VMware ESXi host 4.1 not able to see the VMFS5 datastore configured on ESXi host5.5

[vickyshiv123]

Hi,

Could anyone please assist on the below

Our customer has 3 standalone  ESXi4.1 hosts(standard) without vCenter server and about 15 VMs are currently residing on HP MSA storage(configured as VMFS3), our objective is to install 2 new ESXi5.5 hosts and vCenter server 5.5 as a VM on new a HP3PAR storage.

Then Migrate all the 15VMs to a new ESXi 5.5 hosts(standard) and also to new a HP3PAR storage

Now, we have installed 2 new ESXi 5.5 hosts and configured vCenter server 5.5 (added 2 hosts). Configured VMFS5 datastores

The issue is the ESXi host 4.1 hosts couldn't able to see the VMFS datastores configured on the ESXi host 5.5

For your kind information, HP folks have already mapped all the 3PAR SANvolumes (datastore LUNs) to the 5 ESXi hosts (2- ESXi 5.5, 3- ESXi 4.1) as a shared storage

Does the  ESXi host 4.1 supports VMFS5 or anysort of upgrade needs to be done on the hosts level or on the datastore level

Please advise on how to proceed, we have to perform the migration by this Friday

Thanks in advance

Much appreciate your help

Regards,

Vick

[rcporto]

ESXi 4.x does not support VMFS5, this is the reason why your ESXi 4.x don't see the datastores created on VMFS5. You have two options:

1. instead of map the VMFS5 to the ESXi 4.x hosts, map the VMFS3 to the ESXi 5.x hosts, since the ESXi 5.x supports VMFS3 and VMFS5.

2. create a datastore on ESXi 5.x hosts formating as the VMFS3, instead of VMFS5.

[vickyshiv123]

Hi Richardson,

Thanks for your prompt reply

Suppose if i go with option 1.

Is it possible to do storage vMotion (hot migration with VMs running from VMFS3 to VMFS5)?

Kindly advise

Vick

[rcporto]

Is it possible to do storage vMotion (hot migration with VMs running from VMFS3 to VMFS5)?

Yes, it is possible 🙂

[vickyshiv123]

Hi Richardson,

Thanks again

Then will map the VMFS3 to the two new ESXi 5.5 hosts and then add 3 ESXi hosts 4.1 to the new vCenter server 5.5

Do a vMotion and storage vMotion to the respective ESXi 5.5 hosts and to the new VMFS5

I guess there shouldn't be any issue correct?

Regards,

Vick

[rcporto]

I guess there shouldn't be any issue correct?

One possible issue is that you may not be able to vMotion VMs from ESXi 4.1 hosts to ESXi 5.x hosts if physical processors differ. Then, you will may need shutdown the virtual machines on ESXi 4.1 hosts and power on the virtual machines on ESXi 5.x hosts and the do storage vMotion from VMFS3 datastores to VMFS5 datastores.

[vickyshiv123]

The 3 ESXi hosts 4.1 are running on HP Blade center c3000 , whereas two 2 ESXi hosts running on HP DL380 Gen9, if I am not wrong the physical processor should differ

Is it possible to configure HA and enable EVC then perform a vMotion?

Regards,

Vick

[rcporto]

Is it possible to configure HA and enable EVC then perform a vMotion?

Yes, it is possible, but if your VM can afford some downtime (just a reboot), I will recommend you continue with my recommendation from previous post.

[vickyshiv123]

Hi Richardson,

One small clarification

The VMware cluster has been configured with 2 ESXi 5.5 hosts

Actually in the VMware vSphere HA the Host Isolation response has been configured as" Leave Powered on", suppose if we want to test the failover by shutdown one of the ESXi hosts, will the VMs restart on the another ESXi hosts?

One more thing, on the admission control policy is it advisable to configure it as " Host failures the cluster tolerates as 1" or "Specify failover hosts" option should be selected

Please advise on this

Much appreciate your help

Thanks

Vignesh