3.0.2 to 3.5 Upgrade question.... How to extend root partition from 2 GB v 3.0.2 to 5 GB v 3.5?

[TCP]

Hi All!

Is anybody know how to extend root partition from 2 GB ESX 3.0.2 to 5 GB ESX 3.5?

THNX!

[kjb007]

It will be simpler to do a clean install. If you want to repartition as well as upgrade, you will need to be comfortable with Linux. Since ESX does not use lvm for its / partitions, you'll have to create a new 5 GB partition, and dd your current / data on to the new partition. To do this, you'll need to use something like gparted. If your / partition was the last partition on the disk, then it is a bit simpler, and you can boot into gparted and increase the size of the partition itself, and then extend the filesystem onto the extended space.

In your case, since you're going to 3.5, I would recommend a reinstall instead.

-KjB

[TCP]

Reinstall - it's clear, but

I have VI with 36 ESX 3.0.2 hosts needs to be upgraded.

[Texiwill]

Hello,

I would still reinstall but create a Kickstart script hat does everything for me so all you need to do is kick off the installs one by one migrating VMs between completed and to do hosts. A kickstart script can setup the networking, etc. All it can not do is easily add a system into VC.

Best regards,

Edward L. Haletky

VMware Communities User Moderator

====

Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education.

CIO Virtualization Blog: http://www.cio.com/blog/index/topic/168354

As well as the Virtualization Wiki at http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Virtualization

[depping]

I've uploaded an example of a scripted install a while ago, might be useful:

http://www.yellow-bricks.com/2008/06/27/scripted-install/

Duncan

My virtualisation blog:

If you find this information useful, please award points for "correct" or "helpful".

[TCP]

As I understood other solution was not present I mean without reinstall?

[kjb007]

You seem to have the answer of scripting your installs. If you don't feel comfortable with scripting all this out, then it will leave you to do this manually. Another option for you is to create new filesystems under root for make up for the lack of / in general. Meaning, create a separate /tmp, /var, /var/core, /var/log, /home. Basically, anything that would fill up and cause problems can have its own filesystem, and it would keep you from having to increase / in general. As you can see here, though, this is also not a trivial task.

So, the ultimate question is, what are you more comfortable doing, reinstalling manually, via script, or upgrading and adding/modifying several filesystems?

-KjB

[TCP]

Ok.

THNX!

[Texiwill]

Hello,

If there is no space on the boot drive due to it being taken up by existing filesystems, then the only option is to reinstall or add more disk. Generally with ESX all local disk space during install is taken up so this implies you can not add new partitions or change the size of any filesystem. It can be done but is quite painful to do and if done improperly all your data will be lost.

A Reinstall is your best solution to this problem.

Best regards,

Edward L. Haletky

VMware Communities User Moderator

====

Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education.

CIO Virtualization Blog: http://www.cio.com/blog/index/topic/168354

As well as the Virtualization Wiki at http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Virtualization

[jguidroz]

We upgraded 28 ESX hosts from 2.5.3 to 3.5. We reinstalled every host using scripted installations because of the disk partitions used with the 2.5.3 install. It's much easier to just reinstall.