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hellraiser
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vCenter 2.5 update 6 - possible to separate VUM and VC databases?

We are currently running a VI3 system, comprising 13 ESX 3.5 hosts and a vCenter 2.5 update 6. I am looking at upgrading to vSphere in the next few weeks, but have a couple of questions:-

1) I intend to migrate our VC 2.5 to SQL 2005, but when the VC was originally installed (not by me) both the VC and VUM databases were rolled into one. Is it possible to separate the two databases prior to migrating across to SQL 2005? If I already have the server down, it makes sense to separate them to allow for future growth.

2) The database will reside on a separate SQL 2005 server - can I use the native client off SQL express on my VC, or do I have to install the one off a genuine SQL 2005 CD? Is there any difference between the two? If I use the native client from SQL Express to connect to my "proper" SQL box, will I have the restrictions that SQL Express has?

Cheers

JD

JD
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AWo
Immortal
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Welcome to the forums, Mister Pinhead,

1) I intend to migrate our VC 2.5 to SQL 2005, but when the VC was originally installed (not by me) both the VC and VUM databases were rolled into one. Is it possible to separate the two databases prior to migrating across to SQL 2005? If I already have the server down, it makes sense to separate them to allow for future growth.

Possible? Recommended!!

Read the prerequisites: http://pubs.vmware.com/vsp40u1/install/t_install_vum.html

And read this document: http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vsphere4/r40_u1/vsp_40_u1_upgrade_guide.pdf


AWo

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hellraiser
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I know it's recommended, the only problem is the guy who I inherited the setup from didn't follow the recommendations! I now have one database comprising VUM and the VC in one, I need to know if there is some kind of script or something I can use to separate them into two individual databases, or do I have to reinstall from scratch?

Cheers

JD

JD
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AWo
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What do you need to keep from the existing databases? Are there many customized alarms, etc.?

If not, I would start from scratch.


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hellraiser
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Hmmm I was thinking the same myself Smiley Sad Exactly what information is contained within the VC database? I know there's alarm and performance data, but I'm sure I read there was something to do with virtual network names or similar...

JD

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markzz
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I would take AWO's advice, in fact even if you had an environment which was detup as best practice I would strongly consider a fresh install including DB's.

The routine I've used over the past few years..

We do need performance data for historical reasons as we need to report on these things quarterly.

Therefore we perform our VC updates or more specificly rebuilds on a quarterly or similar routine.

I'd extract the existing performance data.

Document Resource pools and security structure.

Export other relevant details from the VC eg. Farm structure.

Backup the DB's.

Ghost or pull a disk if you have mirrored harddrives..

Uninstall and cleanup or even better drop a fresh OS on the VC..

Maybe another method is to build a new VC for your vSphere environment, this is what Iam doing for our vSphere migration.

All network and SAN configuration is held on the ESX Servers nothing will be lost unless you remove it in the configuration tab..

AWo
Immortal
Immortal

Nearly all information is stored there. When you start from scratch you will loose historical performance data and the some setup things like virtual switches. When you add the first ESX server from scratch you have to recreate that again. Depending on your license you can use host profiles for the other ESX hosts so you have to do that only once.

How many servers, vSwitches etc. do you have?


AWo

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hellraiser
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Around 13 ESX boxes, about 100 or so VMs, and quite a few vswitches... I guess I need to do some documenting! I thought vswitch info was kept at the ESX level, otherwise if the VC was unavailable, how would the ESX servers be able to talk to the LAN?

JD

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AWo
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I thought vswitch info was kept at the ESX level, otherwise if the VC was unavailable, how would the ESX servers be able to talk to the

LAN?

</div>

Yep, you're right. Missed that.... 9090_9090.gif

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hellraiser
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Doubt I will get the money for a new VC, our old VC was running on the worst server in the world (a 2.8GHz P4 with 2GB RAM and off a single 80GB IDE hard disk!) and recently did a fresh install after coaxing them into getting a Dell R200 with 4GB of RAM and a dual core Xeon chip. Built from scratch, with the exception that I had to restore the database off the old VC, so I inherited all the crap from that install. Still runs a hell of a lot quicker than it did though Smiley Happy

The more I look at it, the more I'm coming to the conclusion that I need to nuke the existing install and do a clean install of the VC - would it be possible to use vmware converter to virtualise the existing VC, then wipe the physical box and do a fresh vcenter 4 install? That way I assume if things go missing that I forgot to backup, I'd be able to revert back to the old VC running as a VM?

JD

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markzz
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AWO have you ever removed your VC from for instance your LAB environment?

When you point the VI Client directly at once of your LAB ESX servers what happens? Are the guests running?

The answer is nothing happens and yes the guests are still running.

Of course you will need to re--register the hosts, of course you will need to recreate the DataCentre structure, your resource pools, apply security etc.. BUT the host configuration will not change until you change it via either pointing the VI Client at it or editing it via the VC(vCenter server).

Once you have extracted your performance data to xls or HTM or what ever what is the issue here.. Do you need it live..?

It would be a lovely world if we didn't need to rebuild and everything was always an inplace upgrade but unfortunatly inplace upgrades often perform very poorly.

That doesn't mean inplace upgrades don't work but there is an ideal method and there is the other..

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AWo
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You can also create a new database beside the old one (different name) and point the ODBC driver to that one. Then you do not need to virtualize the VC.


AWo

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markzz
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From a hardware perspective.

I don't advocate buying old crappy hardware.. Implementing old hardware generally just means you need to replace if at shorter intervals. But the VC doesn't need to be an absolute beast of a server.

I use a HP DL380g4 with 2x3.2Ghz CPU's, 4GB RAM, 2x 72GB disks for boot C:\ and D:\ and 4x146GB for other storage functions..

It's a 5 year old server, I guess it's probably worth a few thousand $ but not more than 3..

Consider the used market for some minor functions like this.. I would never suggest this type of option for your Host Servers..

But the hosts can and will run with out a VC.. Obviously your exposed and have no management but the shop will not stop..

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markzz
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your idea of using the VMConverter to suck the VC into the VMFarm is actually one that VMWare suggest as a possible upgrade path..I've read it in a paper some where..

It's a good idea

Fresh is best..

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AWo
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Hmmm, so what...?

Did I say he should make an inplace upgrade?


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hellraiser
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Cheers for your help guys, guess I need to virtualise my existing VC, backup my database and then just go for a fresh install of VC4 from scratch on the physical box.

Never used this forum before, but think I will be using it in the future - you guys rock Smiley Happy

JD

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markzz
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Sorry if I have offended you.

I did think you were indicating hellraiser go down the inplace upgrade path..

I didn't mean to offend.

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AWo
Immortal
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9097_9097.gif

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