Move a VM from one ESX3 server to another ESX3 server

[Barx]

Hello,

I have an ESX3 server with local storage. I need to move a VM to another ESX3 server and I would like to know the best way to do this.

I have copied the VM to a Windows server using FastSCP. Should I just copy it to the datastore of the other ESX3 server?

Any help would be really appreciated.

[oreeh · Accepted solution]

The "normal" procedure is to export the disk using vmkfstools, copy it to the new host and import it there (using vmkfstools)

[tbrouwer]

Hello,

I have an ESX3 server with local storage. I need to

move a VM to another ESX3 server and I would like to

know the best way to do this.

I have copied the VM to a Windows server using

FastSCP. Should I just copy it to the datastore of

the other ESX3 server?

Any help would be really appreciated.

Yes, you could just SCP it over to the new host. Then browse the datastore, right click the vmx file, and choose register.

[Dave_Mishchenko]

When copying to and from an ESX host it's best to run vmkfstools -i /path/to/src/src.vmdk -d 2gbsparse /path/to/dest/dest.vmdk , then copy those files to Windows and then to a temporary space on ESX. Then run vmkfstools -i to import the file again.

If you want to keep your VM files in the same folder, you'll want to create the VM on the destination ESX host first, delete the hard drive from the VM, then copy the vmdk file to the VM's folder. You can then edit the VM and add an existing vmdk file.

VMware also has a free converter product that could handle the transfer for you. www.vmware.com/converter

http://www.vmware.com/community/message.jspa?messageID=703580#703580

[admin]

COpy it using FastSCP to the second ESX host, but then use "vmkfstools -i " to import the VMDK to your VMFS volume. Using SCP/CP to place the VMDK on the VMFS volume can cause poor disk performance for the VM, vmfkstools properly allocates the space to prevent this.

[Barx]

Thanks for all the help.

[lettech]

Hi Mittell, I am interested in yr comment. Can you explain how a copy using vmkfstools differs from a SCP copy and why it affects performance to use the latter?

[oreeh]

vmkfstools allocates all space at once and then copies the data, a "normal" copy (cp, scp, ...) allocates the space while copying.

This behavior can lead to VMDK fragmentation and therefore to poor disk performance.

[lettech]

Interesting, thanks for that. No more lazy Veam copies for me then!

[osde_info]

we use vmbk.pl

http://www.vmts.net/vmbk.htm

regards

clive

[drumana]

Hello, ESX noob here.

I've copied all of the files from an existing ESX server to another using FastSCP. Now when performing the import using the vmkfstools -i, which vmdk file am I running this against? The "name.vmdk" or the "name-flat.vmdk"? From reading other posts I know that the "-flat.vmdk" file is the virtual disk.

[drumana]

nevermind. Found my answer. It's on the smaller "name.vmdk".

However, when I attempt to run the vmkfstools -i on the file, I immediately get back an error message "Broken pipe". I've tried designating the paths directly to the files and I've tried running the command while in the directory where the vmdk file is located. Is there something I'm missing?

[Dave_Mishchenko]

You'll specify the vmdk (and not the flat.vmdk). Vmkfstools will take care of the flat.vmdk for you.

[osde_info]

can you confirm if vmkfstools does or doesn't include delta / redo / snapshot file components ?

regards

clive

[drumana]

How would I verify that these components are on the server? It's a new

install of ESX 3.0.2, 52542.

Thanks!

Andy

[Dave_Mishchenko]

vmkfstools doesn't include snapshot files, so the source files should not have included any *delta.vmdk files.

[drumana]

There were no *delta.vmdk files in the directory. I've gone ahead and deleted the files that I had copied with FastSCP and am trying the VMware Converter to move the VM. Thanks for all of the assistance so far. Was under the gun and needed a fast solution.