It seems to be a question that often pops up on the VMTN forum, how can I move my ESX hosts to my freshly installed vCenter server? The answer is actually pretty simple:
- Just to be on the save side, set DRS to manual and disable HA on the “old” vCenter server / cluster
- Right click the ESX host and select “Disconnect”
- Go to the new vCenter server and add the host
It’s as simple as that. You don’t even need to shutdown your VMs.
Keep in mind though that you will lose your folder structure as well. (Thanks Joop)
The VC server who sets the vpxuser account password last is the owner of the ESX host.
Duncan, Can’t you just go to the new VC, and add the host. It will tell you that it is being managed by another VC, and it will allow you to re-register with the new VC. I don’t believe you have to disconnect the host before you register it.
Yes that’s also possible, but I like doing things “clean” 🙂
but I think you may lost the previous performance data too. Please correct me if I am wrong.
you’r correct.
Of course, you are moving from one vcenter to another… which means DB move as well most likely.
You also lose Resource Pools and permissions data, least, that has been my experience so far.
My question is this: when I move my ESX 3.5 host from VirtualCenter to vCenter, will the host come up and auto configure itself with licensing? Or do I have to enter the license server into the vCenter Settings first?
Apparently I do need the license server!
http://ict-freak.nl/2009/06/08/add-an-esx-3-x-host-to-your-vsphere-cluster/
In VM’s & Templates view I have sorted my VM’s into different folders. How can I migrate the folders so that when I migrate a host from VC4 to VC5 my VM’s stay in the correct folders.
Hi All,
Just a quick question to all you guys. My current scenario is we have 4x ESX Host v4.0 all connected to VC v.4.0. Everything is cool until last week, when the VC becomes inaccessible via the VIClient, the logs is loaded with all sort of Errors, and troubleshooting the VC creates more new errors in it. So now I feel its more easy to set up a new VC and connect all ESX there. My question is right now all the VMs in all the ESX can still see each other (they are all connected by just one DVSwitch in the Old VC, with using multiple VLANS) . I wonder if I reconnect the ESXs to the new VC, will it create an automatic DVSwitch with all the configs in it? should I backup or copy something from the Old VC Install Directory or configs to make the new VC work like the old One?
Thanks,
James
Hey James,
Did you ever get an answer to your question?
Luis
Hi Duncan,
I need to move our 5 ESX 4.1U3 host from our old 4.1 vCenter to a brandnew 5.1a vCenter. Is your approach still valid in those versions? At least for some VMs I would prefer no downtime.
Cheers.
Hi Pascal,
Did you use these steps for your migration?
Luis
Hi Duncan,
I used to spend time in your posts and they are very helpful for me too.
I need a help from you.
I am planning to move 2 esx hosts and VMs from one location to another location. In new location these ESX hosts should be a part of new vCenter server in different IP network (different subnet). My plan is, once everything is re-connected in new location, we are planning to reconfigure all the networking part of the ESX Servers (hostnames, DNS, Management IP, Virtual switches, etc).
Could you please tell me the cleanest way to accomplish the above mentioned goal?
-Anish Panthalani
Hi Anish,
I feel its good to add new fresh installed ESX host in new vCenter with all those shared datastores where VM’s are residing on ESX host in old vCenter. You can then unregister VM in one & re-register in new in bulk using powershell script.
Hi All,
Summarizing the process, licensing, VM folder structure, permissions, Cluster Settings reconfiguration are the things which I need to reconfigure at my new vcenter. Is there any other thing which need to reconfigure on new vCenter which is missing here?
Just to confirm once i disconnect the ESXi 4.1 host from VC4 and add it to my VC5 will it retain its license or what will happen?
Thanks
Hi Pascal,
I am exactly about to do the same, 6 esxi 4.1 hosts on a 4.1 vcenter server and i set up a new 5.1 Vcenter server, plan is migrate the 4.1 hosts to the new vcenter one by one and after that upgrade them to esxi 5.1 version, did you follow these steps suggested by Duncan and if so, how did it go? any suggestions?
I need all the esxi hosts to be able to communicate between themselves during this process, i am using different vswitches for different subnets also.
Wondering if anybody out there have any suggestions
Thanks very much
Hi
I am about to do this activity for my 6 esxi servers, i have a query though, will it move standard switch and related port groups or i need to create them..
Thanks in advance
Abhi
We have 2 vCenter Server 5.0 in place we were using only from this. Now we are planning to separte and divide our management and production. There are 6 ESXi host for management purpose and we are planing to move these host to other vCenter server. After reading comment here I came to know that the task is very simple. But i have some some to be clear before proceeding with the movement.
1. Are there any impacts on my vApps ? Shall we consider any workaround for these vAPP’s ?
2. What would be the impacts on my Standard Swith and Port Groups. Does we create the same on new vCenter or it will automatically accept the settings from my old vCenter ?
3. What about the ports ? Does we need to open it ?
4. We have vC Ops in our old vC ? As vC Ops is directly linked to vCenter, will be there any issues on vCops doing this movement ?
Thanking in advance.
Regards,
Prasad_K
hi duncan,
if we have distributed switch. and we keep mirror configuration on new vcenter.
when we migrate to new vcenter. whether VMs would capture or get the new distributed switch configurations automatically without any manual intervention.
Hi suchit, i’m planning to do that exact methode, has it worked for you?
hope to hear from you on that.
Thanks