Best way to move a VM from local storage to iSCSI

[lsulax]

Migrate? Clone? Export? Other options? No, we didn't have any iSCSI storage when we started.

[Troy_Clavell · Accepted solution]

what about sVMotion? this way you can do a live migration. If not, shutdown the guest and do a cold migration. Both of these suggestions are assuming your running vCenter.

[aguacero]

You can either perform a migration or use a utility like FastSCP to copy the files to the new datastore and register the VM from it's new location.

If you found this information useful, please consider awarding points for "Correct" or "Helpful". Thanks!!!

[ThomasRott]

in my opion the best ways are:

1) vmotion if possible

2) use of vmkfstools -i /vmfs/volumes/local-xyz/whatever.vmx /vmfs/volumes/iscsi/whatever.vmdk

3) create an clone of the vm into the iscsi datastore

4) use of the VI client to copy the vm to the iscsi datastore

i do not prefer a CP command or use of winscp because this might change the metadata information an could also create a bigger *.vmdk file on the new datastore

[DSTAVERT]

The Converter 4 tool is an a very useful tool. It can basically HOT clone the existing machine and when done shutdown the local one and startup the iSCSI one. That part doesn't work for every OS or situation but give it a look.

[Ken_Cline]

Be careful with hot cloning a system! A hot clone takes a "point in time" snapshot of the source VM at the time the clone is initiated - anything that happens to the source after that point in time does not get migrated to the new system. This may, or may not, be important - but it is something to be aware of...

Ken Cline

VMware vExpert 2009

VMware Communities User Moderator

Blogging at: http://KensVirtualReality.wordpress.com/

[DSTAVERT]

Just a clip from the Converter help file.

Synchronize the Source with the Destination Machine

You can synchronize source and destination after the conversion of a powered-on machine is complete.

When

cloning is finished, services are shut down and the source and

destination machines are synchronized. Synchronization is only

available for MS Windows XP or later source operating systems and

managed destinations. It is not available for OVF destinations.

Procedure |1.|On the View/Edit Options page, click Advanced conversion options.|

The list of advanced settings appears to the right.

2.	Select Synchronize changes that occur to the source during cloning.
3.	(Optional) VMware recommends that you select Power off source machine as well and specify the services to stop on the source during conversion.
4.	Select another option to edit or click Finish to add the conversion task to the task list.

[Troy_Clavell]

just remember that if you resize your volumes during the P2V, you cannot synchronize.

[DSTAVERT]

You bet. Sometimes it just pays to RTFM.