Virtual Machine moved or copied message after ESXi 5.1 upgrade

[Virtually_Jim]

I upgraded a ESXi5.0 host to 5.1 and when I rebooted the VMs the all gave me a message about asking if they were moved or copied. I didn't see this on the 4.1 to 4.1U2 upgrade I did last time. Why does this happen and should I just go with the copy option? The VMs were created on this host and have never been moved or copied to another host. And they were not moved to a different host before the upgrade, just shut down.

[weinstein5]

Welcome to the Community - I am not sure why this happened but the VMs appear are detecting the upgrade and think they are now sitting on the host - but select the VMs have  been moved and you should be fine

[Virtually_Jim]

Im not sure what you mean by the VMs think they are now sitting on the host. They were always on this one host and have never resided on any other host.

I picked the copy option because it said if you don't know then choose that they were copied. These are only test VMs so its not important but now I'm worried that when we upgrade our 4.1 hosts to 5.1 that it will do the same thing and I don't want to risk hosing any production VMs.

Thanks

[a_p_]

Which option did you select? Upgrade or install?

I just upgraded an environment which contains some hosts with local storage and others with shared storage. I only received the question for the VM's I had to re-register to the Inventory (due to storage reconfiguration). The other VM's powered on as expected.

Anyway, in such a case I'd suggest you pick "I moved it" to preserve the VM's UUID and MAC address.

André

[Virtually_Jim]

I imported the VMware-VMvisor-Installer-5.1.0-799733.x86_64.iso into Update Manger and did it that way. I assume it did it as an upgrade but then again since it was from the iso maybe it was an install. They are on shared storage as well.

[ferdis]

Hi,

I had exactly the same problem in my home lab environment! I had never seen this before! Someone can explain this?

[vir2osityCloud]

Old thread I know, but I just ran into this during and upgrade from 4.0 to 5.1  I selected 'moved' using the following logic:

The physical server was the same but the upgrade from 4.0 to 5.1 logically created a new server - this was an upgrade (actually a forced migration,) with datastore preserved.  The datastore is logically the same, but the OS is new, and so would the OS identity.  Settings are maintained but migrated from the 'old' (old LOGICAL, same PHYSICAL) server at 4.0 to the 'new' (new LOGICAL but same PHYSICAL) server at 5.1.

The VM's boot up and check the Hypervisor ID (presuming UUID) and notice that the hypervisor LOGICAL ID is different from the last time they booted, so, they dilligently ask "Was I Moved or Copied". 

Selecting 'Moved' was my logical choice because the VM's are booting on a new 'logical' server. 

Selecting 'Copied' is more intrusive because it generates a new UUID on the VM, and this can cause issues in that other OS elements may get 'scrambled'.  Copied implies that this is a duplicate of some other VM somewhere else and a new unique identity should be created for the replicant copy. 

I was nervous but followed the above to an unintrusive and successful upgrade/migration.

The technical terms in this post may not be 100% but I think the logical though process is accurate.  Perhaps someone could fill in the missing details.  Long story short:

select moved when asked during upgrade if the VM has not changed and has not been copied.

select copied when you are duplicating vms.

giz

[nanda9928]

Hi,

Sorry i am re-opening the old thread again.

I wanted to know if there is any cli command to select any of the following options:

- Cancel

- I moved it

- I copied it

When i power ON the VM (the ESX host keeps moving from host to host since its on a SAN LUN) i get this message.

I have a script when it tries to power ON the VM and when its stuck because of this message then i need to select "I moved it"

Am looking for any powercli command which can do that.

Any help on this is appreciated.

[grasshopper]

Hello, and welcome to the communities.  The following is the PowerCLI one-liner you seek.

Get-VM | Get-VMQuestion | Set-VMQuestion -Option "I Moved It" -Confirm:$false

[nanda9928]

Thanks i found the same here as well:

Using PowerCLI To Answer Virtual Machine Message Questions » boche.net – VMware ...

[sav1]

I have got this message in another situation.

There is two hosts, having one storage shared by FC. Both of them is in evaluation mode, but one 5.5 version and placed in production DC, and another 6.0 version and till standalone. There are VMs placed on first, some running, some off. And one day evaluation license expired at first host.  I pick one turned off VM, and on the second host added it to inventory via datastore browser. then on run I received message, to copy or move. But while I maked post some minutes after, esxi made unknown choice, and I so only that VMs is runned already and works properly :smileygrin:

Although, what i should select in such situation in future? And where can I see what a choice had been selected for this VM?

P.s. KK, this one KB‌ describes quite clear purposes, in common words that I understood: when we move then esxi keepes origin UUID, when copy then esxi generates new one. Generation of new UUID  may be useful if both VMs are plasesin one DC or host. Otherwise, keep must be useful for VCenter futures work, if we need to do operations not from VC in order of same cases (VC turned off, some other problems like my one). And for me it  maybe useful Move (keep UUID), if I will run VM at original host later. Will check it.

P.P.s.: but my subjective vision is very poor, more right one description placed here.