Move HDD to new server

[MRAntonio]

Hello,

I want to move a HDD with VMs stored in it from one server to a different one. Once I connect the HDD in the new server, will I be able to see the content so I can register the VMs in the new VCenter' inventory? Is there any procedure for that?

Thanks.

[a_p_ · Accepted solution]

In case it is a disk with only a VMFS partition (datastore) on it, I would expect no issues.

However, it may be different if the disk also contains an ESXi installation.

In any case, ensure that you have an up-to-date backup of the VMs on the old, and the new host prior to moving the disk.

André

[MRAntonio]

Hello a.p.

Thanks for the reply. ESXi is installed on a different HDD. So it will appear as a new datastore ready to be use right? No formatting needed. The Vcenter will recognise the partition and show the content straightforwardly.

Regards

[a_p_]

Yes, I expect that it will be mounted automatically. All that should be required, is to register the VMs to the inventory.

André

PS: One more quick question. Are the ESXi versions the same on the source, and the target host? Just want to make sure that the VMFS version is compatible.

[MRAntonio]

Hello,

Source ESXi version is 5.5. Destination ESXi version 6.5. Any Incompatibilities?

[a_p_]

That should work, assuming that the datastore has a VMFS5 (the default when created in ESXi 5.5) format.

André