vmware esxi 5.1 and vmware converter

[avmnd_com]

I have a few frustrations and I'm sure its just something i am missing.  I have 5 esxi 4.1 stand alone hosts.   I have to change data centers, so my plan was to build a new empty 5.1 server which i have done.   On this server i have installed esx 5.1 stand alone and a windows 2008  vm with standalone converter.   The plan was to move all of my guests from one server to this server using the converter.  Then move the physical 4.1 server to the new datacenter, install 5.1 on it and then move the guests back.   I was thinking on the move back i could use veamm instead of the converter because everything would have been converted already.   In the process i was hoping i would be up to the latest version on everything.   I would convert and do one physical host at a time.

1) The first issue i encountered was i could not get the 5.0 converter to work so i downloaded the 4.3.   In doing reading in the forums it seems as though there are issues with converter 5?

2) All of my guests show they are version 7 on my 4.1 servers, but the only way i can get vmware converter to "move" a server to the esx 5.1 is to convert it using version 4?   version 7, 8, & 9 are causing a general fault error.

3) are my guests maybe provisioned as version 7, but my vmware tools are older?

4) if 3 is true, what is the best way to get everything up to the latest and greatest version?

[sparrowangelste]

you could just convert the vms to OVF and then import them on your new server since its not a p2v.

[Chaz999]

if I understand correctly, why don't you achieved concern task with below method

-  create a cluster

- make all 5 hosts (ESXi4.1) a part of that cluster

- enable DRS option at cluster level

- move VM to another cluster

- disconnect the host from your DataCenter

- once all VM move connect thehost via ILO and install ESXi 5

- once host build with newer ESXi5 add host back in to cluster

- move VM again from 4.1 host to newly build 5.1 host

and repeat again

one recomendation, after upgrade the host don't forgot to update the VMware tool on your VMs

thanks

[avmnd_com]

I'm not all that familiar with ovf.   These have been stable for newarly two years.   I'm just mostly concerned the converter wants to only convert using version 4 even though they say 7.   I suppose i can upgrade to version 8 once they move over, but then I get the vmware tools upgrade first error, so using the path i was using can i:

1) run the conversion tool

2) start gues on new server, install vmware tools

3) upgrade guest?

[avmnd_com]

i do not want to cluster these becaue of PCI concerns... 1 machine is a backup machine, 1 is webservers, 1 is db servers, the other two could be clustered, but not a real advantage in my case.

would like to keep everything stand alone.

[avmnd_com]

so why is version 4 my only option for conversion?