reinstall VC Server 2.5 Update 1 on the same box

[eagleh]

Environment: ESX3.5 Update 1 + VC2.5 Update 1

VC2.5 server itself is a VM on one ESX host. Also, it is my ESX VI3.5 licensing server. VC Server is just using the SQL Express, which was installed along with VC Server.

I really want to reinstall VC Server on the same box but keep all configurations. Everything is in production. I want to know if there any best practice for doing this? How long could I bring it down without affecting other VMs on ESXs. What's the worse senario?

Many thanks.

[hicksj]

What are you attempting to accomplish with the reinstall?

VC installs over the top of itself quite well, as all the parameters are really housed in the database. So as long as during the install process you select to KEEP your current database, post-install things should return to how they were pre-install.

(worst scenario is that you mistakenly 'zero' your database. even then you can reregister all your hosts, reconfigure all access permissions, rebuild your organizational structure, etc. I suppose you could use a snapshot, as the database is local.)

Regards, J

[eagleh]

When I tried to install on top of it, it gave me error saying "all components are already installed" and won't let me carry on. I was trying to fix a problem (see http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-3290 ) but I am not comfortable because I know little about SQL..

[kjb007 · Accepted solution]

The snapshot is one of the reasons I switched vc to a vm. As hicksj said, take a snapshot. I'd take a snapshot when the vm is shutdown to get a perfect copy. Restart the vm, then stop vc and the sql install. Save the db files if you want to keep your data. Then uninstall, and then reinstall. You should be able to copy the db files back in place, if that is what you want to do, else dump the data and start from scratch. If something fails, revert and try, try again.

-KjB

[eagleh]

thank you! i think i should take advantage of snapshot!