VMware Efficiency Design examples

[jamiestarr66]

Hello all

I have a project that will require to migrate vm's from the following:

        1.  VMs that will be migrated from 5.5 to 6.7
        2.  VMs that will be migrated from 6.5 to 6.7

The VMs in both item 1 and 2 will be migrated to a Nutanix 3 node cluster, the nodes are quite beefy

Here are the tasks I need advice on:

      1. I have RVtools VM's output on both environments to be migrated.  VMs have also been tiered, meaning
          some VMs are classified as critical, important, standard.

       2. Migrate host profiles from both old environments to the new environment.

       3. Develop a Design Document / VMware Efficiency Design doc on how to utilize the new environment.

Is there any best practices docs or examples or even blogs I can use or someone send my way.  I would greatly
appreciate it.

Thanks in advance..

[e_espinel]

Hello

In vSphere 5.1 and later, vMotion does not require environments with shared storage. This is useful for performing cross-cluster migrations, when the target cluster machines might not have access to the source cluster's storage. Processes that are working on the virtual machine continue to run during the migration with vMotion.

I am assuming that each group of ESXi Hosts (5.5, 6.5 and 6.7) has its own vcenter server and that you have network connection between all groups.

1st phase of migration
1. Disconnect ESXi hosts 6.5 from vCenter server 6.5.
2. Connect the ESXi hosts 6.5 to vCenter server 6.7
3. Migrate with vmotion the VMs to the ESXi hosts 6.7
4. Disconnect ESXi hosts 6.5 (empty) from vCenter server 6.7.
5.Connect the ESXi hosts 6.5 (empty) to the vCenter server 6.5

2nd phase migration
1. Disconnect the ESXi hosts 5.5 from vCenter server 5.5.
2. Connect the ESXi hosts 5.5 to the vCenter server 6.5
3. Migrate with vmotion the VMs to the ESXi hosts 6.5

3rd phase migration
1. Disconnect the ESXi hosts 6.5 from vCenter server 6.5.
2. connect the ESXi hosts 6.5 to the vCenter server 6.7
3. migrate with vmotion the VMs to the ESXi hosts 6.7

Most of the activities can be done online, but it is preferable to choose a time when the VMs are less used.

In the end all VMs will be moved from the old ESXi Hosts to the new ESXi Hosts (6.7 nutanix).

The network settings must be the same on the different ESXi hosts in order to migrate the VMs, otherwise you will have to migrate the VMs offline and configure the network connection manually for each one.

You have to think of another plan to upgrade the VMtools and the hardware version of the VMs.

[jamiestarr66]

Thank you so much, a really good start.

What about developing a design that would leverage best practices and how you maximize or fine tune utilization in the new
environment. Also migrating host profiles from the old to the new environment.

[e_espinel]

Hello.
Version 5.5 is too old to try to migrate the profile hosts.

It may be possible to migrate the profie hosts from version 6.5 to 6.7.

My suggestion would be to create new profile hosts directly on the new ESX hosts (version 6.7).