Preparing for upgrade to 6.7 VCenter

[DaveARino]

Salutations!!!

We have a 6.5 test vcenter, ,with 3 hosts.  I want to take one, install 6.7 vcenter on a VM on the host, then upgrade the host to 6.7.  So then I will be able to test migrating our existing 5.5-6.5 production Vcenters, to our new 6.7 production Vcenter.

My question is, when I remove a Host from the existing VCenter, will it lose all of its storage and network configurations?

OK, my next question is, should I just install VCenter 6.7 on a VM on the current host, power the VM off, remove the host from 6.5 vcenter, power on the isolated VM, and add the host to 6.7? (Could it be that easy?  I guess it depends on the 1st question)

It currently has an Uplink port group, several Distributed Port Groups, and a few Standard networks, and one distributed switch.  I'm assuming I may need to tweak the switch a bit.  maybe?

Thanks all!

[daphnissov]

We have a 6.5 test vcenter, ,with 3 hosts.  I want to take one, install 6.7 vcenter on a VM on the host, then upgrade the host to 6.7.  So then I will be able to test migrating our existing 5.5-6.5 production Vcenters, to our new 6.7 production Vcenter.

I don't understand how installing a net new vCenter 6.7 (hopefully the vCSA, right?) on a 6.5 host then upgrading that host to 6.7 helps you in any way test out performing a vCenter migration (upgrade). Maybe I'm missing something you're trying to say.

[Alex_Romeo · Accepted solution]

Hi,

We have a 6.5 test vcenter, ,with 3 hosts.  I want to take one, install 6.7 vcenter on a VM on the host, then upgrade the host to 6.7.  So then I will be able to test migrating our existing 5.5-6.5 production Vcenters, to our new 6.7 production Vcenter.

answer:

Yes, you can do it safely. The only thing you can't do is upgrade from 5.5 to 6.7. This is not allowed directly.

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My question is, when I remove a Host from the existing VCenter, will it lose all of its storage and network configurations?

answer:

If there are configured VSSs, these are not lost, but belong to the host. If there are VDS, these are part of the Vcenter configuration, therefore, by unhooking the Esxi host, they do not follow the host.

All configurations made at the vCenter level if you disconnect the host, are no longer seen by the Esxi.

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OK, my next question is, should I just install VCenter 6.7 on a VM on the current host, power the VM off, remove the host from 6.5 vcenter, power on the isolated VM, and add the host to 6.7? (Could it be that easy?  I guess it depends on the 1st question)

answer:

Vcenter 6.7 is installed via Appliance.

You can release the Esxi host from the current configuration, then deploy vCenter VCSA 6.7 directly on the host. When installing, you are asked for parameters for the Esxi that will host it.

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It currently has an Uplink port group, several Distributed Port Groups, and a few Standard networks, and one distributed switch.  I'm assuming I may need to tweak the switch a bit.  maybe?

answer:

Yes! you have to adapt the configuration according to what you want to achieve.

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• https://masteringvmware.com/how-to-install-vcsa-6-7-step-by-step/
• https://www.starwindsoftware.com/blog/how-to-migrate-vmware-vcenter-from-windows-to-vcsa-6-7-update-...
• vSphere 6.7 aggiornare vCSA 6.5 a 6.7 - pt.2 • Nolabnoparty

ARomeo

[DaveARino]

Just trying to get a 6.7 vcenter, and an older one in test. So we can migrate in test from the old VC to the new VC.  Because in prod we'll have to migrate.

[daphnissov]

So then you're moving hosts, not migrating vCenters.

[DaveARino]

No, we have a bunch of new hosts in the prod 6.7 VC.  we are going to migrate from other, older existing prod vcenters, and hosts, to the new vcenter, and host.  we are not moving hosts.  We are building a test environment to emulate that.  but we have to use an existing test host to get that done, due to hardware constraints..  That is all I was asking about.