vMotion Between different CPUS

[ReiserFS]

On my last job, i had two vmware clusters, one using four hosts with DL580 HP servers and other with two hosts in a HP BLADE system, i dont remember the model.

So when i tried to move one active VM from cluster one to another, i got an error, so i research here on the communities and i got the awnser that the reason was the hosts had different CPUs and i can only move this VM if they are turned off. So i can only make cold move VM between my cluster.

Ok nom im on a new company and they had M$ Hyper-V and now we are migrating to VMWARE (cool :smileygrin: ) so we got two DELL Poweredge Servers, one with two Xeon Quad-Core X5470 and another with two Xeon Quad-Core E5320.

So i guess i will have a problem to made a hot vmotion between this servers becouse the have different cpus.

So im buying new cpus, but i can only find Xeon Quad-Core X5365 i think he is the same of the X5470 but with diferrent clock and cache.

My ask is, can i make a hot Vmotion with some VM from a Xeon X5470 Server to a Xeon X5365 server.

Slackware's stability, security, and simplicity are the best choice!

[cebomholt]

See http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=100321... for details

But yes you can vMotion between 5300 and 5400 if cluster is set in the Core 2 EVC mode.

[AntonVZhbankov]

>My ask is, can i make a hot Vmotion with some VM from a Xeon X5470 Server to a Xeon X5365 server.

Yes, you can. But you have to put both hosts into a cluster and enable EVC for cluster at level "Core2".

---

MCITP: SA+VA, VCP 3/4, VMware vExpert

http://blog.vadmin.ru

[techsuresh · Accepted solution]

yes,

the only posible way to vmotion VMs among different cpu generations is to put those hosts in to Enhanced VMotion(EVC) mode.

Enhanced VMotion Compatibility (EVC) simplifies VMotion compatibility issues

across CPU generations. EVC automatically configures server CPUs with Intel

FlexMigration or AMD-V Extended Migration technologies to be

compatible with older servers. After EVC is enabled for a cluster in the

VirtualCenter inventory, all hosts in that cluster are configured to

present identical CPU features and ensure CPU compatibility for VMotion. The

features presented by each host are determined by selecting a predefined EVC

baseline. VirtualCenter does not permit the addition of hosts that cannot be

automatically configured to be compatible with the EVC baseline.

To use the EVC feature, you must be running ESX Server 3.5 Update 2 or

higher with Virtual Center 2.5 Update 2 or higher and have only compatible processors

that are listed in one of the following tables.

EVC does not allow for migration with VMotion between Intel and AMD processors.*

EVC makes it much

easier to add servers with newer generation CPUs into existing clusters

containing older generation hardware. Servers entering an EVC cluster are

automatically configured to be compatible with the hosts already in the

clusters. Since this process is automatic, EVC is very simple to use and

requires no specialized knowledge about CPU features and masks.

Suresh

[bulletprooffool]

As ststaed above, you can build an EVC cluster .

what will happen is that the ESX hosts will reduce their instruction sets to the lowest common denominator, thus rendering them all 'equal'

To do this, you'd ideally create a new cluster and right click on the clsuter, find 'evc mode' and enable it - selecting the most appropriate mode.

Then add / power up the hosts in the cluster.

If there are vast differences between CPUs though, it may be worth considering seperating old hosts from new hosts into seperate clusters to get max value frmo the newer hosts.

[ReiserFS]

Ty for the awnsers, just another question, and between Xeon Quad-Core X5470 and Xeon Quad-Core E5320, with EVC i wil be able to vmotion?

Slackware's stability, security, and simplicity are the best choice!

[AntonVZhbankov]

>Ty for the awnsers, just another question, and between Xeon Quad-Core X5470 and Xeon Quad-Core E5320, with EVC i wil be able to vmotion?

Yes, you'll be able.

---

MCITP: SA+VA, VCP 3/4, VMware vExpert

http://blog.vadmin.ru

[AntonVZhbankov]

>Ty for the awnsers, just another question, and between Xeon Quad-Core X5470 and Xeon Quad-Core E5320, with EVC i wil be able to vmotion?

Yes, you'll be able.

---

MCITP: SA+VA, VCP 3/4, VMware vExpert

http://blog.vadmin.ru

[techsuresh]

yes,

defenetely you can vmotion VMs between those two CPU generations as you mentioned.

Good Luck

Suresh