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Jawdat
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Upgrading VMFS 3.xx to 5.54

Hi,
I am getting mixed messages around the upgrade of VMFS 3.xx to the latest 5.54.

KB article no 1005325  (link below) seem to clearly advise that you can upgrade minor versions  but not major without data distruction.

While articles KB 2003813 and the blog (also links below) both seem  to indicate you can do this easily and on the fly while VMs are running.

What to believe?

Has anyone upgraded their storage to VMFS 5 if so how was your experience with that and more importantly how did you do it?

Please enlighten us.

Thank you.

http://blogs.vmware.com/vsphere/2011/07/new-vsphere-50-storage-features-part-1-vmfs-5.html

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/documentLinkInt.do?micrositeID=&popup=true&languageId=&externalID=2...

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=100532...

Instructions provide the steps to do it but you still have to apply your intelect.
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a_p_
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IMO KB 1005325 was created without considering VMFS-5 and the VMFS-5 part was just added without rewriting the article. AFAIK there's no reason why a VMFS-3 datastore cannot be upgraded to VMFS-5 if all hosts are upgraded already. See e.g. Upgrading VMFS Datastores

I didn't upgrade to VMFS-5 on a production system yet, but I have done so in the lab and I can confirm that this didn't cause any disruption.

André

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a_p_
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IMO KB 1005325 was created without considering VMFS-5 and the VMFS-5 part was just added without rewriting the article. AFAIK there's no reason why a VMFS-3 datastore cannot be upgraded to VMFS-5 if all hosts are upgraded already. See e.g. Upgrading VMFS Datastores

I didn't upgrade to VMFS-5 on a production system yet, but I have done so in the lab and I can confirm that this didn't cause any disruption.

André

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Mouhamad
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It is on the fly, but I think the only issue is that block size difference..

I feel like storage vMotion all my machines from a Datastore to another, delete the datastore, and re-create it again in a VMFS 5 type.

VCP-DCV, VCP-DT, VCAP-DCD, VSP, VTSP
mal_michael
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Hi,

KB 1005325 is talking about VMFS 3 minor versions upgrade (and to do so, you actually need to re-format it).

However, VMFS3 to VMFS5 upgrade is online, follow KB 2003813 / http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/techpaper/VMFS-5_Upgrade_Considerations.pdf

Michael.

Jawdat
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Thank you guys for your inputs and clarifications.

Thanks André, Just as I thought article 1005325 did have some editing mishaps.

Also thanks Michael and Muhamad for the help in upgrade/or migrate to new 5.54 storage which helped me in deciding, and new storage formatted with 5 is the way forward on this.

Instructions provide the steps to do it but you still have to apply your intelect.
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