vSphere 4.0 Best Practices
May 24th, 2009 | 
Author: VMware has released a series of KB articles outlining the requirements and best practices for installing vSphere, upgrading to vSphere, and upgrading ESX 3.0 virtual machines to ESX 4.0 hardware. VMware also provides a vCenter Installation Worksheet that could be useful for documentation purposes. Links to these KB articles are provided in this post along with quick quotes and notes providing additional information on each topic. Be sure to read the KB articles for the best practice details.
Installing ESX 4.0 and vCenter 4.0 best practices
This article provides additional steps which may be useful when installing ESX 4.0 and vCenter 4.0.
Notes: This article assumes that you have read the ESX and vCenter Server Installation Guide. This guide contains definitive information. If there is a discrepancy between the guide and this article, assume that the guide is correct.
Upgrading to ESX 4.0 and vCenter 4.0 best practices
This article provides additional steps which may be useful when upgrading to ESX 4.0 and vCenter 4.0.
Note: This article assumes that you have read the vSphere Upgrade Guide. This upgrade guide contains definitive information. If there is a discrepancy between the guide and this article, assume that the guide is correct.
vCenter Server Installation Worksheet
The attached vCenter Server Installation Worksheet complements the information found in the Required Data for Installing vCenter Server section of the ESX and vCenter Server Installation Guide.This guide has detailed information on how to answer each response prior to starting your installation
Upgrading an ESX 3.x virtual machine to ESX 4.0
This article provides information about upgrading an ESX 3.x virtual machine to an ESX 4.0 virtual machine.
Note: The above procedures of upgrading VMware Tools and virtual hardware can be done manually from within each virtual machine or VMware Update Manager can be used:
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Posted in esx, home, how to, vSphere, vmware | 
Tags: how to, kb article, virtualization, vmware, vSphere
“If a SAN is connected to the ESX Server, detach the fiber before continuing with the upgrade.”
Now that's a genuine pain. OS upgrades and even installs of this nature in the datacenter are normally done remotely using remote KVM+Virtual CD, with no need for on-site hands…
One would think that after all these years, the ESX installer program would have learned to play nicely and give proper treatment and precautions for FC SANs, considering most VMware installs will connect to one…..
Changing the hardware, i.e. unplugging all the fibers to a server in order to perform an upgrade is something I would consider an annoyance; the remote hands might unplug the wrong fiber (i.e. the one going to a server not in maintenance mode, instead), erronously plug back into the wrong port, dust could get in the connector…
There are quite a few of things that can go wrong there.
I'm disappointed VMware can't provide an installer that works with FC connected that VMware's confident saying “You don't need to disconnect anything to apply this upgrade”
I completely agree with Dracolith, how can VMware don't see this as an annoyance. It's ok for 1 or 2 hosts but not practical with a datacenter of many hosts. Even if it can be done, there is always a big probability of human error that can lead to disaster.
Great Work !
Regards
{Name}
Can i have more info on this ?
Regards
{Name}
There are other options. Of course, the physical method is the safest. Check out this thread. Look for the section labeled 'Protecting your SAN LUNs during installation'
http://www.vmprofessional.com/
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