Adding ESXi 4.1 host to ESX cluster

[Eagleview]

Can I add a new ESXi 4.1 host to a ESX 4.0 cluster without the HA failing over the servers in the cluster to the new ESXi 4.1 host after it reconfigures the HA for the cluster?

IF it does not is there any reason I cannot add the server to the cluster during the day without any problems?

Thank you for your help with this.

[Troy_Clavell · Accepted solution]

you should have no problems adding the 4.1 host into the cluster. However in order to manage a 4.1 host, you HAVE to be running vCenter 4.1

...on a side note. I usually add hosts into the cluster in maintenance mode. Once it's been added, exit maintenance mode so the HA agent can get installed. Also, none of this will cause an HA event.

[Eagleview]

Thank you for your answer

I already do have Vcenter 4.1. I never added a host on the fly, so I wanted to make sure my 25 servers did not go down.

[ranjb]

This is something I want to do.

I have an ESX production cluster with 3 ESX hosts running 4.0.1 and I want to introduce an old HP server I have but with ESXi and put this into an isolated test environment so I can test Virtual machines...

Would I be able to do this and add a new free esxi machine into the existing infrastructure and keep its networking on a different one so it doesnt interfer with the production environment.

We currently use enterprise plus will I still be able to do vmotion from production esx host to this esxi host?

Thanks

[jose_maria_gonz]

Hi there,

It should not be a problem as Troy mentioned.

The only thing I would worry about it is if you enable FT.

If memory search me FT needs a HA cluster with same version and built number.

Rgds,

J.

My Company http://www.jmgvirtualconsulting.com

My Blog http://www.josemariagonzalez.es

My Virtualization Web TV Show http://www.virtualizacion.tv

[ranjb]

Thanks

What steps would I take to ensure its effectively a seperate entity but still be manageable using the viclient?

Would I be able to create a new cluster within a datacenter?

For example I have a HA/DRS Cluster and then a pool of resources. Could I create a test cluster?

thanks

[jose_maria_gonz]

Hi ranjb,

Yes, you could create a new cluster object under your datacenter object and create another HA Cluster.

Bear in mind that VMs are also VMotion compatible across clusters objects but not DataCenter objects.

Rgds,

J.

My Company http://www.jmgvirtualconsulting.com

My Blog http://www.josemariagonzalez.es

My Virtualization Web TV Show http://www.virtualizacion.tv