Can I revert to a previously created snapshot after enabling EVC?

[Quester]

I will be performing a fairly major SAN maintenance operation this weekend.

Before shutting all of our VM's down, I will be taking a snapshot of a couple of running machines to simplify recovery should issues arise(We have had issues bringing up the first DC in the past). Since this it is very rare to have all of our Guests powered off, I would like to enable EVC at the same time. However, I am concerned that a snapshot taken before EVC is enabled may be invalidated by the act of enabling EVC (vmx files are included in the snapshot, correct?).

Will I be able to revert to this snapshot once EVC is enabled?

If by default, I cannot, can I manually update the vmx file to enable EVC before the entire cluster is enabled?

ESX 3.5 Update 4

VirtualCenter 2.5.0 (Build 147633)

[Texiwill · Accepted solution]

Hello,

Moved to the ESX 3.5 forum.

Will I be able to revert to this snapshot once EVC is enabled?

EVC is about the vCPU and flags set when the VM is booted.

If by default, I cannot, can I manually update the vmx file to enable EVC before the entire cluster is enabled?

VMX does not get updated when you enable EVC, that happens at a higher level, it is not per VM.

If it was me, I would commit snapshots BEFORE upgrading your SAN to EVC just to be safe. But I do not think you will have issues. It would be something I tested before I powered off the last system.

Best regards,

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[bulletprooffool]

If your snapshot was created with the machines in a powered down state, it is no different to rebooting a VM and moving it to an EVC cluster.

If it was a powered up state, in theory, it will be the same as starting a box from a powered down state . . . .but I guess you'll have to just try it and see

Don't foresee any problems though,

[Quester]

I ended up moving the VM in question outside of the cluster before the snapshot to avoid any potential problems.

It was a snapshot of a running virtual machine(a DC), because the boot process of the first DC in the domain had been the issue in the past.

Based on results, I don't think it would have been an issue had I left the VM in place.

I was assuming EVC would affect the vmx files because it requires all VM's to be down to be enabled.