Migrate VMware to new hardware

Flash your firmware on your new servers, get the HP Service pack for proliant and update everything

Build your new ESXi boxes onto the latest version, use the HP Custom ISO.

Format the LUN with a VMFS 6 partition, it reports better free space etc.

Then do a storage V-Motion of all your old VM's to your new hardware.

You don't need to do anything special. I mean you could be looking at some downtime depending on things, you can't drop the new servers into the old cluster either. So you'll be looking at a storage V-Motion anyway. I'd move 2 or 3 at a time, then the ones you have issues with do a cold migration (Turned Off)

Simples :-)

The new servers are already built and attached to the new storage.  I need to direct an onsite guy to connect cables etc.

What I have never tried but am wondering if it will work.
On the old hardware Migrate the vms from one of the servers on the 3 node cluster to the other two and shut that node down.  Unplug the two sas cables from that node and plug one to each of the new servers.  Add the new servers to the cluster.  The new server (theoretically) should see the old and the new storage.  Add the two new servers to the cluster and do a storage migration of the vms onto the new servers and storage.  If i do it like this would it work?  would it also avoid down time?

The thing I am not clear on is what do I have to do to get the new servers to see the old storage?

You don't get the new servers attached to the old storage, you have new boxes right, just storage V-Motion them, you're complicating the situation with little need to. Yes, it'll take slightly longer, but it'll be more stable.

Storage V-Motion them over the network, I'm guessing you have fiber but if you don't, it'll take a while.

They do not have fiber, they have 1GiB cables so I was trying to figure out a way to make the storage vmotion go faster.  The old storage is 6 GiB SAS and the new storage is 12 GiB SAS.  I was afraid that I would'nt be able to attach to the old storage but was hoping that I could.  Just to make it go faster.  I am doing the job remotely.

Yeah so, I'm not great with that particular SAS array, I mean assuming it'll even connect to the HP boxes. I mean assuming it does, it'll help but still, you'll have to configure the LUN to share with the new cluster. How many VM's do you have to move?

Right.. That is what I am not sure of either is if the newer sas controllers will attache to that older storage  I am sure it is a different version of sas but was hoping they would be downward compatible.  Fortunately, it is less than 15 vms.  I just wasnt sure if a storage VMotion with such a small pipe would cause downtime.

Oh it'll almost certainly be backwards compatible.

I mean realistically, I'd take the smaller ones offline to do them to be safe. It should be fine but you could end up with it timing out.

OK.. Thanks a lot.. You have given me some things to think about.  I have to present my plan in the morning.  I really appreciate your input.  I will leave the question open for a while in case some others have ideas as well.

Thanks again :-)

I've no doubt Andrew Hancock is on his way soon, he's the real resident expert :-)

Do you have licenses for Storage vMotion?

Why not simply upgrade the existing VCSA > to a new VCSA on the new hosts, and into the new storage. Then you don't have to worry about that any more Then Simply (CPU licences permitting) Add the OLD ESX hosts to the new cluster, one at a time, the VMS that a re running on them will appear in the new cluster (on the old storage admittedly). Then vMotion (licences permitting) move them to the new storage, put the old hosts in maint mode, remove them from the cluster, and rinse and repeat.

You might need a SAS HBA in one of the Gen10s though

You should not have to worry about how long a Storage vMotion takes or trying to speed it up because VMs are moved with zero downtime

Thank you all for your help.
Andrew yes the do have vmotion license.
Andy, I don't understand about the blade center having a sas switch, are you saying that the new servers can connect to the storage device that the blade center is connected to by connecting a sas cable to the blade center?  That would be insanely helpful.  How would I configure that?  What kind of cable would I need?  a SFF8644 to SFF8088?

Thank you all for your help in this process.  You are amazing!