Move VM from one DataCenter to another

[murreyaw]

Is this possible if the hosts aren't connected to the same storage via VC, or am I stuck SCPing the VMDK and associated files from one host to another? I have 2 DC's connected via MPLS, and want to move a test vm from the test DC to the prod DC. When i try it in VIC, VC 2.01 (both servers are in ESX 3.01 clusters), I get an error stating that they are in different DCs.

[VirtualNoitall]

Hello,

I believe you are stuck. Actually, what about using VMware Converter. I have only used it a couple of times but could you not use it to move a vm from one host to another?

[sbeaver]

BTW Because of this I have one Datacenter and folders below that to seperate things. This lets me keep one place for templates and golden images that I can send to any host as well as move any VM to any server

[jamieorth · Accepted solution]

grab the trial of esxReplicator from Vizioncore. Add the ESX hosts - then replicate from one site to another. When the replication is done, break the replication job and fire up the VM at the other site.

Works good.

[mreferre]

>BTW Because of this I have one Datacenter and folders below that to

>seperate things. This lets me keep one place for templates and golden

>images that I can send to any host as well as move any VM to any server

Quite frankly I find ridicolous that VMware imposes limitations like this and then users are required to design a layout that is misleading (i.e. one datacenter with n folders to enumarate n different sites....).

Since moving vm's (or deploying templates etc) across datacenters is something customers might want/need to do (although I can understand ideally you wouldn't do that).... why on earth VMware wouldn't allow that ? \!?! \!??!

Just put a warning if you want ... that you are trying to do a very "big things" across two "objects" that ideally should not interact with each other ..... but let me do it !!

Massimo.

[murreyaw]

I will give Converter and Replicator a shot tomorrow night.

Thanks for the ideas.

[Rob_Bohmann1]

Sometimes we will use VMconverter or Platespin to "move" a server between a datacenter. In 2.5, we have scripts that use SCP to move servers between datacenters.

In 3.0, sometimes we will disconnect[/i] a host from a datacenter, and temporarily add it to the datacenter we want to move the server into. Be careful not to add it to a cluster but at the datacenter level. Then you can cold migrate it to a host in the new datacenter. When you are done remove[/i] it from the new datacenter, wait a few minutes for the VC database to update, then reconnnect[/i] to the original datacenter/cluster.

Not the prettiest, but it works for migrating and moving servers. If you are N+1 , you can go into maintenance mode with the host you are moving around if you are worried about the other guests.

[murreyaw]

Will this work if they aren't connected to the same storage?

[VirtualNoitall]

Yes, both options will work in an environment where there is no shared storage.

[WSimons]

It is also possible to just disconnect the host from one datacenter, connect the same host to another datacenter and then vmotion the VM to another host in that datacenter.

grtz

Wim

[kimono]

cold migrate & template across datacenters has been a long time feature request, so we'll see if they've listened to customers when the 2.5/3.5 feature list is explained in detail.

/kimono/