upgrading VCenter 4.1u3 with builtin SQL 2005 Express to v5.1 ?

[AlbertWT]

Hi People,

Can anyone please clarify me if the upgrade path is supported with no possible issue for my scenario below:

Existing: VCenter 4.1u3 installed as Windows Server 2008 64 bit standard VM with the database running as SQL 2005 Express (embedded).

to be upgraded inline into:

Proposed: VCenter 5.1u1b installed as Windows Server 2008 64 bit standard VM with the database running as SQL 2005 Express (embedded).

Does VCenter 5.1u1 comes with SQL Server 2008 Express or just reusing the existing embedded DB ?

Because when I clarify it using VMware Product Interoperability Matrixes it does not display any comments in the table.

[vFantastic]

5.1 comes with 2k8SQLe. When I did the 4.1-5.1 with SQL express had to rebuild vCenter from scratch as something would cause the DB portion to fail. It took less time to create a new installation than troubleshoot the issue.

[AlbertWT]

vFantastic, what was the error ?

if I do complete reinstall from scratch, what do I have to prepare ? I understand that I will lose all of the historical metrics data.

[nkrishnan · Accepted solution]

Hi,

You can upgrade vCenter server 4.1Update03 to 5.1Update01a, and it retain MSSQL2005 express Embedded DB and data in it. I found vCenter server upgrade without any problem. I believe product Interoperability matrix of VMware tracks only Remote/Custom database not Embedded Database part of vCenter server installation.

If its not a supported database, vCenter server upgrade would have failed to upgrade with incompatible database or given warning.

During upgrade to vCenter server 5.1Update01a, it would ask you to install Single Sign On and Inventory service.

-Nithin

[AlbertWT]

Thank you Krishnan !

so in this case would it automatically migrate the existing SQL 2005 Express edition into 2008 Express edition or do I need to migrate the database manually to the SQL 2008 Enterprise RTM ?

[nkrishnan]

Nope,

It does only vCenter server upgrade and work seamlessly with MSSQL2005 embedded database.

You can also upgrade the database if needed, but that's will not taken care by vCenter upgrade. You have to take back up of existing database, then upgrade to MSSQL2008R2SP1 express edition and restore the data. Upgrade the vCenter server to 5.1Update01.

[Luciano17]

Hello,

I perform the migration of vcenter 4.1 to vcenter 5.1 U1 U1 and were running two instances of sql express sql one with 2005 and one with sql express 2008.

This is correct?

What are the steps to migrate the database from sql express 2005 to sql express 2008?

Greetings.