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doubleH
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Move Virtual Center to new Hardware

I found a few posts on this subject, but my scenerio is a little different...

Ihave my current server (Server A - W2K3 R2 SP2, SQL 2K5 SP2, Virtual Center 2.5.0 U1 with no plugins installed) and my new server (Server B installed just like Server A). I want to keep all my configuration and was hoping that I could do the following....

Server A

Shutdown Virtual Center Services

Detach Database and copy to Server B

Server B

Shutdown Virtual Center Services

Attach Database from Server A

Start Virtual Center Services

I'm thinking I'll need to add the ESX hosts back to the cluster on Server B and then change the licensing to point to Server B. Am I missing anything else?

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weinstein5
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That is correct - your VMs will run on their respective ESX hosts - just remember DRS and VMotion will not be available -

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jjohnston1127
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I would remove the ESX hosts from the old Virtual Center server first, then shutdown services, detach database, move database, reattach, then add the hosts to the new server.

You got it though. I would even keep the license server running on the old server when adding into the new VC server and then change licensing over to the new VC server and make sure everything works then you can comfortably and confidently remove the old server out of the environment.

weinstein5
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I do not think you will have to remove and readd you hosts - because remember the entire configuration of you VC environment is stored in the VC database - so if you copy your database from server A to server B and create an ODBC connector to the new database - you should be ok - and not have readd anything to the environment - just as you do this shut down the VC Server Service on server A while keeping the Licensing Service running until you have it all moved over to the new server

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doubleH
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thanks. i'll post back with my results

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doubleH
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one more question....i'm thinking i can do this during production hours correct? should not cause any issue because the VM's will still stay running. just needed some confromation.

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shane_presley
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That's correct. I did something similar with VC last week. It won't affect your VMs.

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weinstein5
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That is correct - your VMs will run on their respective ESX hosts - just remember DRS and VMotion will not be available -

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doubleH
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Everything worked out well. Here are the steps I took

  • Take backup of Server A sql database

  • Stop all VMware services on Server A

  • Detach Virtual Center database on Server A

  • Stop all VMware services on Server B

  • Delete the Virtual Center database on Server B (database was empty and was created for the installation of Virtual Center on the new server.

  • Copy the database files from Server A to Server B

  • Attach the database on Server B

  • On your Virtual Center user account grant them DBO access to the newly attached database

  • Start the VMware services on Server B

  • Launch the VI Client form Server B

  • You will notice that after a few minutes the ESX hosts will show disconnected because they still think they are being managed by the old Virtual Center Server

  • Right-click and remove the ESX hosts from the cluster

  • Add the ESX hosts back to the cluster

  • Adding the ESX hosts back to the cluster does not put the VM's into any Resource Pools (Hosts and Clusters View) or Folders (VM and Templates View). Move VM's back to the correct Resource Pools and Folders

  • On each ESX host ensure that the licensing information looks correct

  • Test vMotion

  • Add templates back to inventory

  • Move SysPrep files from old Virtual Center Server to new Virtual Center Server

  • Test deploying VM from template. This did not work for me. I received the error message "The virtual center server is unable to decrypt passwords stored in the customization specification" I had to export the customizations (did this before I moved the server) edit the XML file in a text editor and search for the phrase "<plainText>false</plainText>" and change the false to true.

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cisitguy
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I am in the process of moving Virtual Center to another server as well

May I ask some specific questions about the procedure you used?

  • Take backup of Server A sql database

you mean just the VC databases correct?VCDB and VCUM? not sure what VCUM is and if I want to copy it

  • On your Virtual Center user account grant them DBO access to the newly attached database

is the VC user account the vclogin user?

  • Add templates back to inventory

how is this done?

Thanks

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mlubinski
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1. you mean just the VC databases correct?

correct - open SQL server, right click both databases, and do backup

2. is the VC user account the vclogin user?

(this is user what was used (if used) during installation of VC, to access database. So go to Security->Logins, and if you used your own user, then you must do this for this user.

3. Add templates back to inventory - how is this done?

You must select ESX host, then go to summary tab, select datastore on which template is located, right click->browse->go to template folder, select vmx and add to inventory

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adam432823
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Thanks doubleH, your instructions were very helpful to me.

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gemona
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I am in the process of moving the VC to another servers as well.

I don't see VCUM but I do see UMDB. Should I backup this database also ?

-G

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