Help: Upgrade ESX 3.0.2 to ESX3.5 update 4

[ollivetti]

Hello!

I am planning to upgrade our two ESX-Servers and I would need some support as I have some questions. All our virtual hosts are on local storage. It's my first upgrade so here my questions:

1) Upgrade ESX 3.0.2 to ESX 3.5 u 4:

- Can I just put the CD into the drive and run through the update process? It it possible from 3.0.2 to 3.5?

- Is there anything I need to be careful of?

2) How is the best way to backup my virtual hosts just in case of problems? I use the command vcbmounter at the moment and backup to a nfs storage. Is this enough?

3) Can I upgrade my second machine from ESX 3.0.2 to ESXi 4 with a normal upgrade process.

Thank you very much!

[AndreTheGiant]

Can I just put the CD into the drive and run through the update process? It it possible from 3.0.2 to 3.5?

Yes is possible. Be only sure to choose upgrade (and not install).

Can I upgrade my second machine from ESX 3.0.2 to ESXi 4 with a normal upgrade process.

I'm not sure you can directly upgrade.

And in any case is not a good idea. Choose a reinstallation instead.

How is the best way to backup my virtual hosts just in case of problems?

The same of normal backup.

VCB, VMware Converter, vRanger, esXpress, ... or simple SCP/FastSCP.

Andre

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[ollivetti]

Hi Andre,

thank you for your reply...

So if I make a new installation I have to move my virtual machines away or does the new installation only update the os and lets the vmfs3 datastore without changes?

[VMvareUpgrade]

This was my approach, because I just finished to upgrade my entire farm from 3.02 to 3.5U4

Stage 1: Upgrading Virtual Center to previous version to the version 2.5 by putting the CD in the server

o Upgrade Virtual Center,

o Upgrade the Database.

Stage 2: Upgrading our ESX Server Host and Datastores to the previous to VMware ESX version 3.5:

o Upgrade our VMware ESX Host. upgrade first to the version 3.5 and then to the version 3.5U4 by using the comand

o Upgrade our Datastores from the previous version to VMware Files Systems 3(In our scenario, we don’t need as the File system are in version 3),

Stage 3: Upgrading our virtual Machines (In our scenario, we don’t need to process)

Stage 4: Upgrading VMware Tools within the Guess Operating System.

For that, you need to right click on the VM and install the tool. you need to reboot the VM

Let me know if you have questions.

Thanks

|The Best Guy

|MSc in IT, University of Evry

|MCSE(Microsoft), CCA(Citrix)

|Paris-France

[ollivetti]

Hi, thanks for your help but here some further questions:

Stage 2: Upgrading our ESX Server Host and Datastores to the previous to VMware ESX version 3.5:

o Upgrade our VMware ESX Host. upgrade first to the version 3.5 and then to the version 3.5U4 by using the comand - WHICH COMMAND? Can you give me a little bit more detail description

o Upgrade our Datastores from the previous version to VMware Files

Systems 3(In our scenario, we don’t need as the File system are in

version 3)

Stage 3: Upgrading our virtual Machines (In our scenario, we don’t need to process) - What kind of upgrade is this?

Regards Oliver

[VMvareUpgrade]

-Stage 2:

When you start the installation of the Virtual Center Server, in the middle of the installation, the upgrade of the Datastore will star. You just be patient and read what the application will ask you. It could be long (20 mns). there is nothing to configured eccept to put somewhere a login and password.

-Stage3:

Once th Virtual Center Server is upgrade, then you can start the upgrade of the ESX Host.

-Put the Virtual Machine in the ESX Host which will not be upgrade,

-Put you Host in Maintenance Mode,

-In you case, you need to firt to upgrade to the version 3.5 ( VMware-esx-upgrade-from-esx3-3.5.0-64607a.zip) and then to the Version 3.5U4.

-For hat, you need to download from the VMware website(You need a Vmware account for that) the ESX zip file. Extrat the zip file somewhere in you computer and then

-by SCPtool(free tool), make a connection to the ESX Host and copy all the file to the root folder.

-Make a connection to the Host by Putty,

-With a Linux command, get in this root folder where you have copied the unzip file: cd /root/

-Use putty(Free toll) to enter in the Host

-Then this command: esxupdate update

The upgrade will start and you don't need to do anything.

When the upgrade will be finished, you can start to upgrade from 3.5 to 3.5U4. Same process

|The Best Guy

|MSc in IT, University of Evry

|MCSE(Microsoft), CCA(Citrix)

|Paris-France

[ollivetti]

ok thank you very much for the detailed description! I'll try it out on a testmachine first!

Regards