Best practise -> move VMs to new Hypervisor

[eisback]

Hi, we have a single ESXi 6.5 (HP DL 360 GEN10 with 2x Intel Silver Procs) with 17 Windows VMs and now a new ESXi 7.03 (also HP DL 360 GEN10 with 2x Intel Gold Procs) and more RAM + SSDs ... so we want to move all VMs to the new Hardware. How would you solve this and do we need more backup space, or what will happen after the VMs are moved to the new hardware? Thanks!

[PetrM]

Hello,

If you don't have vCenter and you add objects in backup jobs via standalone ESXi, then you need to have enough free space for an additional full backup run because the moved VMs will get new MoRef-IDs at the ESXi level after migration and Veeam will see these moved VMs as new objects.

Thanks!

[chris.childerhose]

The easiest way would be to use vCenter to create a cluster to have both hosts in there (without EVC turned on), and then you can vMotion them from one host to the other or just put the old host in Maintenance Mode, and the VMs will move over for you. If you are talking about using Veeam, it would be adding the new host to the Veeam console, taking one last backup, turning off the VMs on the old host and restoring them to the new host. This is if you don't use vCenter for management.

As noted by PetrM, you could need extra space.

[eisback]

Thanks for your answers! We dont have / use vCenter yet and we only have a VMware Essentials Kit license (not Enterprise Plus), so vMotion is not an option, right? But then we first have to buy more backup space and then we will use the Veeam function "quick migration" to move the VMs manually to the new host...

[jorgedlcruz]

Hello,
vCenter is always recommended for easy to manage a cluster, environment, SAN, etc. Especially with more than one host, similar to your case. But yes, you will not have vMotion on the Essentials offering.

As you mentioned, quick migration could be a great option to perform a pure VM migration from one Host to another.

You then have some other Veeam ways of achieving this with less possible impact on production, and less downtime. Quick migration using cold migration needs to shut down the VM, move, etc.

A few better options, that will minimize downtime:

• Instant-VM Recovery: Meaning, you should be doing backups already of your VMs to somewhere, perhaps a NAS, etc. You shut down the production VM, trigger one last backup, and then do IVMR to a new Host. This will boot the VM up within seconds, then perform the move to production (meaning to the new ESXi storage) whilst the VM is on.
• Veeam Replica: One of my favorites, of course, you can do Veeam Replicas from ESXi1 to ESXi2, and then use Planned Failover, which will automate the final cutdown of the VMs for you. Will shutdown prod VM, do one last replica, and then failover the VM to the new ESXi.

As you can see, you have multiple options, the IVMR requires you extra space for backups, while Replica just needs space on both ESXi.

Good luck, and keep us posted.

[chris.childerhose]

Thanks for your answers! We dont have / use vCenter yet and we only have a VMware Essentials Kit license (not Enterprise Plus), so vMotion is not an option, right? But then we first have to buy more backup space and then we will use the Veeam function "quick migration" to move the VMs manually to the new host...

Yes that will work also and as per Jorge his steps too. Best of luck moving over.

[YouGotServered]

Don’t forget that with the VMware Essentials kit, you do get a vCenter instance and you can do a COLD vMotion - you can migrate the storage and compute of your VMs natively through vCenter, the VMs just have to be powered off.

If your VMs are smallish and you have a large downtime window, I’d recommend doing that so that you keep the same VM IDs in esxi and don’t have to create a new full backup.

If your VMs are large or you have a very small downtime window, I recommend using Veeam to replicate and failover as mentioned above.

[sze]

Hi,
I have an existing host A, storage A under vmware esx5 with vcenter. A new host C, vmware exs6, vmotion and new storage C.
using veeam v11.
I have a VM (6TB) on host A, storage A. I need to migrate this VM to host C and storage C.

I understand I can use vmotion or veeam replication & planned failover? Due to vm size, migrate VM with vmotion is going to take long.
Should i use the veeam replication & planned failover?

Already running on a daily basis,
A replication job of this VM from host A, storage A to host B with storage B.

If i use the veeam replication & planned failover, should I create a new replication job to replicate from host A, storage A to host C, storage C? Or somehow move the replica on host B& storage B to host C& storage C?

[Klarmann]

do you have a VMWare Essentials or the Essentials Plus License? With the Plus License you can do VMotion and Storage VMotion while the VMs are up and running.
How big are the VMs you are talking about?

[sze]

i have vmotion and storage vmotion. it's 6TB.

[Klarmann]

6TB is not so much ... will have to move >100TB VM when we change our storage in autumn

[sze]

ok. Thanks.