Move 5.0 to 5.1 VCenter

[VC51]

Setting up a new 5.1 VCenter install on new boxes. Existing 5.0 VCenter environment running for a few years now. My objective is to move existing to new 5.1 VCenter server. Looking for advice on what I should look out for. Many questions but for now I'd like to see what is in store for me.

Regards

[VC51]

?

[tomtom901]

See:

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/techpaper/Whats-New-VMware-vCenter-Server-51-Technical-Whitepaper.pd...

[JagadeeshDev]

refer this

VMware KB: Upgrading to vCenter Server 5.1 best practices

VMware KB: Overview of upgrading from vCenter Server 5.0 to vCenter Server 5.1

[JagadeeshDev]

Are you planning for an upgrade or new installation ?

If its a new installation you will lose the existing performance data and the inventory structure.,

If its an upgrade then you would need to use the existing VC database and SSO , Inventory service instillation are required

[VC51]

A new install and then move over the existing hosts. I m fine with losing performance data, the inventory structure though I need more infor on this what exactly do I lose?

[JagadeeshDev]

If its a new install then you will need to create a new data center,clusters,add the hosts, then configure the features like HA,DRS, etc etc..

[VC51]

This is the thing though I have an existing environment that I will want to migrate over to the new VC. My question is how difficult will it be to migrate the current environment to the new one. We have about 30 hosts broken down to different clusters. My end goal will be to migrate everything over to the new build then decommission the current environment.

Regards

[DZelenak]

Once a host is managed by the new vCenter server, it will no longer communicate with resources still registered to the old vCenter or participate in any HA functions with those resources until they are registered in the new vCenter server.

If I were doing this, I'd build the new vCenter server, define your datacenters and clusters, set whatever cluster settings I could, then bring over the hosts. Bringing over the hosts to the new vCenter shouldn't take more thana few  minutes. It's been a while since I've done this, but no VM power actions occurred. If you are using DRS, I would disable DRS automation on both the old and new vCenter servers until all the hosts are migrated to stop any unnecessary vMotion activity until all your hosts are migrated over.

Just curious, why are you moving away from your current vCenter instead of upgrading? I will say the upgrade to 5.1 gave me the most headaches of any vCenter server update.

[VC51]

That's the path I am foreseeing, install on a new server, setup all the clusters and define the datacenter. Once up and running then move over the existing hosts to its new home. My concern though you mention above "no longer communicate with resources still registered to the old vCenter" and that's fine as long as I can define new ones and register them to the new VCenter Server.

I didn't want to go through all the upgrade/update headaches, I figure a fresh new install would be best. But that's why I am asking for everyone's advice here.

Regards

[DZelenak]

If your old vCenter is working fine, I'd personally go through the upgrade. The 5.1 upgrade was tough for me as I had multiple vCenter servers in linked mode, with SRM -  there's special setup for SSO in this case. Otherwise if you're running Windows, it's largely a "next, next, next, finish" upgrade. Just backup your DB and you'll be fine.

If you do choose to go fresh,  there should only be a period of minutes where your hosts are registered to different vCenter servers.

[VC51]

Old vCenter has bee running for several years and has been through many upgrades, not as stable as I'd feel it should be. We have been adding a lot more stuff lately and growing more and more with VMware. So I think a fresh new install would be a great refresher. We too have SRM and View as well so all fresh install as well.

Regards