Preparing for the Upgrade to vCenter Server

Before you upgrade to vCenter Server, make sure your system is properly prepared.

To ensure that your system is prepared for the upgrade, read all the subtopics in this section.

Subtopics
About the vCenter Server 5.1 Upgrade
How vCenter Single Sign On Affects vCenter Server Installation and Upgrades
vCenter Server Upgrade Summary
Required Information for Installing or Upgrading vCenter Single Sign-On, Inventory Service, and vCenter Server
Required vCenter Single Sign-On Database Users
Best Practices for vCenter Server Upgrades
Prerequisites for the vCenter Server Upgrade
vCenter Server Database Configuration Notes
Upgrading to vCenter Server on a Different Machine
Supported vCenter Server Database Upgrades
Configure vCenter Server to Communicate with the Local Database
Synchronizing Clocks on the vSphere Network
JDBC URL Formats for the vCenter Server and vCenter Single Sign-On Databases
DNS Load Balancing Solutions and vCenter Server Datastore Naming
About the vCenter Host Agent Pre-Upgrade Checker
Downtime During the vCenter Server Upgrade
Download the vCenter Server Installer
Microsoft SQL Database Set to Unsupported Compatibility Mode Causes vCenter Server Installation or Upgrade to Fail