Is it possible to create VMs on one ESXi 4.0 server, and then at a later point move them over to another ESXi 4.0 server running on a different hardware platform? I have a current server that I'm using for sort of my 'staging' server until a new high redundancy server that I've ordered arrives, and I'd like to start building out some VMs on the staging server, to do test runs on, and then move them over to the new high redundancy server once it arrives.
Would there be an gotchas to doing this, of both servers are patched up to the same version of ESXi?
probably the most effective would be to use VMware vCenter Converter
if you have vCenter, there are other ways as well, but if standalone, my suggestion is converter.
Technically you can migrate VMs between ESXi servers without any problem.
As Troy said, if you have vCenter migration is very long and painful process to click a mouse a couple of times.
If you do not have vCenter safest and may be even simpliest way is to use VMware Converter which is free.
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VMware vExpert '2009
As written before, vCenter is the simplest way.
You can also use: VMware Converter Standalone or scp/FastSCP (just enable SSH on the ESXi).
Andre
The key question is whetehr you have a Virtual Centre, or the free version.
If you have VC, it is simply a vMotion (right click VM, migrate)
I am guessing that you do not have Virtual Centre.
In this case you need to make the storage hostting the VM accesible to the new ESX . . or move the VM's file to the new ESX. If yiou have networked storage . . the first option works, if not you'll need to copy the files from one location tot he other.
In order to do this, shut down the VM and remove it from the inventory on the source ESX,
Next use something like the free Veeam FastScp to copy the VM from one location to the other (if you have network storage ignore this step)
Now open the .vmx file and verify that there are no pointers to the old stoarge
Next, right click the VMX from the Datastore browser on the new host and select import.
If your port groups are configured differently, you';ll need to change the VM's NIC settings to remedy the connectivity . . but you should be good to go.
the only gotcha on versions is that if you create the VM using the newerr VM hardware versions (ie . . you build the VM on ESX4 and chose VM hardware version 7), you won't be able to move the VM to a version 3.5 host.