Windows Custer migration from ESXi 5.5 and ESXi 6.7

[Sreeharimr]

I am trying to perform a Windows 2008R2 Cluster migration from vSphere 5.5 Cluster to vSphere 6.7 Cluster. 

Original configuration for the windows 2008R2 Cluster.

- 2 x Windows 2008R2 SP1 Nodes VM's

- LUN's are attached to it in physical mode and SCSI Controller 1 type is LSI logic and the SCSI Bus sharing is physical.

The Cluster and the server is working perfectly fine in vSphere 5.5 Cluster.

For the migration, we shutdown both the VM and removed from the inventory. Added in the New vSphere 6.7 environment in different ESXi hosts.

When we power back VM's, both servers are coming up.  But the cluster disks are not getting online in the cluster, it shows 0 space inside the cluster. In the Disk management, the cluster disks are showing as reserved with their full space.

When we revert the VM's to the original environment, it works fine.

Can someone help here?

[Alex_Romeo]

Hi,

Have you checked the compatibility matrices with vSphere 6.7?

https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2147661

I would try to do a first migration step on an esxi version 6.0 or 6.5. Update the vms toosl vmware and then migrate the vms to Esxi 6.7. The jump from version 5.5 to 6.7 is too high.
Alternatively you can use Veeam Quick migration.

Alex_Romeo

[Sreeharimr]

thanks for the reply. the VM hardware version is 8 which is supported. 

I have also checked the Compatibility of Windows 2008R2 with ESXi 6.7U3, it is also compatible. I saw LSI Logic SAS in the supported list. is there anything else specific i have to check. 

[Alex_Romeo]

Hi,

Of course Windows server 2008 R2 is compatible ... you must also verify the migration of a virtual cluster on the Microsoft.
As a test, I would try to migrate first to a version 6.0, update the vmware tools, verify the correct functioning and then migrate to version 6.7.
(to do this test you can also clone the vms).
The jump from a 5.5 to 6.7 is too high.

Alex_Romeo

[vXav]

Usually paravirtual is used for RDMs but LSI logic works fine as well.

You could try the following:

• Shut down both servers
• Remove the RDMs (take a note of the scsi nodes 1:0, 1:1,...)
• remove and register VMs on the new vCenter
• Create the RDMs on the same scsi nodes on both VMs
• Try..