Copy or migrate VMs

[moodle999]

Hi All,

We have 2 ESXi hosts (5.1) and vcenter server (essentials) managing the two hosts.

The hosts both have 2 nics, nic1 on each is connected to our co-lo providers switch, and the other nics (nic2 on each) is used with a direct cat 6 conneciton to connect the two ESXi hosts together.

Both ESXi hosts have their own local raid storage for VM's

Is it possible to copy, move or migrate a VM from one esxi host to the other using the nic2 connection, ie via the direct connection, not via the co-lo switch? (nic1)

This would be usful as it will be quciker as it will be a direct connection

Many thansk 🙂

[ep4p]

The only way I see is if you set the management virtual adapter uplink on the nic2.

--ep4p

[lenzker]

create a vSwitch with a vMkernel port configured for vMotion and attach the direct connected NIC to it.

This should work, we had some similiar setup once for FT.

[gajuambi]

as long as you create a vmkernel portgroup with vmotion enabled on it and has the same name and ip range (same network) or different ip range (network) but if they are tagged on the vswitch so that they can communicate the vmotion will work fine. just make sure on both the hosts you only enalbe vmotion on the vmkernel of the vswitch through which you want the vmotion to occur and u r done.

[moodle999]

Thanks so much for the replies, however we dont have essentials plus, we only have essentials, which means we dont have vmotion. 😞

Any suggestions/help?

[sparrowangelste]

export as ovf, then import

[moodle999]

sorry..bit slow here, ok how exactly? using vcenter? I want the copy (files) to go across the cross over cable, not via the uplinks or via vcenter...

[sparrowangelste]

while not ideal if you want to use the corss over stictly this might work for you as you can ftp over teh cross over ip

http://www.v-front.de/2012/11/release-proftpd-ftp-server-for-vmware.html

another htought

you can setup a vswitch tha uses the cross over,

then hook up the vswitch on 2 of your vms, one on each side.

setup a ftp server inside the vm

copy over the files from one vm to the other.

then use vi client inside the vm to upload to your host.

this way you dont mod your hosts

[moodle999]

ok ill try this.

Im just thinking how this will all work with IP addressing etc... 😕

Essntially the two bare metal boxes (esxi's) are on differnt IP address ranges.

IE i know i need to power off a VM, then do the copy of that VM, but when i power up the 'copied' VM on the other hypervisor, all the IP addresses on the VM will all be wrong...

Again im doing this 'on the cheap' so to speak.. 😞

[sparrowangelste]

moodle999 wrote:
ok ill try this. 
Im just thinking how this will all work with IP addressing etc... 😕 
Essntially the two bare metal boxes (esxi's) are on differnt IP address ranges.
IE i know i need to power off a VM, then do the copy of that VM, but when i power up the 'copied' VM on the other hypervisor, all the IP addresses on the VM will all be wrong...
Again im doing this 'on the cheap' so to speak.. 😞

if the vm network of the 2 hosts serve different ip's then you have to reIP the vm

just update your DNS entries.

no way around that in your case if the hosts are on 2 different ip ranges.