Specifications

Back Up and Move a Local vCenter Server Database
Before you upgrade vCenter Server, back up the vCenter Server database. Migrating vCenter Server with a
local database to a new machine, you have several options for moving the database to the new machine.
If your database is remote from VirtualCenter or vCenter Server, you do not need to move the database after
you back it up.
Procedure
u
If your database is local to VirtualCenter or vCenter Server, and you want it to remain local after the
upgrade, choose one the following options.
Option Description
Microsoft SQL Server Express
database
If the database was installed by the vCenter Server installer, back up the
database, and move the database along with other configuration data
using the data migration tool.
If the SQL Server Express database was not installed by the vCenter Server
installer, back up the database and restore it onto the machine that you are
installing vCenter Server on.
Microsoft SQL Server database
Do one of the following, but consider the downtime required. Consult
your organization's database administrator.
n
Back up the database, detach the database, and attach it to the machine
that you are installing vCenter Server on.
n
Back up the database, and restore it onto the machine that you are
installing vCenter Server on.
Other local databases
Back up the database, and restore it onto the machine that you are
installing vCenter Server on.
What to do next
Back up the VirtualCenter or vCenter Server configuration using the data migration tool.
Back Up and Restore a Microsoft SQL Database
Before you perform an upgrade to vCenter Server on a new machine, you might want to move the database.
For example, if your database currently resides on the same machine as vCenter Server, you might want to
move it to the same machine you move vCenter Server to. To move a Microsoft SQL Server database, you
can perform a backup and restore operation.
Consult your database administrator or see your database documentation about backing up and restoring
databases.
The machine with the VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 6 or vCenter Server 4.x database is called the source
machine. The machine that the vCenter Server 5.0 database will reside on is called the destination machine.
Prerequisites
n
Verify that you have a VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 6 or vCenter Server 4.x system running with a local or
remote Microsoft SQL Server database.
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Verify that Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio are installed on the
source machine and the destination machine.
Chapter 4 Upgrading to vCenter Server 5.0
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