topic Re: Migration vCenter VM to ESXi cluster in vCenter™ Server Discussions

Migration vCenter VM to ESXi cluster

TIRJO — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 13:48:34 GMT

Dear colleagues, I have a problem. I set up an infrastructure with 3 ESXi 6.0 host (old hardware) configured in a cluster with VSAN, using a vCenter 6.7 (VCSA with Embended PSC). The problem is that vCenter is installed locally on a Windows computer as a VMWare Workstation VM. Now I need to migrate the vCenter (Workstation VM) to this new infrastructure with the 3 clustered hosts. I tried using the VMWare migration assistant, but it seems to me that it only works when the source vCenter is installed directly on Windows and not as a VMWare Workstation VM. Does anyone have any tips on how to do this migration?

Live long and prosper,
Marcelo Magalhães

Re: Migration vCenter VM to ESXi cluster

maksym007 — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 20:05:23 GMT

Try to migrate you Windows vCenter to vCenter appliance in VMware Workstation. Make a backup.

Install new vCenter with the same config at vSAN Cluster. And after that start restore/ recover process on this vCenter from old one.

Re: Migration vCenter VM to ESXi cluster

TIRJO — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 16:18:18 GMT

Hi,

To migrate a VM from VMWare Workstation to an ESXi or vCenter, the VM must be turned off. So there is no way I can migrate the vCenter that is installed on the VMWare Workstation with it being turned off, because I would have to migrate it to itself (the explanation was confusing), because it controls the Cluster and if it is turned off, there is no way I can access the Cluster.

I don't know if I can migrate a VM directly to one of the Cluster's ESXi hosts without using vCenter. It would be an option.

I also thought about doing a new installation of vCenter directly on the Cluster and then doing a backup/restore of the current installation on VMWare Workstation for this new installation. But my fear is that this won't work, as I can't put the ESXi hosts inside a new cluster, as they are already in an old cluster.

Re: Migration vCenter VM to ESXi cluster

connecttoduy — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 08:45:30 GMT

Hello

Your case you can using vCenter converter for this (v2v). Remember backup before action. After converted you can stop vCenter on workstation & start vCenter on vSAN.

Regards,

Duy

Re: Migration vCenter VM to ESXi cluster

TIRJO — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 13:43:47 GMT

Problem solved! There is no way to migrate to vCenter with it turned off. So I migrated the VM with the VCSA directly to one of the hosts that is part of the cluster, then I registered the VM with the VCSA. All right now!!!

Re: Migration vCenter VM to ESXi cluster

MShashoug — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 14:08:08 GMT

Excellent job Marcelo.

Moving the (V2V) in the cluster.

Then start with off & On to both respectively.

Regards,

Mohamed.