vCenter 6 Upgrade Options to Enable Cross vCenter vMotion in the same SSO Domain

vCenter
  • Build a new 6.0 vCenter
  • 1 month later, upgrade an existing 5.5 vCenter to 6.0

How to join both vCenter’s to the same Single Sign-On (SSO) domain so they can use to the cross vCenter vMotion feature?

  1. Install a new 6.0 VC (new SSO domain ex. SSO-new-6.0)
  2. Upgrade the current 5.5 VC to 6.0.  Un-install 6.0.  Re-install 6.0 choosing the 6.0 VC SSO domain (SSO-new-6.0)

Note – This will allow you to drain the upgraded 5.5 VC so it can be decommissioned.

  1. Upgrade the 5.5 VC to 6.0  (existing SSO domain ex. 55-SSO remains)
  2. Install a new 6.0 VC joining the 55-SSO domain.

Note-  If you plan to “drain” and decommission the upgraded 6.0 VC, you will need to re-install the fresh 6.0 VC since it was joined the to decommed SSO domain.
As of May 2015, there is no way to dis-join the decommed SSO domain and join to another 6.0 SSO domain.  You can not “promote” the fresh 6.0 VC as the primary SSO domain.