ESXi 3.5 to ESX 4 Upgrade?

[SteveV4]

Sorry if this is a dumb question but I'm going to ask anyways ...

Can you upgrade ESXi 3.5 to ESX4 (not ESXi4)?

My situation is this, I am finding backup or VM image software is not compatable with ESXi versions so I need to run ESX. I currently run VI3 with two ESXi hosts. I am going to upgrade my Virtual Center to vSphere and my Hosts to ESX4 and just want to know if the ESX host upgrade can be done in one step or do I need to do a fresh install of ESX4 on each host since they are currenty running ESXi.

TIA - Steve

[Dave_Mishchenko]

Welcome to the VMware Community forums. You would have to perform a fresh install of ESX as there is not a direct upgrade from ESXi to ESX (or vice versa).




Dave

VMware Communities User Moderator

New book in town - vSphere Quick Start Guide -http://www.yellow-bricks.com/2009/08/12/new-book-in-town-vsphere-quick-start-guide/.

Do you have a system or PCI card working with VMDirectPath? Submit your specs to the Unofficial VMDirectPath HCL - http://www.vm-help.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=21.

[vmroyale]

Hello and welcome to the forums.

Unfortunately, you cannot upgrade across different versions of the product. You will be looking at fresh installs of ESX 4.

Good Luck!

[SteveV4]

Thanks, thought this would be the case but thought i would ask.

Steve

[Sreejesh_D · Accepted solution]

Steve, Please note, if you are going for fresh install in GUI or Text mod, all partitions\data (including VMFS) in the disk\LUN where you install will be erased. There is no option to preserve VMFS volumes in 4.0 GUI\Text installer. So take the back of your VMs before fresh install OR go for scripted install. Scripted install has the option to preserve vmfs datastore.

:+: VCP,RHCE,EMCPA.

[SteveV4]

I was aware of that but thanks for posting ... very common mistake that is so easy to make. The scripted install I was unaware of so thanks for that point. I do have local datastore on my two hosts that I would like to keep if possible. My course of action will be to move all VMs to other host, upgrade current host, bring back online, add to VC, then move all VMs to it to free up second host for upgrade. Since I am moving all VMs off, I can rebuild local datastores if needed. One of those local stores has nothing but templates but it would be nice not to have to move them.

[Sreejesh_D]

That sounds good. you can find the details on scripted install in Installation guide. http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vsphere4/r40/vsp_40_esx_vc_installation_guide.pdf, see the chapter "Installing ESX Using Scripted Mode".

[admin]

Due to popular demand the "preserve vmfs" option is making a re-appearence in ESX 4.0 U1 in the graphical installer. It will not be available in the text installer though.