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Richard Brodean

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Virtual Machine migration from one environment to another, best approach?

Hello all,

We are planning to upgrade our ESXi infrastructure, with new hosts, a new vCenter server and a new SAN.

Our current setup is: Running VMware Essentials with 3 hosts connected in a cluster with a SAN. We are planning to have the same setup as the old one but with newer hardware. What would be the best approach to migrate the virtual machines from one environment to another? Would it make sense to purchase another VMware essentials license and stage new infrastructure along the old, and migrate between the two? What would be the best approach in this situation?

Old SAN is a Dell MD3600i and the new SAN will be a NetApp FAS2620. Old servers are Dell R710s and the new will be Cisco UCS C200 M5's.

Thanks in advance!
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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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Andrew,

A few questions regarding your suggestion?

1. How long is the evaluation mode valid for?
2. Your saying run two vCenters side by side (new one and old one)?
3. Can we purchase another VMware Essentials license and run two Essentials environment's  side by side and accomplish the same as running both in evaluation mode?
4. Can the vMotion be executed hot or should it be a cold migration of the VMs?
5. I hear disconnecting the old SAN is a very sensitive process and should be done very carefully. Is this correct?

Thank you for your feedback.
1. 60 days
2. Basically remove all old hosts from old vCenter Serer, and turn if off, and then add old hosts and new hosts to new vCenter Server.
3. Well you can purchase another Essentials, but it can only manage 3 hosts, and you cannot move between them.
4. It can be performed hot or cold.
5. Not heard that.
No I am not but work with him.

Thank you for the feedback
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Richard Brodean

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Hi Andrew,

Thanks for the info, appreciate it. So basically we would create 1 cluster with 6 hosts, correct? But the one question remains, how would be move the VMs from one SAN to another? Would this be accomplished when using vMotion? In this case, do the old hosts need to see the new SAN and vice versa (new hosts, old SAN)? Are there any compatibly caveats when going from 5.5 to 6.5? VMWare support mentioned enabling EVC mode when migrating the VMs, will this need to enabled in this case?
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No comment has been added to this question in more than 21 days, so it is now classified as abandoned.

I have recommended this question be closed as follows:

Split:
-- Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert / EE MVE^2) (https:#a42486882)
-- Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert / EE MVE^2) (https:#a42493160)


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