How to Migrate VMs between ESXi 4.1 and ESX 4.0

[AmarPatel]

Hi,

We are currently running ESX 4.0 for my existing VMware environment. I've have setup a new ESXi 4.1 environment (with it’s own 64bit vCenter Server) and I now want to link the two environments (ESX 4.0 and ESXi 4.1) together so that I can migrate VMs between the two environments.

I understand that I need to Link them together using 'Link Mode', but I wanted to see if anyone here has done this and if there was anything I need to watch out for or if there was an easy/safe way of doing this?

Thanks for your help in advance!

[satya1]

AmarPatel wrote:

Hi,

We are currently running ESX 4.0 for my existing VMware environment. I've have setup a new ESXi 4.1 environment (with it’s own 64bit vCenter Server) and I now want to link the two environments (ESX 4.0 and ESXi 4.1) together so that I can migrate VMs between the two environments.

I understand that I need to Link them together using 'Link Mode', but I wanted to see if anyone here has done this and if there was anything I need to watch out for or if there was an easy/safe way of doing this?

Thanks for your help in advance!

Hi please follw below document

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=102214...

http://www.vmware.com/support/vsphere4/doc/vsp_esxi41_vc41_rel_notes.html#upgrading

Yours,

Satya

[MartinAmaro]

This is how  I done it in the past....

I backup and upgrade the existing vcenter.

I created the ESXi 4.1 cluster

I built at minimmun of two ESXi hosts

I present a LUN (Migration LUN) to the environments.

I scheduled downtime to migrate non critical VMs using the migration LUN.

-change the policy to "Check and upgrade tools during power cycling" via script (powercli)

- upgrade the hardware via script (powercli)

- had application owners test the functionality of their applications

Built more ESXi 4.1 hosts

present the LUNs to the host

migrate more VMs

There is also a check list that might be useful

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/VMware-ESXi-41-Migration-Checklists.pdf

[AmarPatel]

my mistake! thanks guys!

I'll migrate the vCenter server from my existing  32bit server to a 64bit vCenter server by using the data migration tool

Then add a new ESXi host and vmotion the  VMs across.

I'll update you once complete