ESX4 with a new DR environment

[samuk]

Hi,

We have a customer who has the following in there main site:

• HP C7000 with 4 ESX Hosts
• VMware ESX 4 update 4
• SAN Storage

The customer wants to implement a DR Site consisting of:

• HP C7000 with 4 ESX Hosts
• VMware ESX 4 update 4
• SAN Storage

Unsure if site recovery manager or Veeam replication will be used yet.

Questions:

1. Can we purchase ESX 5 enterprise licences for the DR site and downgrade these to ESX 4 and install 4 on the Hosts? - so that they match the live site?
2. If we have to install ESX 5 at the DR, can this work with ESX4 being at the main site? or would we need to upgrade the main site to ESX 5?

Any other infomration that could be given would be great...

Thanks

[vMario156]

You can downgrade your vSphere 5 to version 4 licences via the licence management website.

Regards,

Mario

[samuk]

Thanks Mario another few Question:

1. Can VMware Essentials Plus connect to Fibire SAN storage?
2. ESX5 enterpise licence does this come with Vcenter? (if we purchase 6 socets)
3. Would we need vCenter for the DR site? or would these ESX hosts be managed from the vcenter at the Main Site

Thanks

[JimKnopf99]

Question one: yes of course. It doesn't matter which version you are using. You need a hba adapter. That's it

Question two: no. Vcenter need a extra license

Question three: You could manage your remote side from the same vcenter. That's possible.

Frank

[samuk]

Essentials + does not support

Storage APIs for Array Integration & Storage Vmotion

what does this mean?

If the main site has ESX Enterpise, can we install ESX Essentials at the DR site - is there any functionality that will be lost?

or should they be like for like?

[vMario156]

Check out this KB: http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=102197...

Storage vMotion allows you to migrate your virtual disks (or complete VMs) to another datastore without downtime.

Yes you can mix the licences on both sides, but the feature difference is still the same

Regards,

Mario