Best way to migrate a 500GB data disk from 2.5.3 to 3.0.1?

[Argyle]

I have a VM in 2.5.3 with 500 GB data disk for Lotus Notes. I have installed a new VM in ESX 3.0.1 and want to migrate or upgrade the data disk.

Both ESX 2.5.3 and 3.0.1 share the same SAN and are managed by the same Virtual Center 2.0.1

What is the best approach here.

1.

If I go without a rollback option do I just present the 2.5 LUN to 3.0 in read only format and select "upgrade" on the datastore? If so is the upgrade a timeconsuming process that takes longer the more data you have on disk, like 500 GB in this scenario.

2.

If I want a rollback option I need to copy the data (when the VM is offline). This should be done with vmkfstools from the ESX 3.0 hosts that see both the 3.0 destination datastore and the 2.5 source datastore (in read only) if I undrestand it correctly.

If I just copy over the 2.5 vmdk file and other related files to a 3.0 datastore how to I make Virtual Center see that this is a vmdk that I want to upgrade?

[MR-T]

Upgrading a VMFS volume doesn't take that long.

If you connect the VI3 host to this LUN, perform the upgrade of VMFS, then upgrade the virtual machine hardware and finally the tools, this should take under an hour.

[Argyle]

Is there any difference in the approach if I just want to upgrade a data disk and not an entire VM. I want to attach the upgraded vmdk disk to a VM that already is installed on 3.0.

Also not sure how Windows react with disk signatures but I have to do some tests first I guess.

[MR-T · Accepted solution]

Have a read of this link, it's the same as you're trying to do.

http://www.vmware.com/community/thread.jspa?messageID=540493&#540493

[Argyle]

Nice, thx.