vCenter V4 running as VM - want to move that host into newly created Cluster

[gittro]

Hello:

I've got vSphere V4 and vCenter V4.

I've built two new vSphere V4 hosts.

On one of those hosts I created a new VM which is running vCenter V4.

I've now created a new Cluster with HA and DRS active.

I've put the first host into the Cluster with no porblems (just dragged it into the Cluster and the Add Host wizard popped up) - it had no VM's currently associated with it. I noticed it installing the HA Agent as part of that migration - whole process only took a minute. That migration went fine.

Now I want to put the second host into the Cluster. It's the one currently running vCenter V4. This one is making me hesitate!

My question is - once I tell it to move the new host to the Cluster - will this complete successfully or will vCenter go down as part of this move into the Cluster? i.e. can vCenter stay "up" and complete the move into the Cluster when the host that the vCenter VM is running on is the one being moved into the Cluster?

I know I have the HA and DRS functionality once the host is in the Cluster, but will it all crash nicely during the initial migration into the Cluster?

I've read a bunch of articles on virtualizing vCenter....and it seems rational - there are some caveats and potential issues of course - but this one I'm trying to do is not mentioned specifically.

Any advice or procedure most appreciated.

Many thanks.

[a_p_ · Accepted solution]

My question is - once I tell it to move the new host to the Cluster - will this complete successfully or will vCenter go down as part of this move into the Cluster?

Go for it. There's no need to shut down any VM when adding (or removing) an ESX host to a cluster. The VM's will not be affected.

André

[gittro]

Excellent - I just did it, and it worked....just as you stated.

That's very cool...

Many thanks!

[kcorum]

I am trying to do the exact same thing.... move my vCenter VM to a cluster. When I try to move the host it resides on I get an error that says "The host cannot be admitted to the cluster's current EVC mode. Powered-on or suspended VM on the host may be using CPU features hidden by that mode." So I thought it was a problen with the host where vCenter VM resides. I moved another host out of my cluster, and then I moved vCenter VM to the host that I knew could join the cluster. Then I tried to join that host again and I got the same error so I know the problem in my vCenter VM, but I don't understand why it is causing a problem. I am using vCenter 4.1 and my hosts are ESX 4.1. Any thoughts?

[gittro]

I think I did it another way...

I built net-new hosts and added them to the Cluster. I then dragged the individual VC VM (from a host OUTSIDE the Cluster ) to that Cluster and it moved it. I did not try to move the entire host (with VC VM in it) to the Cluster.

Perhaps VC can't handle that method.

Try moving just the VC VM to the Cluster (VC will decide which host within the Cluster will manage it).

Hope this helps.

Cheers.

Sent wirelessly from Rolf Gitt....

[kcorum]

Thanks for the info. I ended up taking the vCenter VM out of the inventory for the host it was on. Then I connected to the host in the cluster and added it back to the inventory for that host and it worked so now my VC VM in part of the cluster. Thanks.