Moving a VM installed on the server HD to a SAN

[nordviks2]

Hi!

Is it possible to move a VM installed on a SCSI raid to a SAN an make it boot?

Knut

[TomHowarth]

If you are using ESX 3.5 then you can use sVmotion to move the machine from your local storage to the shared SAN storage. if you are not, then shut down the machine and do a cold migration of the machine.

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Tom Howarth

VMware Communities User Moderator

[SuryaVMware]

Do you want to do this while the VMs are powereon? if so Storage vMotion is the solution for you.

If you dont have vMotion licenses, you could simply shutdown the VM and start migrating them to a different datastore that should take care of it.

If you dont have VC then you will have to manually copy the files from the local datastore to the SAN datastore. You should use vmkfstools -i <srcfile> <dest file> to do this job.

And then remove the Virtual Machines from the inventory and copy the configuration files/directories (with out the VMDK) to the SAN storage and add the VMs to the inventory again, finally re-configure them to use the new disk files on the san storage.

I know this sounds confusing at this point in time. However, if you letme know your situation i can give you a better step-by-step procedure.

-Surya

[SuryaVMware]

Check this link it might interest you.

http://communities.vmware.com/thread/180501?tstart=0

-Surya

[nordviks2]

I'm planning a move from a test install using ESXi 3.5 U3 to a live server in a hosting company. My only VM a Ubuntu Server 8.04 LTS 32bit with Zimbra Network v5.

I'm first going to try to move this VM that i have exported through Virtual Appliance to a local computer, through the Internet to a fresh VMWare ESXi 3.5 U3 on a dedicated server at our hosting company. Alternative methods is up for debate! This move will be made within a few weeks.

The second move will be to rent SAN space with the same company and transfer this VM to the new space. I can have some downtime Saturday/Sunday.

The third move will be to set up a second dedicated server and start using HA and VMotion.

Knut

[evolmar]

Sorry all, I'm still new to this but wouldn't VM Converter do this as well?

-e

[nordviks2]

Will, the VMWare converter do the job?

Knut

[mike_laspina]

Hi,

There are multiples ways you can perform these actions.

1. If you have an available VC agent license on the target managed environment you can bring the ESXi server intio it temporarily and clone it or svmotion it.

2. You can scp copy the VM to the target system and then add it to that systems inventory

3. You can use the storage browser and bring the file to a DVD on system local disk etc.

4. Converter is a hit and miss thing

Form the Converter product url

NOTE: Experimental support only is available for Linux-based physical to virtual machine conversions using the Vmware Converter BootCD (cold cloning) if the source physical machine has SCSI disks.

N.B. There are other more advance methods however for someone just learning vmware those would not be a productive path.

e.g. scrpting etc.

Message was edited by: mike.laspina