ESX5 with ESX 4 servers - Urgent questions.

[samuk]

We have 2 ESX 4 servers in a cluster, with SAN storage atatched. HP BL460 G1.

I have just deployed ESX5 to a HP BL460 g7 server.

Quesitons:

• Can i present the datastores that are presented to ESX 4 to ESX 5?
• Can i add the g7 server to the g1 cluster?
• Can i vmotion machines from the g1 cluster to the g7 cluster? unsure of the CPU changes?

Thanks in advance..

[Mauro Bonder]

samuk wrote:

We have 2 ESX 4 servers in a cluster, with SAN storage atatched. HP BL460 G1.

I have just deployed ESX5 to a HP BL460 g7 server.

Quesitons:

• Can i present the datastores that are presented to ESX 4 to ESX 5?
  

yes you can present without problems

Can i add the g7 server to the g1 cluster?

• Can i vmotion machines from the g1 cluster to the g7 cluster? unsure of the CPU changes?
  

no and no, you need configure cluster to use EVC MODE - http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1003212

[samuk]

Thanks for the quick response.

This ESX server does not need to be in the same cluster as the ESX 4 servers.

I do need to one time migrate 3 servers from the ESX 4 cluster to the ESX 5 server. Can i add the ESX 5 server to the exisitng vcenter, switch off the VM and migrate?

[samuk]

Okay, i cant add the ESX 5 to the current vCenter.

Vcenter version is 4.0.

Any thoguths?

[vmroyale]

Hello.

I do need to one time migrate 3 servers from the ESX 4 cluster to the  ESX 5 server. Can i add the ESX 5 server to the exisitng vcenter, switch  off the VM and migrate?

You will need vCenter Server 5 to manage the ESXi 5 host. Once you get vCenter Server to v5, then yes you can power off the VM and migrate it to your new cluster.

Good Luck!

[samuk]

So if i upgrade to vcentre 5 can i still see the ESX 4 hosts?

[Kapil84]

Hi,

Yes if you upgrade vcenter 5.0 then you can manage ESX 4.

vCenter Server 5.0  is compatible to all ESX 4.x and ESXi 4.0 and ESXi5.0 hosts. Except ESX/ESXi 4.0 Update 2 is not supported for use with vCenter Server 5.0

Regards,

KB

[samuk]

thanks KB

what update does my ESX 4 build equate to?

ESX 4.0.0 261974

[Kapil84]

Hi

Your  ESX 4.0.0  261974 is equate to  VMware ESX 4 Update 2.

Cross Check below Link.

http://downloads.vmware.com/d/details/esx40u2/ZHcqYmRoZWViZHR3ZA==

Regards,

KB

[samuk]

Okay,

so i need to upgrade the ESX 4 hosts to Update 4 first. then upgrade the vcenter 5.

[Mauro Bonder]

if you want, you can check all compatibility --> http://partnerweb.vmware.com/comp_guide2/sim/interop_matrix.php?

[Kapil84]

Hi,

If you want to upgrade your vCenter to 5.0 and want to run you current ESX 4.0 host environment then you need yo upgrade your ESX 4.0 update 2 host.

You can update your ESX 4.0 host to ESXi 4.1 or ESXi5.0.

Regards,

KB.

[burdweiser]

remember to keep your datastore volumes on VMFS3 until all the hosts are v5, then you can upgrade the datastore to VMFS5. vSphere 4 hosts cannot use VMFS5.