Migrate vCenter server from 4.1 host to 5.1 host

[BenBrazil]

Hi,

I currently have a 4.1 vSphere environment and am starting the upgrade to vSphere 5.1.

I have just built a new vSphere 5.1 vCenter Server, however it is hosted on the 4.1 vSphere environment on an ESX 4.1 host. All networking is dvswitch configured.

I have built some ESX 5.1 hosts and these hosts can see the same storage as the 4.1 environment. I would now like to move the vSphere 5.1 server to an ESX 5.1 host. I've tried to remove the vSphere 5.1 VM from the inventory on the 4.1 environment and then add it to the inventory on an ESX 5.1 hosts. When I do this the NIC does not work and it reports as having an "invalid backing." This is due to the dvswitch configuration not being available to the 5.1 host. I've tried creating a normal switch on the 5.1 host and add the NIC to the switch but that doesn't work. I've tried removing the NIC and adding a new one, but again this doesn't work.

My next thing to try is to place the VM on a normal switch on the 4.1 environment and then remove and add to the inventory on the 5.1 host.

Are there any better suggestions on how to migrate this VM?

Many thanks,

Ben

[proden20]

"This is due to the dvswitch configuration not being available to the 5.1 host. I've tried creating a normal switch on the 5.1 host and add the NIC to the switch but

that doesn't work. I've tried removing the NIC and adding a new one, but again this doesn't work."

When you say it doesn't work, is an error thrown?

Try updating the VMWare Tools and VM Hardware version after adding the NIC and binding to a standard switch.

There are indications that vCenter database & upgrade scenarios can cause the "invalid backing" message in regards to the distributed switch, but I'd figure a standard switch (with valid VLANs) in conjunction with a new NIC on fresh drivers should rule that out.

[BenBrazil]

Thanks for your response.

I dont get an error once I've moved the VM to the ESX 5.1 host, I just cant select any dvSwitch or Switch to configure the NIC.

My latest attempt to move the VM from a dvswitch to a switch on the 4.1 host and then add to the 5.1 host didnt allow me to select a switch.

[BenBrazil · Accepted solution]

I've managed to migrate the VM.

This is how I did it.

1. Move the VM on the 4.1 host from a dvSwitch to a standard switch.
2. Remove the VM from the inventory on the 4.1 host.
3. Create corresponding standard switches on a 5.1 host. What I missed out and why it wasn’t working before was because I hadn’t created a Virtual machine port group. I had only created a VMKernal Port group which is why when I went to select a port group for the VM the list was empty.