vCenter 4.1 xp x64 to vCenter 5.1 2008 R2

[lnsysad]

Hi,

I want to upgrade out vCenter 4.1 to vCenter 5.1 but the problem is, vCenter is currently installed on xp 64bit.

I have setup a new VM running windows 2008 R2 and installed vCenter 5.1 but am stuck on how to migrate the data over.

I could not link the vCenter servers because it said that 4.1 was not compatible with 5.1

I have tried a full backup and restore of the DB using SQL management studio but now the vCenter services won't start on the 2008 server.

I'm quite new to vCenter/vSphere so I'm not sure how to go about migrating the current configuration.

I had a look around and most topics talk about inplace upgrades, migration tools etc, but these don't seem to work with XP x64.

Please help.

p.s. Our hosts are currently esxi 4.1. I wanted to upgrade vCenter before I upgraded the hosts. Is this the best way?

[William22]

Hi

Welcome to the communities.

I hope you are in right track , but some time it create problem specially 64 bit & 32 bit case.

please share vpxd.log & SQL version you are using .

to find out possibility cause.

"With normal actions you get normal results."

[lnsysad]

Hi

Currently vCenter 4.1 is running on MSQL 2005 Express.

vCenter 5.1 is using the bundled MSQL 2008 R2 Express bundled with the ISO.

See attached logs.

[nive1103]

Hi,

Unless you have changed any vCenter Server configuration as per your environment or as per vendor recommendation, its best to set-up a new database and re-register the hosts with the new vCenter Server.

I too am in the process of migrating vSphere 4.1 to vSphere 5.1 and the vendor recommended to proceed with fresh installation.

The reason they told for fresh installation is that if there was any DB inconsistency, it will be eliminated.

My environment - Windows 2008 R2 Enterprise, SQL 2008 Enterprise, two vCenter 5.1 Servers and around 50 ESXi 5.1 hosts.

[lnsysad]

Thanks, that what I read would be the safest option.

This might be a dumb question, but how do I re-register the hosts?

I start up vCenter and it's just an empty screen where I can choose to create a new Datacenter.

[nive1103 · Accepted solution]

No big deal. Have both vCenter Server's vSphere Client connection in place, create the datacenter/folder/cluster structure you want in your new vCenter.

Disable HA/DRS in the old vCenter Server's clusters. Select hosts one by one in the old vCenter, right click, remove.

Go to new vCenter Server, configure cluster settings, right click cluster, add new host and voila.

Repeat the steps until you complete building your environment.

Finally check for any additional plugins you need to install/enable in your new vSphere Client.

[nive1103]

Also, check the following link

http://communities.vmware.com/message/2196487#2196487

[lnsysad]

What about my current virtual machines in production? Will these carry across?

When I remove the host it says it will remove my virtual machines.:smileyshocked:

[nive1103]

If you remove a host from a vCenter Server, the details about the host and the VM's contained in it will be removed. Other than that VM's will be up and running fine. Once you have registered the host to new vCenter, you can see all the VM's in that host, under your new roof.

[lnsysad]

These are the steps I made.

Disable DRS/HA.

Turned migrated vm's to other host.

Enter Maintenance mode.

Removed Host2

Added Host2 to new vCenter 5.1

Added successfully.

Now it is showing up empty, I had some templates on this and now they are all gone.

I'm not sure how to bring Host1 accross because following the above steps, it wanted to migrate machines to another host before allowing a remove?

Also, are my templates all deleted now?

[nive1103]

Let me get some things clear. Please correct me if am wrong.

* After disabling HA/DRS, you manally migrated VM's to other host, from the host you wished to migrate.

* Did you exit out of maintenance mode after addition to new vCenter server.

Also can you check if the datastores are visible to the host you have added to new vCenter. Also check in the Virtual Machines tab of the host.

None of the VM/Templates will be deleted in the steps you followed.

[lnsysad]

Yes

There are 2 Hosts.

I migrated all machines to Host1 and then put Host 2 in maintenance mode.

Host2 still had some templates on there which I couldn't migrate.

I entered maintenance mode on Host2 and then removed it.

It gave me a warning saying that all details about vm's will be deleted.

After adding Host2 to vCenter 5.1 it is completely empty. I can access all the datastores.

I moved Host2 back to vCenter 4.1 and put 1 vm on it.

I just tested adding the machine directly from vCenter 5.1 with 1 machine running on Host2 WITHOUT removing it from vCenter 4.1 (seizing it) and it managed to add it with the virtualmachine intact.

Seems like there is no way to bring over templates as it doesn't detect them at all when adding hosts. It only lists the virtual machines.

[lnsysad]

I just found this!

http://serverfault.com/questions/455075/vcenter-5-1-adding-v5-0-host-doesnt-bring-in-templates

"Browse to the datastore in which the template is on, find the .vmtx file, right click on it and "add to inventory"."

[nive1103]

Glad you got that working

Once you completed with the migration, check for any orphaned VM/Templates using any custom script or vCheck(http://www.virtu-al.net/vcheck-pluginsheaders/vcheck/).

This will help you point out missed out or un-registered VM/Template.

[lnsysad]

Thank you for the script.

This will come in handy!

I will schedule an outage this week and move the hosts over.

I hope it all goes smoothly.