Transfering vCenter Server to a new server

[Snip3r6659w]

Hello,
I am in the process of doing an upgrade from 2008 to 2012r2 server.  I was wondering how to go about moving my vCenter server.

We are currently running the essentials plus package.

I was thinking of just building an entirely new server,  connecting my hosts to it in vCenter,  and then shutting down and deleting the old server?
Is my thought process correct or is there something else I need to do along the way?

[RyanH84 · Accepted solution]

Hi,

The important thing to know with vCenter is that most of your important information lives in the SQL database. You are right, installing a brand new instance of vCenter on your new 2012 R2 server is the best way to go and make sure you connect to your existing SQL DB.

What version of vCenter/ESXi are you running? 5.5? There are a few other things to consider before proceeding, such as backing up your SSO configuration and Inventory service? Do you use things such as Tags in the web client? Is your SSO configuration particularly complicated? If not then you can probably not bother with backing them up and restoring them.

If it were me I would do the following as a rough plan:

1) Backup the SQL DB to be 100% safe.

2) Shutdown your old server.

3) Setup the new server with the old server IP address. Make neccessary DNS changes.

4) Install new on 2012 R2 server.

5) When installing and prompted, use a created ODBC connection to your existing SQL DB.

6) Complete installing vCenter and components.

7) Test

There would be additional options of restoring SSO/Inventory if you wanted too.

The backout plan would be to turn off the new server, restore your DB back from backup and power on your old server.

Happy to help further if needed!

[Snip3r6659w]

Thanks Ryan,
That is a great step by step guide to follow!
I had planned on shutting down the old server and using the same name / ip for the new vcenter.

But i am a bit confused at why you say create an odbc connection...
would i just restore the backup of the database i have after i completed installing vcenter server?

I dont have anything to advanced setup,  it is just an essentials plus license.  Aside from SSO and HA there is nothing else we are taking advantage of.  I have two sites 15 virtual servers  across 3 hosts at each site.  in reality I think even if I started from scratch we are talking an hour install time max. 

[RyanH84]

Hi Sniper,

If you re-install on a new server, you will have to create a new ODBC connection from that new vCenter server to your database server to use the existing database you have in place. Otherwise, during the install you won't be able to point it at a SQL server until you have done so. Quite straight forward.

SSO will be easily re-installable in which case, and HA is a cluster feature which will remain with the application as long as the database is intact.

You are right, having to rebuild the entire lot (if in a simple setup) is a fairly quick and painless process if you plan it right.

[Snip3r6659w]

Ryan,
Thanks for your help,  I backed up my database.  actually even kept the old server on the host (Just Incase)
And have decided to go with a fresh install.

This was our first venture into VMWare,  and lessons learned from that deploy... 
This gives us an opportunity to start fresh and clean things up!

Thank you very much for you helrp!

[Snip3r6659w]

So now that i am starting this next week i drew things out..

If i am starting from scratch do i need to disconnect my hosts from the existing vcenter server? 
Considering essentials only permits 1 instance of this?

[RyanH84]

Hi,

If you are re-installing vCenter software from scratch that is fine, the hosts will not need to be disconnected as you are restoring the database (using existing DB) and everything should return to normal.

You might have to "reconnect" all the hosts depending on the state of them in vCenter when everything is finally re-installed.