VMware migration from USB to RAID array

[VisageVMAdmin]

Current configuration: HP N54L Microserver, P410 RAID card, 3 partitions, 1 VMware datastore each.

VMware runs from a USB stick, installed from VMware-ESXi-5.5.0-1331820-HP-5.72.27-Feb2014.iso.

Datastore1 contains VMs.  Datastore3 contains a data drive for one of the VMs.  Datastore2 is unused.

Can I install VMware from a current HP-specific image to the partition currently containing Datastore2 without loosing my VMs on Datastores 1 and 3?

Thank you!

[JarryG]

Only if you move content of your datastore1&3 somewhere else (for the time of ESXi installation, and then back). IIRC during ESXi-installation re-partitioning is done. Not only one, but a few partitions of various types/sizes are created, so your old partitions will be lost.

[VisageVMAdmin]

Hello JarryG,

Thank you for getting back to me and I apologize for giving you incorrect information to work with!  The RAID array is divided into separate logical drives, not simply different partitions.  As such each datastore is on it's own logical drive.  Will that allow Datastore1 and Datastore3 to survive the repartitioning which happens on Logical Drive 2?

[JarryG · Accepted solution]

Oh now I understand! Separate logical drives are like separate drives for ESXi (and any other OS). So if you pick the right one for ESXi, those two remaining should remain untouched.

I did this such installation once (two logical drives on single raid-controller) and was not sure what happens, so I backed up all VMs off-site. But only the logical drive which I picked up for ESXi-installation was re-partitioned.

[VisageVMAdmin]

Thank you JarryG,

I will backup the VMs ahead of the process just in case.  I appreciate your input!

AGS