Vmotion requirements

[vmwaredude1]

Folks, correct me, if i am wrong.

Vmotion means moving of live machines from one host to another host. This can be automated or manual. If, it is autoamted, we need to implemet Cluster and use DRS and HA. If it is manual,we just select the VM and move it to another compatible host ?

Thanks

[virtualdud3]

You are correct that VMotion is the "live" migration of a running VM from one ESX host to another.

Configuring "Automated" VMotioning of VMs for the purposes of load balancing entails implementing a cluster of ESX hosts and enabling the cluster for DRS (Distributed Resource Scheduling). However, DRS does not[/i] require enabling HA.

HA (High Availability) does not entail VMotion, as HA deals with ESX host failure and the VMs will be powered-off (either due to ESX host failure or due to an ESX host becoming isolated from the cluster, and the VMs can be configured to be powered-off because if it remains powered-on the isolated ESX host will retain a lock on the vmdk). Since HA deals with VMs that are powered-off and then powered-on on a difference ESX host, by definition you are not dealing with VMotion since the VM does not remain running.

HA and DRS do compliment each other quite well, as when the VMs are powered-on, DRS can be configured to select the most-appropriate host (from a resource perspective) to run the VM and then also migrate other other running VMs across different ESX hosts in the cluster to optimize available resources.

From your posts, it sounds like you have already studied the Resource Management Guide. Here is another link that you might find useful:

http://download3.vmware.com/vmworld/2006/tac9413.pdf

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