KamilAzmer
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

When I'm saying to upgrade your vCenter Server to 5.0.1 is your Management Product (vCenter) not ESXi, Because if you using the same version of ESXi which 4.1 update 01 or xx. and then during that time you have new node which is ESXi 5.0 above, you not able to put-in or managed via vCenter Server, but again you must remember the vCenter Server requirement is 64 bit OS.

You may proceed for ESXi 4.1 to update 02, It doesnt have a issue, but the thing you need to see is your management server (vCenter Server) because if you are running vCenter 4.1 update 02 and you need to adding the ESXi host for version 5, it can't be managed.

Yes, It able to have mixed-cluster.

Let see example as below, hope that it can be clearly you on the process :-

I assume, Existing environment with 2x ESXi hosts version 4 and 1x vCenter VM (vCenter Server) v 4. So in here you need to upgrade to version 4 update 02 and during the time you also want to adding new ESXi host node which version 5.

1. Upgrading your vCenter Server to version 5 ( which able give you benefit that no need two times upgrading, to the version 5 and also able to managed version 5 and 4 node), If you upgrading to version 4 update 2, you are not able to managed version 5 ESXi host node.

2. Upgrade your vSphere Client

3. Migrate your VMs on host A to Host B

4. Upgrading your ESXi 4 to update 2 on host A (via CD installation or update manager)

5. Migrate your VMs on host B to host A.

6. Upgrading your ESXi 4 to update 2 on host B

7. Upgrade your VMware Tools

8. If you have additional ESXi host node 5, then you able to add to vCenter Server.

This is a simple process, which when you reach a time that you want to upgrade ESXi 4 to 5, you just focusing on upgrading the ESXi only which doesnt required you to upgrading the vCenter Server again.

This is the best practice process you need to perform first, vCenter Server --> Update Manager -->  ESXi Hosts --> VMware Tools. Dont start with ESXi Host first.

Hopefully that able to clear you.

@ -- visit my blog at http://www.azmer.my -- @ virtue your mind @ KamilAzmer
Reply
0 Kudos