Moving vCenter Server VM from AMD to Intel Host?

[dsohayda]

I have a 5.1 update 1 vCenter Server VM running on an HP BL685c G6 with an AMD Opteron 8435 processor that I'd like to move to an Intel Xeon blade since it is newer, and supports 5.5 How would you do it?

So far this is my plan based on the recommendation of somebody on another forum;

- configure Intel hosts with same LUN access as AMD hosts

- connect directly to AMD host where vcenter and vcenterdb VMs are running

- make note of datastore location of both VMs

- power down vcenterdb VM

- power down vcenter VM

- remove vcenter and vcenterdb VMs from inventory??

- connect to Intel host

- browse to vmx files of each VM, add to inventory

- power on vcenterdb and wait for it to come up

- power on vcenter VM

Am I missing anything? Has anybody done this, and is this how you handled it?

I'm most concerned about needing to remove the VMs from inventory. Is this necessary?

Thanks    

[markdjones82]

Yes, I have done this before, technically you don't have to remove from inventory, but I would just to be safe.  Your steps should work just fine.

[dsohayda]

I'm just confused on the details of that. So while connected directly to the host running vcenter power it down and remove it from inventory there? wouldn't that cause issues when vcenter server comes up and finds itself missing from the AMD host etc? isn't making changes to VMs directly from their hosts not something you should do when a vcenter server is involved? everything else seems straightforward. its the removing from inventory that has me worried.

[Abhilash Basavarajaiah]

When you power down a VM it will lose the association with that host. When you power it on a new one it will get registered there and will not cause any issue.

You can totally make changes to machines when it managed by vCenter. Its no problem and no rule against doing so. Do not worry about it. It will go fine.

[Vikas Shitole]

Yes, Your plan looks good to me.

[Abhilash Basavarajaiah]

Removing from inventory will not disrupt anything.

And its better to power off the machines as they need to start running on a new processor.