Upgrading vCenter- how does it affect 3rd party components such as Zerto?

[JDMils_Interact]

We recently upgraded our Windows 5.5 vSphere environment to a 6.7 appliance however our Zerto component stopped working. It kept complaining that it could not find the virtual servers, the networks, the datastores, etc.

After a lengthy analysis, Zerto support says that when we upgraded the vCenter, a new database was created on the 6.7 appliance and the inventory was added which caused the IDs of each resource to change. Now, my guy who upgraded the vCenter says there was no option to preserve the database so is this the case?

The Zerto engineer jumped on our vCenter and used the "old" IDs of one of the virtual servers and was able to bring up the server in vCenter so I'm confused now.

[Alex_Romeo]

Hi,

It is not possible to upgrade directly from vcenter 5.5. to vcenter version 6.7.

Too many things have changed between 5.5 and 6.7.

You must update first to the version to version 6.0 or 6.5 and then to 6.7. Something has probably been lost in the passages.

• Upgrade Considerations for VMware vSphere 6.7 - VMware vSphere Blog
• Upgrade from vCenter 5.5 to 6.7

What were the steps to do this upgrade?

ARomeo

[IRIX201110141]

JDMils_Interactive​

as additional informations.... if you move from the Windows vCenter to the VCSA its not an upgrade its a migration which have to be selected in the install wizzard

But the Database and its content is migrated in a way where no changes are made for  VM aka MoREF IDs.  I migrate from 6.0 to 6.7u3 at the weekend and the existing Veeam B&R doesnt complain about changes. Every VM Backup Software reacts in a very picky way when the MoRef IDs have changed because than they discover the VM as a new element.

As Alexandro already told... a direct upgrade/migration from 5.5 to 6.7 is not possible. Maybe your colleague  installed a fresh vCenter and import the Hosts with the VMs. Than for sure you will get new IDs within the vCenter Database.

Regards,
Joerg

[jburen]

Assuming the upgrade was done according to the VMware documentation I think you have to connect Zerto to the new vCenter Server appliance.

From Upgrading/Replacing a vCenter Without Affecting Zerto Virtual Replication - MyZerto  : If preservation of the vCenter database is not an option, then Zerto Virtual Replication will need to be re-installed on the site whose vCenter is being upgraded or replaced.

[JDMils_Interact]

So, if I upgrade from 5.5 to 6.0 then 6.0 to 6.7, do I have the option to preserve the database and ensure the MobIDs remain the same?

If this is the case, then why Zerto lost "connection" to the objects in the vCenter database is a mystery. Because we noticed it about a few days later, the Zerto logs were recycled and we could not see what actually happened from Zerto's perspective.

[IRIX201110141]

So, if I upgrade from 5.5 to 6.0 then 6.0 to 6.7, do I have the option to preserve the database and ensure the MobIDs remain the same?

Yes. But its no options its automaticly done and you have nothing to select.

Regards,
Joerg