How to Upgrade VMM on a Different Computer
Updated: May 13, 2016
Applies To: System Center 2012 R2 Virtual Machine Manager
In some cases, you may not want to or may not be able to perform an upgrade on the management server on which VMM in System Center 2012 SP1 is currently installed. For example, you might need to move the VMM database to another computer before beginning the upgrade. In these cases, you can install VMM for System Center 2012 R2 on a different computer, and then use the database from the current VMM installation for the upgrade.
Use the following procedure to upgrade VMM to System Center 2012 R2 on a different computer.
Warning
To avoid any loss of important data, before you upgrade VMM, we highly recommend that you perform a full backup of your VMM database.
To upgrade VMM to System Center 2012 R2 on a different computer
Uninstall the current VMM deployment. On the Uninstallation Options page, select Retain data. For more information, see How to Uninstall VMM.
Install VMM for System Center 2012 R2 on another computer that meets all the requirements for System Center 2012 R2.
During the installation, do the following:
On the Database configuration page, specify the VMM database that you retained from the previous VMM installation. A message will appear that indicates the selected database was created by a previous version of VMM. To upgrade the VMM database, click OK.
On the Configure service account and distributed key management page, choose your service account and distributed key management settings carefully. Depending on what you choose, encrypted data, like passwords in templates and profiles, may not be available after the upgrade, and you will have to re-enter them manually. For more information, see Choosing Service Account and Distributed Key Management Settings During an Upgrade.
For more information, see Installing a VMM Management Server.