Replace Existing VirtualCenter Server

[sheetsb]

I am trying to plan the replacement of our existing VirtualCenter Server. I need to setup the new system, complete with SQL2005 database and use the new system to manage our existing implementation of 18+ ESX hosts. I've seen a number of other threads and have some questions. We have two DRS/HA clusters in the current configuration which I don't want to recreate. Also, it is highly unlikely I can reuse the IP address of the existing VirtualCenter server due to some networking constraints.

1. How do you connect to the ESX hosts from the NEW VirtualCenter Server? I plan to import the database so all the information should be available, but I get the impression that the ESX hosts won't respond to management requests from a new system. Do they have the IP address or just the DNS name? Would an alias work?
2. I have the same question for the license server...it will be moved to the new VirtualCenter server as well. I can see in the configuration section where the license server information is listed and could change it there, I just don't want my hosts to go offline along with my production VMs.
3. Is there any place this has been documented before? I tried doing some searching on the topic but only found limited information.

Thanks,

Bill S.

Message was edited by: sheetsb

[Dave_Mishchenko · Accepted solution]

Hi Bill,

1) The IP address of the VC server is stored in each server here: /etc/vmware/vpxa.conf . You can't use a DNS name at this point, but you could change the IP address there after the VC server is replaced and you should then be OK.

2) Your ESX hosts willl be OK for 14 days if the connection to the license server goes down so your VMs would not be affected in this situation.

Are you going to be running SQL 2K5 on the new VC server or a seperate server? In either case, I would suggest moving the database first and then the VC install as a seperate change.

[sheetsb]

Dave: Thanks for responding. I found some of the information in other posts, finally. I found the information about the vpxa.conf file, for instance, but nothing on the licensing server address. You didn't mention it your response, so I'm assuming that once I switch the database and virtualcenter to the new host I'll have to go through each ESX configuration to change the licensing server or would an alias work there?

Bill S.

[esiebert7625]

This is set on each ESX server through the VI Client under Configuration, Licensed Features. You can set the license server name/IP there.

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Thanks, Eric

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[sheetsb]

Understood...Just wanted to confirm that a name (and hence a temporary alias) would work. I can setup a DNS alias rather quickly to make certain that licensing continues to work using the new server, much more easily than I can reconfigure all of the ESX hosts.

Bill S.

[esiebert7625]

That should work, using DNS is alot easier then changing all the servers. If you just create a CNAME alias to the new server or update the existing A record to the new server IP you should be good to go.

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Thanks, Eric

Visit my website:

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