Hi,
i need to update a scenario with vcenter 6.0 and vsphere 6.0 to the latest one which is 7. Can i apply the latest update directly?
In the case of vcenter (vcsa) I always install a new vcenter, but in this scenario I have a vsphere replication.
What better option?
There are two servers with vsphere esxi, a vcenter and a vsphere replication.
Thank you.
Hey sandroalvesbrasil,
Before starting the upgrade you need to have a lot of considerations based on your current versions:
Having said that I suggest you the following:
That is the recommended matrix to follow by VMware and remember, there is no combination possble for having vSphere Replication fully functional at all time as the version you have is really old and at that time there was a one-to-one compatibility between vSphere and vSphere Replication. Of course you can do other intermediate upgrade for vSphere Replication if needed but this will only to accommodate different maintenance windows if needed.
Read it carefully and in case you do not understand something, let me know :smileygrin:
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Hi, hope you are doing fine.
Regarding vSphere upgrade:
1. Please make sure if hardware is compatible with vSphere 7 in VMware HCL.
2. Are you using vCenter with an embedded PSC or External PSC?
Here is what I Would do:
1. take a backup of the VCSA (snapshot, file and external tool)
2. upgrade VCSA to vSphere 7
3. empty your hosts and upgrade manually one by one.
Regarding vSphere replication:
Upgrading vSphere Replication
Warm regards
Hi,
You need intermediate hops for upgrading vCenter, ESXi and vSphere Replication. You need to check the the compatibility matrix for upgrade. as you can see below. In environment using vSphere replication then follow this link to follow order for upgrade.Order of Upgrading vSphere and vSphere Replication Components
VMware Product Interoperability Matrices
Let me tell you that the approach you are following to "ugprade" re-installing the vCenter is never a good choice as it involver multiple operations and you will lose useful metrics that mosts of the external solutions uses.
However you need to plan the upgrade when having multiple solutions and that depends on which versions do you have. So please share here the next:
Hi, Lalegre
I describe the settings below.
I like to install everything new.
I see that the R520 can migrate up to 6.5 U3, while the R530 can reach up to 7.
I have two host with R520 with a vCenter (Site 1)
- Some servers on host 1 replicate to host 2
I have two host with R530 with a vCenter (Site 2)
- Some servers on host 1 replicate to host 2
ESXi Hardware model, vendor and CPU: Dell R520 / R530
ESXi version: ESXi 6.0 U2
vSphere Replication version: 6.1
vCenter Server version: 6.0
vCenter Server type (VCSA or Windows): VCSA
Type of deployed topology: Embedded
Thank you.
nachogonzalez
Direct upgrade to VCSA 6.5 or 7 will it work?
I use everything in the VCSA.
Yes, a direct upgrade of VCSA 6.5.0 to 7.0 is possible. Did not read the upgrade matrix?
Regards,
Joerg
Hey sandroalvesbrasil,
Before starting the upgrade you need to have a lot of considerations based on your current versions:
Having said that I suggest you the following:
That is the recommended matrix to follow by VMware and remember, there is no combination possble for having vSphere Replication fully functional at all time as the version you have is really old and at that time there was a one-to-one compatibility between vSphere and vSphere Replication. Of course you can do other intermediate upgrade for vSphere Replication if needed but this will only to accommodate different maintenance windows if needed.
Read it carefully and in case you do not understand something, let me know :smileygrin:
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Understand, Lalegre
Is using the update strategy safe?
Wouldn't installing a new vcenter in the latest supported version and then deploy vsphere replication also be more secure?
I say this because some say the upgrade is not very safe for vCenter when I read it at the time that I upgraded an environment with vCenter Windows.
I can make a first attempt and evaluate the result, as I will have to perform this procedure in five other regions.
The only action I really need to do is vSphere ESXi and I will inevitably have downtime.
Thank you.
IRIX201110141 Sorry, I actually asked because I read that I couldn't do it straight from 6.0 to 7. I got it wrong.
Hey sandroalvesbrasil,
Of course always there are some risks during the upgrade as you cannot prevent everything and some random issues could appear but what I described are the supported paths to do and yes, is complex and have a lot of jumps.
From my point of view, install a new vCenter just for update is not a choice as there are a lot of metrics lost in that process and you will need to reconfigure everything again. Of course that is what I think and of course one point is what it should be done and another point is how it applies to every business reality.
So if you ask me, yes, installing a new vCenter and vSphere Replication is much easier but as you said you will have downtime as you do not have the ability to vMotion VMs to a secondary host under the same vCenter (Assuming you have the license for that). The ESXi will need to be updated before adding to vCenter as it will be not compatible.
The good thing talking about the Replicas is that you can maintain the replicas and use the files as seeds to really decrease the time needed for the first replication: Replicating Virtual Machines Using Replication Seeds
sandroalvesbrasil
No. Youre right and iam wrong. I missread that youre already on VCSA 6.5. This is the earlisten version which can be upgraded to 7.0 directly. But youre on VCSA 6.0 right? Than is the answer "no".
Btw.:
Regards,
Joerg
Hi, Lalegre
yes, of course everything depends on each scenario.
As this environment is small and does not have a complex configuration, that is, it is a simple vCenter with vSwitch Standard and nothing else.
VSphere Replication is also configured to replicate two machines only.
It is an environment with two hosts and four virtual machines on each host.
So I keep asking myself, is it worth upgrading everything?
Regarding updating the host first, yes I am aware. The last few times I deployed vCenter to the environment as it was (old versions) and after updating the host I inserted these into vCenter.
In the previous cases it was vCenter Windows yet this is the first scenario with VCSA that I work with.
Thank you.
Hey sandroalvesbrasil,
Giving your scenario then not, is not worth it. Go ahead by installing a new vCenter Server and configure everything again it will be less complex and by upgrading it you won't get any different benefit than by installing manually.
All my considerations were described in the previous comments.