Reinstall vCenter on a new host server running new OS and SQL versions

[palphonso]

Hi,

We have a vCenter in our production environment running on Server 2008 R2 with SQL Express that has been upgraded in-place over the past few years a couple of times. From 4.1 to 5.0 to 5.1 U3b.

As you can imagine, I do not want to repeat the mistakes of the past and would like to reinstall a brand new vCenter 5.5 U3b on Windows Server 2012 R2 with SQL 2014.

Our vCenter has VUM and SSO running also on the same machine.

We have a couple of clusters and hosts running ESXi 5.0 and 5.1 and are using vNetwork Distributed Virtual Switches and vNetwork Standard Switches.

I was planning on;

• Keeping the same hostname and IP address for the new vCenter server.
• Taking a backup of all databases, SSL certs, etc.
• Shutting down the old vCenter.
• Creating a new VM and performing a clean install of vCenter running the same version (5.1 U3b) on it.
• Shutting down all vCenter services.
• Restoring the databases overwriting the newly created ones.
• Starting vCenter services.
• Upgrading to 5.5 U3b from there.

I'm trying to find an elegant solution that will be fast and safe.

I do not want to have to transform our vNetwork Distributed Virtual Switch to a vNetwork Standard Switch unless everyone tells me it's the safest route to take and then disconnect and reconnect our hosts.

Your thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[MattiasN81]

Hi Palohonso.

That is pretty much how you do it with some extra things i would have done

* Because you have your vCenter virtualized it's good to have one NIC on a standard vSwitch where you have your vCenters during migration, otherwise there is a risk of cutting your own legs if the vCenter loses connection to the hosts.

* Do a clean vCenter 5.5 install instead of doing a 5.1 install, if you have a SQL and the old databases inplace and point vCenter to those databases it will upgrade the DB to 5.5 during install.

If you dont have a complex environment with several vCenters in the same SSO domain and linked mode i suggest you start fresh with the SSO domain and SSO database as a SSO migration from 5.1 to 5.5 can be pure hell, the SSO in 5.1 wasn't VMware best product.  

* Backup the config of the DVS, i think the webclient in 5.1 have this function, otherwise you can use PowerCLI or vSphere CLI to acheive this.

* When the new vCenter is up and running import the DVS from the export, that way you wont need to reassign all portgroups to all virtual machines manually, then upgrade the DVS to version 5.5.

* For obvious reasons, don't have both vCenters online at the same time if you resusing IP, Hostname and so on

[palphonso]

The host machine has vCenter Server, SSO and VUM and SQL db are colocated on the same host machine. I cannot install a new vcenter 5.5 on a new host machine and connect it to same old 5.1 db because the DB is on the actual machine. Should I move the DB to a dedicated SQL server before? How easy is it to move the SQL databases for vCenter, SSO and VUM to a new server?

Any other thoughts?

[MattiasN81]

I meant to use the old database not the old server

Moving the databases is quite simple.

1. Backup the old databases on the old server¨

2. Restore the databases on the new SQL server

3. Setup the neccecary SQL permissions to the databases

4. Create ODBC connections for vCenter and VUM on the new vCenter pointing at the new SQL Server

5. Run the vCenter installer.

If you dont REALLY, REALLY, need the old SSO data i suggest you start with a new SSO setup instead of reusing the old one.