fresh install esx 3.5 on vsphere

[vcms]

hai

i havea query for ex i have a vsphere host running 2 vms and i want to reinstall esx3.5 u4 keeping vms intact is this possible

i want to preserve the vms is this possible

thank you

vamshi

[Gerrit_Lehr]

Yes, you could create a backup VM in stand-alone format using VMware Converter and convert it back into ESX after reinstallation.

Kind Regards,

Gerrit Lehr

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[Datto]

If your physical ESX 4.0 host has the ability to use AMD-V or Intel Virtualization you might be able to create an ESX 3.5 U4 VM running on your ESX 4.0 host as a nested ESX host, then use VMware Converter to convert your existing VMs over for use with the nested ESX 3.5U4 VM (assuming this is a lab setup and your not worried about performance of running VMs on a nested ESX host). This way, you might be able to have a physical ESX 4.0 host online as well as concurrently running a nested ESX 3.5U4 host running as VM on your physical ESX 4.0 host. Not supported for production of course but if you only have one lab physical server this might make life easier.

If you use Google to search on the words "nested" and "ESX" you'll find the directions on the Internet how to run nested ESX hosts on a VSphere 4.0 physical server that has AMD-V or Intel Virtualization capability.

Datto

[AndreTheGiant · Accepted solution]

If your VMs are in virtual hardware v7 format you have to use VMware Converter.

If are in v4 format, then you can simple reinstall ESX 3.5 without format your VMFS volumes (but first make a backup...).

Then you can import your VMFS with LVM.resingn, and manually add the VM to the inventory.

Andre