Upgrade from 32 bit 2003 to 64 bit 2008 server

[alanbu]

Hi

What is the best way to upgrade a vCentre (32bit) 2003 Server onto a new vCentre 5.0 (64bit) 2008 server.

I'm looking at keeping all the database information intact and hopefully keeping the environment online while the upgrade completes, is this posible?

Thanks

Al

[Troy_Clavell · Accepted solution]

You cannot upgrade from a 32bit OS to a 64bit OS.  You'll need to build a new vCenter Host OS.  Is the DB local or remote?

[alanbu]

I Have built a new 64 bit 2008 server, the current vCentre is a local install on SQL 2005 Express. can I keep the existing data or would it best to build a new Vcentre from scratch. Is there any issues with vCentre 5.0 mamaging 4 x vsphere 4.0 hosts.

Al

[Troy_Clavell]

starting from scratch isn't a bad choice, depending on how big your infrastructure is. However, you can try to use the database migration utility to go from SQL 2005 Express to SQL 2008 Express.  It would be ideal, since you are moving to vCenter5 to maybe think about using a remote DB instance, or if a smaller environment the vCenter Server Appliance?

http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1021635

...and vCenter5 can manage your 4.x Hosts just fine.

[Ashrafali79]

Hi alanbu,

I just make the upgrade to customer few monthes ago and here the file attached illustrate step by step how you keep your old database from old vc and import it to the new vc

NB: This project was from vc 4 to vc 4.1 update 1 and i think it can be the same for the vc 5

Thanks