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tlouly

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Best upgrade plan for ESXi 4.x to ESXi 5

What would be the best action plan to do this while your vSphere server is a VM as well?  I have multiple clusters on 4.x that need to be upgraded to 5.0.
Avatar of Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)
Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)
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You could complete an in-place upgrade of your vCenter Server 4.1, which will upgrade it to vSphere vCenter 5.0.

vSphere vCenter can manage ESX/ESXi 4.x.

Whilst the upgrade is in progress, HA will still function, but DRS if in use will be disabled, whilst the upgrade is in progress.

Is you current vSphere vCenter Server running 64 bit OS?

Once you have completed the VMware vSphere upgrade from 4.1 to 5.0, you can use Update Manager to update/upgrade your host ESXi 4.1 servers to ESXi 5.0.

if you have no Update Manager, you will have to use the VMware ISO from VMware, or download the OEM version from your vendors website for HP, IBM, Dell servers etc, boot from the ISO and complete in place upgrades or new installations.
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tlouly

ASKER

My vSpere server is 64-bit and I already do have one cluster on 5.  So the update manager can upgrade the rest of the v4 clusters remotely?
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Avatar of Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)
Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)
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ASKER

It is asking for a 32-bit DSN when I try install the DB section. So update manager will not work with a 64-bit DB instance?  Is installing the SQL Express okay with the vCenter server DB on 64-bit instance while Update Mgr is on local SQL express 32-bit instance?
Yes, it's odd, 64bit DSN for vCenter SQL database, but 32bit DSN for Update Manager.

Yes, it's supported.
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ASKER

So go ahead and install the local SQL Express 32-bit?   This DB is completely isolated from the vSphere DB?
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ASKER

No I do not have Update Manager installed.
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ASKER

hey hanccocka,

i got my answer.  it should be installed in it's own DB in 32bit DSN db aside from the vCenter DB.  

thx!
Correct, no problems, good luck with upgrade.