Migrating from ESX to ESXi

ESX and ESXi are the same in basis, only management console is removed from ESXi to have smaller footprint.
Migration of hosts should go with Converter, while other options depend of Licencing of your ESXi:
http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1006543

It can be easily done. Although it will require a rebuild, ESXi is now free, so licensing is not an issue?

thanks all, but what you mean by rebuild? and how?

With rebuild, i mean that you have to re-install ESXi on the physical servers that are running ESX. esx installation may detect the ESX installation, so you can choose to remove all partitions and install ESXI. Warning, you need to be sure on what you are doing, and certain that you wan to delete the existing partitions and ESX installation data etc.

Thanks

well, but I do not want to downgrade my system, I need to migrate a virtual server to another location, which will be ESXi.

Well thats easy. Are you using any SAN/iSCSI storage or just local storage?

FC SAN

Hi uaeabudhabi77,

Does that new ESXi server have access to or is connected to the FC SAN as well, then you can simply do a VMotion of a Virtual Machine, from the ESX Server to the ESXi server.

do you mean, to add the ESXi to my cluster in the VC, and then do a Vmotion to it?!!!!!! does ESXi support the VMotion??

Oh yes mate, ESXi supports VMotion, as long as you have the licenses features. Only difference between ESX and ESXi is that ESXi does have the standard Service Console. The functioanality remains same.

well, I can Add it but since ESXi free edition, I can not run the VMotion on it. or can I do a cold migration which i will test later
thanks

With ESXi running in 60 day trial mode, it will allow the VMotion option. Give that a try. Once the VMotion is complete, you can let the VM run on the ESXi.

An alternative will be to shut down that vm, or vm's outside production hours, and copy those vm folders and files to the ESXi  storage, but it's pointless as you are using the FC/SAN.

Or shut down the VM on the ESX Server. Remove the reference of the Vm from this server. On the ESXi server, you can open this VM and start the VM. ofcourse you can do all these via Virtual Centre, or via scripting,please i can't help with scripting.

Thanks
Mohammed Roshan

My ESXi is not connected to the SAN, what I think I can Do is to copy the files from the ESX environement to the ESXi server, but what I am not sure about, how to add the machine to the ESXi??

i'd assume that ESXi and ESX 3.5 are on the same network and easily assesible. I'd also assume that you are using local storage, local hard disk on ESXi server.

Here's what you can do.

You can use Veeam FASTSCP available here: http://www.veeam.com/vmware-esx-fastscp.html
Use this program, basically does SFTP accross the servers.
Before you use the FASTSCP or any other FTP application to acccess your ESXi server;
Here's what you need to do on your ESXi server.
1) At the console of the ESXi host, press ALT-F1 to access the console window.
2) Enter unsupported in the console and then press Enter. You will not see the text you type in.
3) If you typed in unsupported correctly, you will see the Tech Support Mode warning and a password prompt. Enter the password for the root login.
4) You should then see the prompt of ~ #. Edit the file inetd.conf (enter the command vi /etc/inetd.conf).
5) Find the line that begins with #ssh and remove the #. Then save the file. If you're new to using vi, then move the cursor down to #FTP line and then press the Insert key. Move the cursor over one space and then hit backspace to delete the #. Then press ESC and type in :wq to save the file and exit vi. If you make a mistake, you can press the ESC key and then type it :q! to quit vi without saving the file.
6) Once you've closed the vi editor, log out and reboot your ESXi server.

Run the Veeam FASTSCP on your desktop/laptop and see if you can access the ESXi serve..

Browse the VM location on ESX 3.5 server from Veeam FASTSCP and copy to the ESXi server location.

Now using the Virtual Centre, Select the ESXi server and browse to open the vm. there you have it.

Thanks a lot man for your help.