Best practices for physical relocation of vCenter in Enhanced Linked Mode
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Best practices for physical relocation of vCenter in Enhanced Linked Mode

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Article ID: 437936

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Updated On:

Products

VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

When relocating physical infrastructure that houses vCenter Server Appliances (VCSA) in Enhanced Linked Mode (ELM), administrators must ensure that the replication state remains consistent. This article provides guidance on handling extended partner downtime, configuring virtual machine auto-start, and ensuring data integrity during a site move.

Common questions during this process include:

  • How to ensure the vCenter Server Appliance powers on automatically when the host is moved and restarted.
  • The impact on the production site while the DR site is offline for 24–48 hours.
  • Correct shutdown and startup sequences to prevent database inconsistencies.

Environment

  • VMware vCenter Server 7.0.x
  • VMware vCenter Server 8.0.x
  • Enhanced Linked Mode (ELM)

Cause

Planned physical relocation of infrastructure requires a complete power-off of vCenter nodes. In ELM environments, vCenter Server instances replicate vmdir database changes to one another every 30 seconds. Extended downtime or improper snapshot/backup procedures during a move can lead to replication inconsistencies.

Resolution

1. Pre-Move Preparation

  • File-Based Backup: Perform a full file-based backup of all vCenter Server instances in the SSO domain via the Appliance Management Interface (VAMI) at https://<vCenter-IP>:5480.
  • Snapshots: If snapshots are used as a rollback point, you must gracefully shut down all vCenter Server nodes in the ELM group and take offline snapshots of all nodes simultaneously.

2. Configure VCSA Auto-Start

The vCenter Server Appliance cannot configure its own auto-start. This must be done at the host level:

  1. Log into the ESXi Host Client of the specific host where the VCSA resides.
  2. Navigate to Manage > System > VM Startup/Shutdown.
  3. Click Edit settings to enable the service.
  4. Select the VCSA VM and move it to the Startup group.

3. Relocation Steps

  1. Graceful Shutdown: Shut down guest VMs first, followed by the vCenter Server Appliance, and finally the ESXi hosts.
  2. Physical Move: Relocate the hardware as planned.
  3. Power-On Sequence:
    • Power on the physical infrastructure (storage, switches, then ESXi hosts).
    • The VCSA should start automatically if the host-level setting was configured.
    • Once the VCSA is up, log in via SSH and run service-control --status --all to verify service health.

4. Linked Mode Impact

  • While the DR vCenter Server is offline, the production vCenter Server remains operational.
  • The vSphere Client will display "Communication failure" or "Could not connect to one or more vCenter Server systems".
  • Caution: Avoid making global SSO configuration changes (such as adding users or changing permissions) while one node is offline to prevent synchronization issues when the site returns.

Additional Information

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