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JB BlancoFlag for United States of America

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Move ESXi Hosts from Non EVC Cluster to an EVC Enabled CLuster

vCenter Version: vSphere Client version 6.7.0.40000
ESXi Version: 6.5 10719125

Need to move ESXi hosts(Haswell CPU Generation) from Cluster 1 to Cluster 2 (EVC Enabled Cluster)
Need to know if this approach will work with no down time:

Cluster 1 (EVC Disabled)


Cluster 2 (EVC Enabled - Haswell CPU Level) (Currently No ESXI Hosts Exist in Cluster!!)

Each ESXi Host is at the same CPU level as Cluster 2 (EVC Enabled - Haswell CPU Level)
I cannot simply move the esxi hosts because there are not enough resources in Cluster 1 to compensate VM's if even one ESXi hosts were to enter maintenance mode.

So instead i will

1.) disconnect each ESXi host in Cluster 1 from VC and remove one by one
2.) Add each host to New EVC Enabled Cluster 2

Will this work without down time??
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
Avatar of Seth Simmons
Seth Simmons
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Hi,

AFAIK both should work, moving hosts after disconnect from cluster1, or moving VMs as suggested before
Avatar of JB Blanco

ASKER

should be fine just by doing vmotion and shouldn't need to do anything with the hosts
i'm dealing with this as we speak.  had a call yesterday with support about my environment
current servers are 4 years old and just got new ones
can't enable EVC without turning off everything first which can't happen
even if EVC was enabled, can't move because they are different CPU family
for you, should be able to move across clusters being the same CPU family
just to be sure though, you can create a small windows system and test moving that before doing your other guests if you are uncertain
once the guests are all moved, then move the old hosts to the new cluster

Perhaps you misread my question.  I just now edited the question so that its more clear.  I do not have any ESXi hosts currently in CLUSTER 2.

So i have to move ESXi hosts before i can vmotion between theclusters.  I was told by vMware support that even if i disconnect hosts from one cluster then remove them and re-add them to the new cluster, i will have issues still even though they are at the same CPU level as the Cluster is set to.  They said the VM's will have to be shut off!.  It does not make sense to me if they are the same CPU level as what the Cluster is set to.  You think vMware is wrong?  what is your experience?
So why creating a new cluster ?
If no particular reason, you should simply be able to enable EVC at Haswell Level on your existing cluster!
So why creating a new cluster ?
If no particular reason, you should simply be able to enable EVC at Haswell Level on your existing cluster!

Really?

Don't you see the dilemma i have here??

Obviously we dont want to have to power off all the VM's on all the ESXi hosts in cluster 1.  

vMware support has stated that the VM's running on the hosts will need to be rebooted.
mean you should be able to enable EVC now
what is your purpose here? clarify
why creating another cluster with the same hosts ?
trying to avoid having to power off 90+ production VM's!

thought that perhaps if i create a new cluster with EVC Enabled i can slowly move the hosts over to it without having to power off VM's since they are at the same CPU level as the EVC Mode on the new cluster.  

The reason i am moving the Haswell CPU hosts to the new Cluster is because we have 3 Broadwell CPU ESXi hosts currently in Cluster 1 that cannot vmotion to the Haswell CPU hosts.  So i wanted to separate them and then slowly add the 3 Broadwell Hosts to the New EVC Enabled Cluster one by one.  Trying to limit the amount of PRODUCTION VM'S THAT WE HAVE TO POWER OFF
easy
you should calm down man, if you want some help
I know what is EVC and that your question is about not shutting down VM, you told us that many times, repeating is useless, in capital or bold or not
But you never told us about these Broadwell CPU hosts, and your real purpose here, that's a first one
I am calmly trying to understand your matter. Is it urgent, does your production is down? I don't think so. I think you're angry because I did not understood you as fast as you want, because you explain your issue in small bricks
You know well about the situation you're in, we, we only know about what you tell us.

Everything is here :
EVC has cpu levels
Haswell is level 6
Broadwell is level 7
you got to put every hosts in a cluster with the smaller EVC level in order to vmotion btw every hosts
BUT, VM already powered up on a broadwell won't let you move their hosts in a haswell EVC level cluster

https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/1003212

Now if other experts want to help you I will let them do, unless you change your attitude!