Backing up and restoring vCenter Server 4.x and 5.0
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Backing up and restoring vCenter Server 4.x and 5.0

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Article ID: 308797

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Updated On:

Products

VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

This article provides instructions on backing up and restoring VMware vCenter Server 4.x and 5.0.

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 4.0.x
VMware vCenter Server 4.1.x
VMware vCenter Server 5.0.x

Resolution

VMware vCenter Server 4.x and 5.0 require that the database and ADAM (VMwareVCMSDS) data be backed up.

Note: The ADAM data is backed up every 5 minutes into the vCenter Server database. To back up the latest update of ADAM data, ensure that the VMware VirtualCenter Management Webservices service has been running for at least 5 minutes before stopping the other vCenter Server services.

This requires a procedure similar to upgrading vCenter Server 2.5 to vCenter Server 4.x or from vCenter Server 4.x to 5.0.

Back up

  1. Stop the VMware VirtualCenter Service, VMwareVCMSDS, and the Database service. For more information, see Stopping, starting, or restarting vCenter services (1003895).

  2. Back up the vCenter Server database. For more information, see Backing up the vCenter Server database running on Microsoft SQL or SQL Express server (2012138).

    This backup includes backing up ADAM information.

  3. Backup the SSL certificate folder at:

    • Windows 2003: %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter
    • Windows Vista and 2008 Server: %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\VMWare\VMware VirtualCenter

Restore

  1. Restore the database.

  2. Restore SSL certification. Copy the backed up SSL certificate folder to the same path on the destination. Create the folder if it does not already exist.

    Note: If you are using a custom rui.crt file, ensure that the file starts with -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE----- and ends with -----END CERTIFICATE-----

  3. Prepare a DSN that points to the database.

  4. Install vCenter Server 4.x or 5.0 and connect it to the database during the installation. ADAM information is restored by this process. If vCenter Server 4.x was installed on the target operating system to restore, you need to uninstall it before the restoration.

Note: On vSphere 5.0 you should also back up the Inventory Service database as part of your regular vCenter Server database administration.



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