Move a host with running VMs between 2 vCenters with different licenses

[mgsteiner]

Hello all,

I need to move 2 hosts from an existing vCenter (enterprice license) to a new installed vCenter (standard license).

So I guess the activities would be something like:

a) install the new vCenter

b) detatch the current hosts from the current vCenter (remove from inventary)

c) attach the hosts to the new vCenter (add to inventary)

But here are my questions:

1.- What would be the best-practice to perform the entire process?

2.- Can I do that online without disturbing the currently VMs running?

3.- What happen with the current attached storage in the hosts to be moved?.

4.- Do we have a problem to move hosts between vCenters that has different licenses (Enterprice and Standard)?

I thank you in advance for any advice/feedback.

Best Regards

Max

[daphnissov]

1.- What would be the best-practice to perform the entire process?

Best practice is hard to say given all the various factors and features you may be using. To start, I'd recommend reading my blog in which I cover several of these things as well as caveats. While you aren't upgrading here, you are swinging hosts which would be the "migration" in effect.

2.- Can I do that online without disturbing the currently VMs running?

Yes, this shouldn't be a problem.

3.- What happen with the current attached storage in the hosts to be moved?.

Nothing. It remains as-is attached to the hosts. Just ensure that the storage you're using doesn't employ a VASA provider which is linked to a vCenter. If you don't know what I mean by that, you're probably not using one.

4.- Do we have a problem to move hosts between vCenters that has different licenses (Enterprice and Standard)?

No, shouldn't be a problem.