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I have a vCenter server that is hosed. I cannot get the service to start, and if I do get it to start, I cannot connect to it via the thick or web client. So I am considering setting up a VCSA server in replacement to my windows based vCenter physical server. Now I cannot get on my existing vCenter installation to remove these hosts from their current clusters. Am I going to have any issues pulling these production hosts into a new vCenter server?

ewwhite
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Litzner
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  • No. But why not try reinstalling the vCenter server (or some of its components) before going all nuclear and standing up a new something? (Rhetorical question - just something to think about.... I'm well aware of the pains involved with getting Windows-based vCenter installed and setup in the first place, but I've yet to encounter anything a reinstall didn't fix). – HopelessN00b Nov 19 '14 at 15:58
  • I was having problems with this server already that a vCenter re-installation did not fix. The performance monitoring part of vCenter would not work at all. I have been hearing good things about VCSA server since 5.5 and thought I would give it a shot. Are people still recommending a physical based windows server for vCenter in general? – Litzner Nov 19 '14 at 16:08
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    @HopelessN00b When I ran into too many problems with the Windows-based vCenter, I converted to the appliance. It's been much better since, and VMware is really pushing people in that direction. I don't advocate the Windows vCenter for new installs. – ewwhite Nov 19 '14 at 16:12
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    I think it depends on which people you ask, and what their priorities are. Our decision making-people insist upon it because... reasons. Well, and I seem to be about the only guy in the company who doesn't view command lines as mysterious, mystical black magiks... but I digress. For our use case, the appliance isn't appropriate because of #4 here - Linux expertise. Only you can really decide for you, based on your use case. – HopelessN00b Nov 19 '14 at 16:15
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    If it's any consolation I'm massively impressed with VCSA 5.5 and have seen the v6 version - it's really nice and the update path for that and all the v6 appliances is a joy - if you don't need linked-mode and fit within the 100/3000 host/VM limits then I'd say go for it - though I'd recommend adding a lot more memory to the appliance than they suggest. – Chopper3 Nov 19 '14 at 16:22
  • One more question... Our current vCenter server is a physical box, it is possible\recommended\not-recommended to do VCSA on there, or only as a VM? – Litzner Nov 19 '14 at 16:28
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    It's ONLY a VM – Chopper3 Nov 19 '14 at 16:28

1 Answers1

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No problems at all...

Just deploy the new vCenter Server Appliance (vCSA) and add the extant vSphere hosts. They will lose their association with the old vCenter and join the new vCenter.

You will need to reestablish your cluster settings, rules and resource pools, but that's not complicated.

ewwhite
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