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vmware consolidate two vcenter in one different ip segments

Ok, we got two VMWare clusters with different vcenters

Cluster A: 4 esxi 5.1 hosts EVC Mode Westmere
management network range MANNW: A
vmotion network range VMNW: A
storage network range SANNW: A
SAN: equallogic iscsi 1+2

Cluster B: 4x esxi 5.5 hosts EVC Mode Penryn
management network range MANNW: A
vmotion network range VMNW: A
storage network range SANNW: A
SAN: equallogic iscsi 3

I have read some articles and dont want to take too much risks because it is an production environment (Cluster B) Cluster A is office and test and development environment so less important.

Goal: one vcenter which manages all 8 esxi hosts. and all storages connected, optimum use of resources, migrating if possible with running vm's of both cluster during office hours.

My idea:

1. first disconnect esxi host from vcenter A. then remove it from vcenter A. Vm's should not be affected!
2. Then update management VLAN network ipadress and gateway.  We currently dont use DNS on cluster B
Best to do this on the console ? probably restart management network without affecting the running vm's ?

Would this be enough to have the esxi host join the vcenter server B ?  and join the cluster ? probably first turn off HA because other wise vm's will be restarted on other hosts automatically ?

After that I guess i can change vmotion networks and add the other SANS to all esxi hosts ?

Or am I overseeing something ?
Avatar of Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)
Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)
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1. first disconnect esxi host from vcenter A. then remove it from vcenter A. Vm's should not be affected!

Correct, vCenter Server is just a management server, all VMs will continue to function.

2. Then update management VLAN network ipadress and gateway.  We currently dont use DNS on cluster B
Best to do this on the console ? probably restart management network without affecting the running vm's ?

This is fine, it will not affect running VMs.

Seems like a good plan. Just a little caveat, if the hosts are of different generation CPUs, you may have to create an EVC baseline.
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ASKER

mmm...i see that my information in the question was incorrect. All cluster have their own ipsegments.

I was looking for the option to edit this but maybe I overlook this possibility or it is just not allowed on expert-exchange.

Will it affect the answer ?
You mean the VMs are on different IP Segments ?

You just need to make sure that all networks are presented to all ESXi hosts.

e.g. they are all identical. - the hosts.
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ASKER

I mean the two clusters are on different Ip segments for management, vmotion, iscsi and everything.....
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
Avatar of Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)
Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)
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