The Impossible Upgrade?

[adminatater]

My goal is to upgrade a host from ESX 3.5 to ESX 4. I have two ESX servers (one's running ESX 4 already). Oh yes, I'm using vSphere to manage the VMs and hosts. It's come to my attention that my coworker installed vSphere in a VM on host A, also on host A is a SQL 2005 VM that the vSphere VM database is pointed to.

Now in order to install ESX 4 on host A, I need to bring it into maintenance mode... at that point there goes vSphere. So that method won't work, I've thought of migrating the two VMs to the other host, but I don't think that will work either.

Any suggestions on what to do?

[AntonVZhbankov]

First of all, vSphere is not a single product.

I suppose you want to say that you already have VMware VI (ESX 3.5 + vCenter 2.5) and vCenter DB is located on the same host you want to upgrade to 4.0. Upgrade is possible.

1) Upgrade vCenter to 4.0

2) Install vSphere Client and Host Update Utility on your desktop

3) Power off all VMs on host A

4) Upgrade Host A with Host Update Utility

5) Power vCenter and all VMs on

6) Reconnect ESX to vCenter if needed

Now you can upgrade all other hosts with Update Manager.

---

MCSA, MCTS, VCP, VMware vExpert '2009

http://blog.vadmin.ru

[adminatater]

Thanks much, I'll try that and post back with my results.

[AndreTheGiant]

See also:

http://www.vmware.com/products/vsphere/upgrade-center/upgrade.html

Andre

[adminatater]

Quick paranoid question, this method won't erase my VMs will it? 😛

[AndreTheGiant]

Configuration will be maintained after the upgrade.

Andre