VMware has ended general support for vSphere version 5.5 on September 19th 2018 and suggested to upgrade existing versions to v6.5. Today we will look at how to migrate existing vCenter v5.5 instanceto v6.5.
I have chosen to migrate from a windows vCenter to a vCenter appliance since those are the popular/preferred installations of their respective versions.
First, as usual we need to download the vCenter Server Appliance installation binary from my.vmware.com.
Once you have complete your download, mount the ISO image and then navigate to the mounted CDROM.
From there copy the folder named “migration assistant” into your vCenter 5.5 Server.
After copy operation completed, navigate inside “migration assistant” folder and run”VMware-Migration-Assistant.exe”.
Migration assistant program will start and it will prompt to enter SSO password for the source vCenter. Provide the password and press enter to continue.
Migration assistant will start it’s precheck run and data collection. Wait until it wait for migration to start. You must not close the migration assistance during the period of migration.
Navigate to the VCSA installation ISO and launch the installer. Then select migration option to continue.
Read through the introduction page and then click next to continue.
Read through the EULA and accept the terms and conditions to continue.
In this window, you need to provide connectivity information to source vCenter Server. After providing required info click next to continue.
You will get a prompt to verify SSL thumbprint of source server. Verify the thumbprint with source and click on Yes to accept the thumbprint.
Now, you need to provide a deployment target for appliance deployment. Provide all necessary information and click next to continue.
You will again get a prompt to validate deployment target. Validate the thumbprint and click on yes to accept and continue.
In this window, you need to provide target appliance VM name and root password for the appliance.After providing required details click next to continue.
Select the deployment size as needed for your environment then, click next to continue. Deployment size should be similar or greater than the source vCenter.
Now you need to select a datastore for new appliance deployment. After providing a datastore and provisioning options(thick or thin storage allocation) click next to continue.
Then, provide required network information and click next to continue.
Finally, review the information provided and click on finish to start the deployment.
This deployment will take a several minutes. Wait until it completes to begin the next step.
After deployment has completed, click on continue button to begin the next step.
Read through the introduction and click next to continue.
Wait until pre-checks are completed.
If your source vCenter has configured with Active Directory you will be prompt to enter AD credentials to add new VCSA machine account to AD. This will replace the existing computer account.
You must provide an account that have privileges to add a computer account. After providing information click next to continue.
In this window you need to select a migration option based on what type of data you need to import to the new vCenter. After selection click next to continue.
If you wish to join VMware’s customer experience improvement program check on the checkbox below and click next to continue.
Finally refer the provided information and check the checkbox to verify that you have backed up required data from the source vCenters. Then, click finish to start migration process.
During the migration, source vCenter server will be powered off. Click OK to accept the warning and continue.
Migration process will take several minutes to complete. You can review upgrade progress from the installer window.
If you switch to windows vCenter you can see migration assistant participating in migration process.
After migration has completed close the installer window. New browser window will open with VMware web client loaded.
Note: Since the version 6.5 VMware has stopped its support for legacy desktop client. You will have to use either flash web client or HTML5 web client.
After the vCenter upgrade/migration you should proceed with the host upgrade to have compliance with current support requirements. You can refer this guide for more information. Even though host versions are different the process is quite similar.
