Updating from esx / vcenter 4.0 to esxi 5 / vsphere 5

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Just a quick post - haven't looked into it at all yet, but just wondered, how easy is it to update from esx / vcenter 4 to 5?

I have two servers (home lab setup) with ESX 4 on each, managed by a vcenter 4.0 server (a VM).

We are likely to be rolling out VMware in work soon and obviously that will be the latest version (5.something), so I want to be up to speed with it, and I like to use my home servers for studying etc, also dont like the fact that I can't create 64-bit VMs on my current servers (Dell PowerEdge 2850). Also they are massive and noisy so tonight I have been looking at PowerEdge 1950, newer generation and smaller, with 2x Intel 5150 in each, according to THIS link this should support 64-bit VMs?

Assuming these are OK to create 64-bit VMs, I have checked the VMWare HCL and they support esxi 5.0 so I should be OK to set this up on them... my main question is...

How can I go about moving my current setup to the new servers without losing everything, all my VMs etc? my 'SAN' is just my storage PC which has Starwind on it. So would it be a case of just install ESXi 5 on new servers, add them into my cluster, migrate all VMs, and then upgrade my vcenter / vsphere etc to version 5?

Sorry for the long and probably disjointed post, I just fancy getting myself an early Christmas present and don't wanna get stuck with some equipment I dont want / need!

 

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If you want to do the official upgrade route then you would upgrade vcenter first and then update manager to version 5 and then apply an esxi5 upgrade baseline to the hosts.

It depends how happy you are with the set up and I'm not sure how it works with the evaluation time limit whether it resets it or carrys on from where you were. If you have vcenter as a vm then personally I would do a clean install of esxi and create a new vcenter5 vm . once you have the datastores connected to the esxi hosts you can then browse the datastores for your vm's and right click on each vmx file and select add to inventory.

 

Its not massively important to keep the exact setup, it was more just a concern i didnt want to lose the VMs - I only have about 10 in there but some of them I have worked on for quite a while, through my 70-291 study. I guess I would be OK to do a clean install on new servers and as you say just add them to in the inventory...

Just wondered if there was an easier way to maintain all my setup. If i update vcenter to v5, could I then add my new hosts into my cluster, and move my existing VMs over to it, as part of this then perhaps create a new vcenter vm, link it to my existing vcenter server and then... do something? I haven't tried to do any linked server setups yet - just wondered if it was possible...

 

Thanks for the info dales, as this is my next task especially as I now have vcp 4 in the bag want to get vcp 5 out the way before end of Feb, 2012.

 

AFAIK (cause I have not played with link mode much), Linked mode is for viewer 2 vcenter instances and infrastructure under one client, I'm not sure if you can share configurations between the two although it might be worth if you have the time playing with it and seeing it you can use host profiles. personally though I'd still burn your current config and start again should only really take an evening to set it back up again if you record how stuff is configured now. Its all good practice!!

 

Linked Mode won't allow you to migrate anything like configuration, hosts, or VMs between the vCenters.

Scott.

 

Yeh, I dont mind reconfiguring it all, it was more just not wanting to lose my actual VMs but they should be safe...

just building up the courage to splash out £400 on another couple of servers... hope I can make most of that back selling my old ones!

 

seeing as you go for beefy servers have you checked out the vTardis project, Its pretty neat!

 

Looks like fun!

I just run mine with the 2 servers being 2 physical hosts, but I did consider creating a couple of esx VMs to have loads of hosts to play with... might give it a little test run

Ordered the new servers now so hopefully they will be here by Christmas

 

Well so far so good, installed ESXi 5 on the first of the new servers, didnt expect it to work as it has an old BIOS version but seemed fine

moved all my old VMs across in the way you suggested, got one powered on now (running a bit slowly but not worried about that at the moment)

The one thing I wasn't sure about, if it is JUST esxi now, ie. no ESX, how do I use command line?

previously at the console i could obviously log in to the service console, and once activated, just manage it remotely by SSH - is this still an option in v5.0? (please say yes!)

Actually I may have just answered my own question, found "enable ESXi Shell" and "Enable SSH" in the console...

will report back for further updates

 

I have a question for those who know esxi 5 - where is the vmware converter? as in, the plug in, which i could then use to import machines ie. live machines.

I know i had to install it in vcenter 4, is it the same on this? didnt see it as an option on the CD? unless I have missed it

 

Here you go: VMware vCenter Converter, Convert Physical Machines to Virtual Machines

Scott.

 

Thanks Scott - do you know if that is the standalone converter, I know before I downloaded one which could do the conversion, but if I install this on the vCenter server will it become available as a plug-in to vcenter like in 4.0 or does it only run now as a standalone program?

Thanks

 

you can get the standalone convertor for v5 from here As I understand it the plugin version and cold clone versions are only available for paid enterprise subscribers, I dont remember seeing a trial version of vcenter convertor available for labs.

 

My 'evaluation' version of enterprise should have full access to all available things then? It isn't showing as an available plug-in, so wasn't sure if it was something which has been phased out - its not particularly important as I will only be creating virtual machines in my home lab, but just wanted to make sure that when we get it in work, this feature is still available...

 

Converter is now only available in the Standalone format, as per the link I posted - the Resources tab contains a link to the documentation which confirms that this is the Standalone version. In relation to cold-cloning, that has not been supported for some time now.

Scott.

 

Does any know for sure if ESXi 5 will run on a 2850 Dell server? I know you cant create 64bit apps, but just wondering if it will run ESXi 5

thanks,

MO

 

It would be nice to introduce yourself first and say hello etc, that's the norm on this forum and it's polite too

Well regarding your question have a look at the hardware compatibility guide from VMware. See link below:


VMware Compatibility Guide: System Search

I believe there has been a few people that have got this to work using vSphere VMware 4.0 etc. Do a check on Google and see what you come up with.

Cheerio

 

Don't think the 2850 will run ESXi 5, I just bought 2 1950s to replace my 2850s as I wanted to use vSphere 5 - i think on the HCL the latest they support is 4.1... I am currently selling my old 2850s if you want some