Do I have the proper steps to upgrade from vCenter 6.0 to 6.5 also replacing the host with differnt models

[pbalderos]

Hello Community Friends:

Looking for some advice / sign off. I am in the process of upgrading our vCenter 6.0, two host cluster to vCenter Appliance 6.5.

I think I have the basic steps down but I would like your input so I know that I am on the right track.

My Goal:

Upgrade existing vCenter Server 6.0 (Windows version to 6.5 VCSA (appliance version)

Add 2 new Dell PE R540 vSphere 6.5 hosts to the upgraded vCenter

vMotion all VMs from old hosts

Remove both of the old vSphere 6.0 Cisco UCS M4s servers from the cluster

Current cluster:

2 Cisco UCS M6 servers

vCenter 6.0 running on Windows Sever 2012

SAN: EMC VNXe3200

Storage protocol: FC

How the post cluster should look:

2 Dell Power Edge R540 servers

vCenter 6.5 (appliance)

SAN: EMC VNXe3200 - No changes here

Storage Protocol: FC - No changes here

Bellow are the steps I am taking to do the upgrade.

1. Upgrade the existing vCenter 6.0 cluster to vCenter Appliance 6.5
2. Install vSphere 6.5 on both new Dell R540 – This is complete
3. Configure vSwitches – in progress
4. Connect both new host to same storage (EMC VNXe3200) current vSphere 6.0 hosts– I did this already
5. Configure Both of the new host to have access to the LUNs on the SAN – At this point the 2 new R540 vSphere 6.5 servers have access to the SAN and datastores as the Old Cisco UCS servers
6. Provided that the upgrade to VCSA 6.5 was a success I can now add both of the new vSphere   6.5 servers to the cluster
7. “Host Only” vMotion all VMs from the old 6.0 hosts to the new 6.5 host
8. Remove the old 6.0 host from the new VCSA 6.5 cluster

[vijayku]

seems ok to me however do check for EVC compatibility of hosts by migrating a test VM from old host to new ESXi. Also the vSwitches will have to be upgraded once old esxi's have been disconnected from vSwitch. PFB DVS compatibility matrix.

[pbalderos]

Thank you!

This is what I did so far.

While I wait for the VCSA ISO to finish copying to the current vCenter 6.0 server I am created the virtual switches and vMotion network and virtual machine port group on the new hosts. You mentioned I need to upgrade the vSwitches on the on the new host? Does that mean that when I try to vMotion the VMs from the old host to the new host there is a possible comparability issue woth the switches?

[vijayku]

Can you provide below information to get better understanding of the environment,

     - Are you using distributed switch or standard vSwitch.

     - Have you created a cluster with old hosts?

as my earlier reply is based on you have a distributed switch and a cluster in the environment, vDS needs to be upgraded once all the hosts have been upgraded to a supported version. see earlier attachment for compatibility matrix.