows Server) and then convert back to the new system when the HDDs are changes and the new system is setup. This could even be a way to bridge the downtime if neccessary.

Kind Regards,

Gerrit Lehr

If you found this or other information useful, please consider awarding points for "Correct" or "Helpful".