new vCenter - "old" VMs are recognized?

[real_tarantoga]

Hello,
we have updated our vCenter server since version 3.5 and so we are holding all known and unknown issues and strange behaviours in it.
The VMware admin will get rid of it at all. So a new vSphere instance is planned and the VMware support employees are just asking me, if VBR will recognize all the VMs as "the old ones, well-known" or as new VMs after connecting the new vCenter server in the management console.
I suppose, they will be new ones, isn't it?

Or is this a already good known support case and we can involve veeam support after the vCenter installation for reconnecting all VMs to the old backups?
Or ist there even easier a way I can do it by myself?

Thank you for Your input!
Stefan

[david.domask]

Hi Stefan,

If the Moref ID of the VMs changes (or if the vCenter server is being added as a new server), then the VMs will be considered as "new".

If you're on an older version of Veeam Backup and Replication ( Lower than v12.x), you can use the vCenter Migration Utility, but please note there is no support for this utility.

Based on your description, very likely the VM Moref IDs will change however, so I would prepare for new backup chains for the VMs. Simply remove the old entries for the VMs from your jobs, add the VMs from the new vCenter, and Veeam will handle the rest.

[real_tarantoga]

Arghh, thank You very much! So vCenter has to be updated and not replaced.
I don't have the repository space for new VM backup chains. Ther are 1700 VMs with round about 800 TB of source data.

[david.domask]

Got it, as far as I know if it's just an update the Moref ID should not change, but it's best to confirm with VMware support on that as I know in a few situations I've heard of this happening.