Windows evaluation expired on vCenter server -- how to recreate in a new VM?

[WendellGee]

For reasons I won't go into in detail, the Windows evaluation period expired for a VM running vCenter server for a project I work on. The license key they have does not match the media they installed from, so once they have the correct media, they're going to create a new VM with the OS install licensed properly and install vCenter Server/MSDE on it from scratch (the same way the other VM was built). What's the best way to pull over as much info as possible from the old vCenter instance? (We can't do linked mode because we can't log in to the old VM any more.)

[RParker]

> The license key they have does not match the media they installed from,

Probalby MSDN, there are different ones, there is an "K" and a VL (volume license) and sometimes MAK. If you look at the licenses for each of those, and get the same license one of them will work, I guarantee.. There is always a repair with the right version you want to use.. that will also work.

This will save you from building an entirely new VM. But VC has NO redeeming value, therefore in reality you don't need anything from the old server. Assuming it's JUST for VC purpose, ALL the data is in the database. ALL

[WendellGee]

Assuming it's JUST for VC purpose, ALL the data is in the database. ALL

Is there a good way to replicate that info from the old DB to the new DB if we end up going the new-VM route?

[RParker · Accepted solution]

> Is there a good way to replicate that info from the old DB to the new DB

Well not sure if you mean Oracle or SQL. If it's SQL easy, just move the entier *.dbf file that VC is currently pointing to on the new DB server. That's why I love SQL server, easy migration.

[WendellGee]

The repair-install worked! We had to reinstall .NET 2.0 and 3.0 SP1 to get the vClient happy again, but everything is running fine now. Thanks RParker!