Moving a VM that is running vCenter

[beva]

All,

I have Windows 2003 with vCenter Server and License Server running on a VM on ESX 3.0.2. I am changing my vmfs configurations to use extents and need to move this VM to a different vmfs partition I created. How can I do this since vCenter is running on this VM? Can I just clone the VM, placing the files on the new VMFS datastore, and then power off the original, power on the new one, and delete the original? Is there a better way to do it? Thanks!

[rabih_00]

Well, you can actually do the following :

-De-register the Vm from the ESX server it is curently on

-Browse to the datastore it resides in

- Right click the folder and chose move, select the new location (browse to it of course)

- Once the move is done, login with the VI client to the ESX server, go to the new data store location, browse to the VMX file, right click and chose register.

and Voila.!!

You can also do it through the command line .. which is also simple.

Good luck

[beva]

How can I de-register if Virtual Center Server is running on the VM I am moving? Also, regular VI Client (connecting directly to the host) doesn't give me a move option in the "Browse Datastore". I only seem to get them with the VI Client connected to vCenter...

Thanks!

[paul_xtravirt]

Connect to the ESX host that is running your VC VM and power down the VM and de-register it.

Connect to the console of the ESX host (directly, use putty etc) and manually copy the VC VM to the new storage location. Use the Copy command (man cp for help using it) - your storage will be located under /vmfs/volumes

For example: cp -r /vmfs/volumes/LocalVMFS/myvcserver /vmfs/volumes/sanlun1/myvcserver

Once copied to the new location, register the VC VM. Use the vmware-cmd command to do so (just entering vmware-cmd at the command line will give you the syntax)

For Example: vmware-cmd -s register /vmfs/volumes/sanlun1/myvcserver/myvcserver.vmx

Connect to the host using the VI client. You should see the VM in the VM's list. Power it on and test.

At this point, if prompted with a question regarding the UUID, follow the instructions for 'copied it'

If all has gone ok, you can delete the old copy from the original location.

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[Cooldude09 · Accepted solution]

One more way u can proceed is clone the VM on the other server. Shutdown this one and start using the other VM..

Regards

Anil

Save the planet, Go Green

if you found my answer to be useful, feel free to mark it as Helpful or Correct.

[beva]

Thanks to all of you. I am not at all afraid of ssh and command line (am an RHCE), but decided to go with Cloning as it was just the easiest way. Worked Great!