Best practices for moving Vcenter 5.5U3 (on windows 2k8R2 installation) to vCenter 6.x appliance (vcenter & PSC embeded)

[danidani]

Hi Everybody,

Firstly, sorry for my medium English

the context/scope:

- On the same 2k8R2 server :    vCenter 5.5U3, Inventory service

- On an other server 2k8R2 :      SSO service, Web client service.

- All ESXi in 5.5U2 Version (compatible with vCenter 6.x)

My need:

- Moving infra vCenter 5.5U3 (Windows install) to vCenter 6.x Appliance (vcenter & PSC embeded)

I saw the cool stuff  "Windows vCenter Server to VCSA Converter Appliance" (thanks VMware Flings ), i match almost all requirements but i don't know if it's a good solution for production environment, what do you think about it ?

Regarding VMware KB's  and their recommandations:

Is "Enhanced Linked mode" the base of my solution ?

Is the good way to:

1. firstly create a new vcenter 6.x Appliance server + PSC embeded

2. On new vcenter Appliance, configure all settings, network,vSwitch,dVswitch, datastore, and so on...

3.  then  upgrade my actual vCenter 5.5U3 to 6.x and join to the new existing PSC

4. If needed Create or configure  "enhanced linked mode"

5. Remove some ESXi's from original vCenter and re-add them to the new vCenter (new vcenter instance)

6. Moving VMs

I need your experience and advices

Thanks a lot

best regards

Danidani

Message was edited by: Daniel Pizzolante

[rcporto]

Configuring Enhanced Mode will not help you, since only configuration like licenses, global permissions, tags will be replicated between the PSCs, and such things you can recreate them from scratch easily.

My recommendation is just build a new vCenter from scratch and move the hosts from one vCenter to another like described here: VMware KB: Moving a managed ESXi/ESX host from one vCenter Server to another vCenter Server

[danidani]

Hi Mr. Porto,

Thanks for your answer.

My main goal is to keep id of VMs (regarding our backup application as Veeam, new VM id's --> new VMs--> Full backup )

Regarding the KB you suggested, i have questions:

- How can i create several vSwitches on my concerned host ? for transition i need attach same used vmnic to these new vswitch, but these used vmnic are already in use with vDs.

do you know what i mean ?

- On the target vCenter, may i have to create all the same vDs & portgroups than the source vCenter (with export function) before i re-connect the concerned host ?

Thanks