Hi All,

I would like to ask for your advice on the plan to replace the M5 node, there are three nodes of nx-1065 M5 and one node of nx-1175s M7 and one node of nx-1175s-M8 , all AOS version are 6.5.3.6 and ESXi are 7.0u3, we have purchased 3 nodes of nx-1175s G9 this time. May I ask:

Option 1: Since G5 can only be compatible with up to three generations (G5 -G8?), we need to retire G5. Instead, we need to add another G7 or G8 node to the existing cluster, and then decommiction three more G5 devices before adding G9 to the cluster. Although this process is cumbersome, the capacity is added to the same cluster, but there is a question: can G9 install AOS 6.5.3.6?

Another option is to create a new cluster (AOS 6.10) with three G9s and add them to the existing vcenter 7.0U3. Then, turn on EVC to gradually migrade the VMs over, and then decommiction the original G7 and G8 before adding them to the G9 cluster. This method is relatively simple, but it requires moving approximately 6-70 VMs to G9. Additionally, since we use Avamar for backup, the VMs need to be migrade to a new datastore, and the backup VMs location needs to be readjusted due to changes in VM backup settings.

I would like to ask if anyone has a plan and steps for appealing to decommiction G5 and add new nodes of  G9?