Currently running vCenter 5.1 managing 100+ hosts and 1000+ guests in development, testing and production environments. Running all components on the same server (SSO, VUM, vCenter, Inventory and Web client)
Need to go to 5.5 and my question is regarding the best approach and what is possible. As I understand vSphere Client 5.5 can connect to vCenter 5.1 and 5.5 so we could keep two vCenter servers in parallel.
1. Is it possible to install a vCenter 5.5 side-by-side with all new components such as SSO and inventory service and then migrate hosts, to finally shut down the 5.1 vCenter server?
2. Is it possible to migrate the vCenter DB’s to the new server to get all information over to the new 5.5 server?
3. Is the upgrade approach the only way forward, where the current vCenter server is upgraded and hosts can still stay on 5.1 until one by one is upgraded? This scenario does require the vSphere clients to be upgraded at the same time though as 5.1 clients cannot connect to 5.5.
Thanks for any input in this matter.
LMT