If you are running vCenter Server 6.0, you must upgrade to vCenter Server 6.5 to set up an MSCS high availability environment.

vCenter Server 6.0.x has 18 services, assuming that the PSC server is running on a different host. vCenter Server 6.5 has 3 services and the names have changed. An MSCS cluster configuration created to set up high availability for vCenter Server 6.0 becomes invalid after an upgrade to vCenter Server 6.5.

The process for vCenter Server high availability in an MSCS environment is as follows.
  1. Remove the MSCS configuration for vCenter Server.
  2. Upgrade the vCenter Server from version 6.0 to version 6.5.
  3. Configure MSCS to make vCenter Server highly available.

Prerequisites

  • Verify that you are not deleting the primary node VM.
  • Verify that the primary node is the current active node.
  • Verify that all the services of vCenter Server 6.0 are running on the primary node.
  • Verify that the Platform Services Controller node upgrade is finished and running vCenter Server 6.5.
  • Collect the inventory database backup.
Note: When you reconfigure an MSCS cluster for CISWIN VC 6.5, before you remove the cluster configuration, make sure that all VC services have "cluster disk on which VC is installed" and "cluster role IP (VC virtual IP)" as dependencies for the VMware vCenter Configuration Service.

Procedure

  1. Power off the secondary node and wait for all the vCenter Server services to be started on the primary node.
  2. Remove the role name.
  3. Destroy the MSCS cluster. Bring the RDM disks online again before changing the startup type.
  4. Open the Service Management view and change the startup type for vCenter Server services from manual to automatic.
  5. Before upgrading to vCenter Server 6.5, change the IP and host name to the IP and host name used for the role.
    You must restart the host and ensure that vCenter Server is accessible.
  6. Mount the vCenter Server 6.5 ISO and start the installation.
  7. After the installation finishes, open the Service Management view and verify that the new services are installed and running.
  8. Set up the MSCS cluster configuration again and set the startup type of all vCenter Server services to manual.
  9. Shut down the primary node and detach the RDM disks, but do not delete them from the datastore.
  10. After the reconfiguration is complete, select VM > Clone > Clone to Template, clone the secondary node, and change its IP and host name.
  11. Keep the secondary node powered off and add both RDM disks to the primary node. Then power on the primary node and change its IP and host name.
  12. Add both RDM disks to the secondary node. Then power on the secondary node.
  13. Open Failover Cluster Manager and configure the MSCS cluster.
    You must use the cluster role IP and host name.

What to do next

When configuring the MSCS cluster, you must add vCenter Server services such as the VMware AFD service and the VMware vCenter Configuration service to the role as resources.