Move a VM

[gymiv]

How do you move a VM from one esxi server to another? I have 2 esxi 5 servers that are managed by vserverplus.

[Troy_Clavell]

if you have vCenter you can cold migrate (powered off) the VM from the source ESXi Host to the Destination ESXi Host.  If you have shared storage between the two, and vMotion is configured in your environment you can use vMotion.

If you don't have vCenter, then the best way would be to use VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 5.0

[gymiv]

i have the vcenter trial installed right now. How do i use vmotion. i cannot find it.

[psplnalin123]

If the storage(datastore) visible to both the ESXi then remove VM from the Inventory by right click --> remove from inventory and go the second host and browse the datastore --> go the VM folder --> right click the .vmx file and add to the inventory

If there Storage are not visible to both ESXi then installed the vCenter evaluation version then power off the VM and migrate the VM from one host to other

[Troy_Clavell]

first, do yo have shared storage?  This is a requirement for vMotion. 

Below is good whitepaper on the vMotion technology

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/vmotion-perf-vsphere5.pdf

[MauroBonder]

You need create a new port group in your vswitch with vmkernel port and select Vmotion on each hosts and put a IP of same range, drag and drop one vm to test or right click in your VM and select migrate.

[gymiv]

i have both esxi servers on the same network. so if by shared storage you mean can both datastores see each other then yes. If by shared storage you mean an actual HDD, or something for backups, then no i have not yet gotten that far.

[Troy_Clavell · Accepted solution]

I think for the sake of this thread, which could get very long, if we are trying to explain vMotion to you, you may want to simply power down the guest.  Once the guest is powered down, right click on the guest and choose "migrate".  Follow the prompts to "change host"

[gymiv]

Thats what i wanted to know thanks