Upgrading ESXi 4.1 with software iSCSI storage to ESXi 5.5

[Sam30]

I'm planning to upgrade ESXi 4.1 with which I've software iSCSI storage attached to ESXi 5.5

I've upgraded all my hosts which were on SAN storage without any issues.

I'd like to know if there's anything I should be taking care before I upgrade the iSCSI attached host to ESXi 5.5, like for the hosts with SAN storage attached I made sure to remove the SAN cables before upgrading the host.

Also if any known issues that you guys are aware of when upgrading ESXi 4.1 to ESXi 5.5 with software iSCSI storage, please let me know?

If there's any different process to upgrade coz in ESXi 4.1 I don't see that port binding of iSCSI vmkernel ports to software iSCSI but I know in ESXi5.5 we've to or I just run a standard upgrade procedure via update manager and everything will be taken care?

Thanks in advance

[a_p_ · Accepted solution]

With ESXi prior to version 5, port binding had to be done via command line. However, if it was configured properly you should be able to upgrade to ESXi 5.5 (assuming the host has not been previously upgraded from version 3). Btw. the last time I disconnected the host from the storage for an upgrade was with ESX 3.0.

André

[Sam30]

What would be the reason to say "assuming the host has not been previously upgraded from version 3", coz I guess iSCSI storage is supported since very previous versions of ESX ?

Is there a way I can check that ?

So you never disconnected the storage in any ESXi versions for the fresh install or upgrades?

I thought it's recommended to disconnect storage during an upgrade or a fresh install so that by mistake nothing gets written on the LUN's presented by the attached storage & also so that the host won't take long to install/upgrade the host as it'll take very less time to scan all the attached storage since there's nothing attached.

Can you shed some more light on that?

Thanks

[a_p_]

What would be the reason to say "assuming the host has not been previously upgraded from version 3" ...

That's not related to iSCSI but more to the partitions for the OS, which is why tend to do a fresh installation rather than to upgrade in such a case. The easiest way to find out about this is to check the partition sizes. If the host was upgraded from v3 you should see something as shown at ESXi and Lopsided Bootbanks.

Disconnecting the storage may still be mentioned in the documentation, but I think the risk is only with new installations where one could pick the wrong LUN during an interactive installation, or by using a script which may detect un unexpected configuration. IMO simply detaching the storage from a host may even cause issues in that that host experiences an APD (all paths down) condition. Anyway, as mentioned before, I've done all upgrades since v4 without disconnecting the storage.

André