VMware installation option not mentioned, can it be done?

[gary1218]

Hi,

We have a new data center, and all new VMware hosts ready to be deployed. 1Gb connection between the old data center and new. Old VMware farm is 3.5, and new one will be vSphere 4. I've read the upgrade guide, and have not seen the following scenario, and want to know if this is possible.

1) Install ESX 4 on all hosts in the new datacenter

2) Install vCenter Server 4 on one of the NEW hosts.

3) Shut down the Virtual Center 2.5 server in the old data canter.

4) attach to the existing VMware 3.5 guest servers from the vCenter Server 4 (Add the storage and the hosts to the new datacenter inventory.)

5) Migrate through vMotion or cold migration to the new datacenter servers and data storage locations.

Would this scenario work? The scenarios in the documentation primarily discuss upgrading on the same hardware, but we're moving to new hardware.

thanks,

Gary

[Stu_McHugh]

Funnily enought this is exactly whaty I have done.

I have 4 esx 3.5 hosts

4 new ESX 4.0 U1 hosts

Upgraded the old virtual center 2.5 to vSpehre 4.0

After makeing sure all network configuration are exatly the same, vmotion the machines to the new cluster of 4 ESX 4.0 hosts. Also svMotioned machines to new storage. No down time! :smileyblush:

Once you do have some agreed down time, upgrade the vmware tools, shutdown the guests, upgrade the hardware version from 4 to 7. Start up guests, let them detect the new hardware and then reboot.

After all all this wipe and re-install all old hosts to ESX 4.0.

Hope that helps.

Stuart

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[gary1218]

Thanks, Stu -

It's good to know that it can be that easy. What's different about what you did and what I want to do, is I want to not upgrade Virtual Center, but install a new vCenter 4.0 and do the migration with that, residing on one of the new hosts, shutting down my old VirtualCenter server. My old physical Virtual Center server and the old hosts are too slow to perform well, and I'd like to command this transition using the new hardware as the vCenter. If anyone else can comment on that detail, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks,

Gary

[a_p_]

Instead of step

3) Shut down the Virtual Center 2.5 server in the old data center.

consider to just stop the virtual center service and shut down the server later, after you are done with the ESX 3.5 servers.

This is because you will need the old licence server to add the 3.5 hosts to vCenter 4 and for vMotion!

With the old license server running you do not need to install it on the new vCenter server, just make sure you point to that server on the vCenter 4 license configuration tab.

André

[gary1218]

Andre,

Thanks for adding that insight - our intent was to decommission these old servers and move the (now upgraded) licenses to the new VM farm. VMware told us that we could do the migration using the temporary licenses that it defaults to when it's first installed. Are you saying that we wouldn't have vMotion capability with those temporary licenses? That changes everything.

[a_p_ · Accepted solution]

Gary,

you can use all features of vCenter4 and the ESX4 hosts during eval mode, that's right.

However, the "old" ESX 3.5 hosts need to see their license server. They are - what I assume - definitely not in eval mode (60 days) any more

If the license server is not available and you try vMotion a VM from ESX3.5 to ESX4 you will receive a message like "Not licensed for vMotion".

Why I know this? With the first upgrade I did (same steps as yours) I actually ran into this issue.

André

[gary1218]

Andre,

Thank you, that more clearly explains the reasoning. I appreciate the reply.

Gary