Simulte..migrate from a failed host to a running host

[rmitchell9]

How would I move a vm from a esx server that is powered off, to a running esx server?

I can migrate VMs if both esx servers are running... I am using SAN storage and ALL VM's are on the san.

I want to simulate a failed esx server and migrate the VMs to a running esx server.

[MR-T · Accepted solution]

You just need to register the vmx file with another host and power up.

This can be achieved from the service console using vmware-cmd

or

By browsing to the vmx file from within the VI client and selecting add to inventory.

[rmitchell9]

what would happen if I power up the the esx server that these machines were on prior to adding them to inventory on the "good" esx server?

[rmitchell9]

I dont know if that was a clear question..

once I have added them to inventory on the " good" esx server, and I "repair" the original esx server, Im thinking I should remove them from inventory from the "good" server before I power up the "repaired" server... once the "repaired" server is back online will they show up in my inventory?

[bertdb]

Virtualcenter will solve that situation for you.

if Virtualcenter sees a VM appear on ESX B that it already knew on ESX A, it will send an "unregister" command to ESX B.

(unless ESX A is not connected at the time, e.g. because ESX A is down. Then VC accepts the new location of the ESX, and will unregister it on ESX A when A comes online again.).

VC considers the VM to be identical when the pathname it was registered with is identical to what was in the VC DB for another VM. So if you first move/copy the VM files to another location, VC won't unregister the original one.

[rmitchell9]

I tried to add the VM to inventory, but I get an error "the specified key, name, or identifier already exists.... I did give it a new name when prompted in the add to inventory process

[tbrouwer]

I tried to add the VM to inventory, but I get an

error "the specified key, name, or identifier already

exists.... I did give it a new name when prompted in

the add to inventory process

I would like to know the answer to this also.

[MR-T]

If you remove the old VM from the inventory first, do you still get the error message?

[rmitchell9]

I wanted to simulate a failed esx so I shut one down... but once it is shut down, I relized i could not migrate the VMs on the shut down esx to my other running esx server... I was however able to create a new VM on the running server and tell it to use the disk file from the VM on the shut down server (My VMs are on a SAN datastor, and both esx servers can see the datastore) then I started the VM on the running esx server... I also now know that it used the disk file and did not move it to the "new VM folder is simply left it in the old location and started running it...

[MR-T]

I think if the virtual machines are within different datacenter you can basically flip between sites without going through the registraion process.

You'll only be prompted if you wish to keep the UUID the same.

Is it possible you might use HA in the future?

This would make life so much easier for you

[bertdb]

rmitchell9, connect your VI-Client directly to the remaining ESX instead of the VC. Add the VM to the inventory. VC will discover it (and when the dead ESX comes back, VC will unregister that VM).

If the ESX originally running the VM is still alive according to VC, VC will unregister it on the ESX where the VM was just added. But if the original ESX is unreachable, it accepts the new registration. That's what I remember from a DR setup that I tested for a client.

[rmitchell9]

That works! Thank you very much!