Hello,
I am testing a vSphere upgrade in a test network. Basically I restored, using Veeam a DC, Internal CA and our vCenter windows VM's into their own test network, internet access provided by proxy when needed via Veeam SureBackup Lab Proxy.
Anyway I learned through the process that vSphere 6.1 will require a SQL upgrade. No problem, Upgraded SQL express 2005 to 2012. Sucessful so I performed the same upgrade in the live environment, as well as remove and recreate the ODBC drivers using the updated SQL Server 11.0 client.
So now in my lab vCenter 6.0U2 is up and running, esxi hosts obviously "not responding" since this is just a lab for learning... but the next thing I need to figure out is how to get SRM and vSphere replication upgraded. I don't think I can test vSphere replication as this is in a test network with no actual ESXi hosts, but I should be able to get the SRM components installed correct?
Coming from vCenter serve 5.0 update 3, we were on the vSphere replication that involved 2 VM's, a management server and a replication server, version number 1.x. SRM is version 5.0.3.
For no good reason it doesn't seem like VMWare built in upgrade routines to take you from 5.0.3 directly to 6.1, unlike vCenter server which has no qualms about such a big jump (must be two different teams with different motivational levels). So I take it you have to take SRM 5.0.3 to 5.5.1-3572851 and then take that 5.5.1 to 6.0 and then take 6.0 to 6.1, according to the upgrade path.
However I go to install it and first it warns me that I need to create a 64-bit DSN. I believe that is done by running C:\windows\syswow64\odbcad32.exe, so I do so and I create the same DSN name and pointer that I have under C:\windows\system32\odbcad32.exe. That should take care of the requirement I would think, anyway in both cases doing a "TEST" indicates a successful connection to the database. The next step asks if I want to include VSphere Replication, yes I do, then finally credentials to the vCenter server. I enter the brand new Administrator@vsphere.local credentials that I created during the 6.0U2 upgrade (which work great by the way either with the C# client or the web interface), but when I click next I get an "Internal error: unexpected error code: -1.". First thing I do with such a message is google it, along with Site Recovery Manager. Since I'm not coming up with anything clear from others I decided to post here.
Any idea the best upgrade path? Should I just start SRM over? What ramifications would I have? I'm replicating 28 VM's, and if its just a days work great... however if ALL the data has to be deleted and then rehydrated over the 50mbps wan, it could take a month.