Move VM to another host and keep the VM ID

[flesz]

Hi,

For the compliance reasons, I purchased a separate host where I want to start 2 VMs running oracle databases.
In Vsphere, the easiest way to make the move is to remove the VM from the inventory, go to the new host , find the datastore and register the VM on the new host.
The problem with this, is that the VM will have a different ID and Veeam will do the full backup of it when readded to the backup job.
Is there a way to fix it and for the VM to have the same ID so it can be readded to the backup job and continue the backups as previously?

[homerjnick]

Is vCenter involved at all at the moment?

If not then you could knock together a vCenter and put the two hosts together in a cluster on it...you can have the vCenter and hosts in eval mode for 60 days to do this.

Then you can vMotion the VM from one host to another without the ID changing since the hosts are together in the cluster.

Then simply remove the hosts from vCenter and destroy the vCenter...I'm pretty sure the ID will then remain...

Failing that can you not edit the ID in the Veeam SQL database for the VM that was moved? Pretty sure support could do that for you...

[flesz]

Thanks homerjnick for a prompt reply.

Interesting idea with adding the host to the vcenter and doing the vmotion.

If it is possible to edit the Veeam SQL database then I would go that path. Will ask Veeam support for help.

[homerjnick]

I'm not sure what happens to the ID of a VM if Veeam backs it up via direct through the host THEN you add the host to a vCenter and point Veeam to the vCenter or the second host...I'm guessing it won't change...because you never unregistered it from Inventory...

[veremin]

I'm guessing it won't change

I believe that this action would be equivalent of moving VM to a new vCenter. Full backup would be performed during next job cycle, unless support tool is used. Thanks.

[Ben.Pierson]

There was an old trick from years ago that may still apply. Instead of keeping the old VM ref-ID you could modify the existing Veeam job's database entry to have the new ref-ID.

https://www.interworks.com/blog/ijahans ... ror-vmware

Hopefully somebody can confirm this still applies to the current versions, or maybe the tweaks needed to make it work.

[veremin]

I'd avoid using custom written tools. Especially, if those were written several days ago - such tools might be applicable to the current product db.

So, as mentioned previously, reach our support team and let them assist in that process.

Thanks.

[davids355]

I have two servers, both running veeam as stand alone installations.

I am planning to move some of the virtual machines from server 1 to server 2.

At the moment both servers are configured to use a linux repository to store backups, but each server uses a separate folder on the server.

if I move a virtual machine from server 1 to server 2, is it possible to reconfigure the backup on server 2 veeam install, and then point it to the original backup location on the linux repository so that it will continue incremental backups (Rather than starting the backups from scratch)?

[PTide]

David,

It is possible, however you'll need to contact our support team for that.

Thanks

[davids355]

I dont know what happens the above thread that I created seems to have disappeared?

Anyway, my other issue was moving virtual machines from one host to another, both running standalone installations of veeam. And I wanted to know if I could have the new host pick up the existing backup set from the repository rather than running the backups from scratch.

based on what you said above, this is what I have done -

moved the virtual machine from host 1 to host 2.

on host 2, added the repository that was being used by host 1. Right clicked on the repository and clicked on rescan and then it imported the existing backup sets that it found.

Then I created a backup job on server 2 for the virtual machine that I had just moved, and I clicked on map and then I browse to the backup set that was created when the vm was on server 1.

then I ran the backup.

the backup took quite some time still so I am not sure if it recognised the existing backups or not.

is that the correct way to do it?

[davids355]

Update: The above didnt seem to work. When I look in backups (disk) and at the particular VM that I had migrated it now shows two entries - one with 5 backup revisions (This must be the one I imported and mapped when I recreated the backup job on the new server) and one with 1 revision - this must be the one that I ran last night.

So it looks like its ignored the backup that I told it to map, and its done a new full backup....

What did I do wrong?

PS Now I realise why my new post was probably removed - because I did not post support case ID. Is this issue something I should open a case about rather than posting it here?

[foggy]

David, could you please clarify whether you're moving VMs themselves between ESXi hosts or your goal is just to stop backing up some VMs with one Veeam B&R instance and back it up with another Veeam B&R instance instead?