MIGRATING VM on Local Storage to SAN

[ChrisLopes]

Hi,

I've setup two temproary ESX with production VMs. Now the new SAN is in with two new esx.

The temproary ESX have no SAN, thus VM reside in local hardisk. If I setup a new virtual center connect to the newly purchase SAN and with two New hardware(not temp esx), what are the ways to migrate to local VM to the SAN.

I know vmware converter able to migrate physical server to vm into esx server, is it possible to use a vmware converter and migrate VM on local storage to the SAN Storage?

Any other alternatives.

[Troy_Clavell]

you have a couple options besides converter. If you have vCenter, you could shutdown the VM and do a cold migration. Or if the ESX host in which the guest is on local storage, can see the new shared storage, you can do an sVmotion and then you wouldn't have downtime

[ChrisLopes]

Dear All

Is svmotion a command based or a GUI Based.

Thanks

[mcowger]

with vsphere its in the GUI

with 3.5 its commandline only.

--Matt

VCP, vExpert, Unix Geek

[ChrisLopes]

Dear All,

Troy mention " you have vCenter, you could shutdown the VM and do a cold migration. Or if the ESX host in which the guest is on local storage, can see the new shared storage, you can do an sVmotion and then you wouldn't have downtime "

Question 1.

How can the local storage see the the new ESX SAN VMFS Volume? in what ways can the local strage see the "new shared storage"

[Troy_Clavell]

>

How can the local storage see the the new ESX SAN VMFS Volume? in what ways can the local strage see the "new shared storage"

If you have shared storage and the ESX Host in which the VM is located on local storage has the shared storage presented to it, then you can do a sVMotion. If not, a cold migration would work.

[glowle]

Just in case someone stumbles upon this, as I did, a great plugin that I use for this very purpose on ESX 3.5 / VC 2.5 is

And, I apologize in advance as I know this is in the wrong section, it just that Google trawled this page high on the response, just trying to add some value...

[AndreTheGiant]

what are the ways to migrate to local VM to the SAN.

If you have vCenter see Troy answer.

If you do not have vCenter Server, you can copy the VM folder (with VM powered off) using cp commnad from ESX CLI.

Note that your datastore are under /vmfs/volumes.

After the copy you add add the "new" VM to the inventory, test it, and if all works delete the old one.

Andre