Veeam Free Quick Migrate (VMWare Server 5 Essentials)

[cooperd1970]

Hi,

I am wanting to use the Quick Migrate feature within Veeam as I do not have vMotion, to allow me to move a running VM. In the limited documentation that was released in the mailout it advised that you could move a VM between 'Hosts, or datastores, or both'. I have also looked at the limited documentation here:

https://helpcenter.veeam.com/backup/vsp ... n_job.html

However the Quick Migrate wizard doesn't seem to want me to move just a VM between hosts as it prompts and requires you to also select a datastore during the wizard.

My environment is very basic and is a cluster with two esxi hosts that both use the same shared SAN for all datastores. All datastores can be seen by both hosts. They (hosts and SAN) are in the same physical building and on the same network segment.

So in a test I wanted to just move one VM from host esxi01 to host esxi02 (leaving its datastore untouched as its seen by both hosts), but I am still asked to supply a datastore!?!

I have vCentre so I can cold move a VM between hosts, but obviously need to power the VM down first and then migrate it. This is perfect as I can say host only and point it at the new host and its done in seconds. However I will have a need to move (or try to move) VM's between hosts whilst the are running.

Does anyone have any info on this that maybe could help me?


Many thanks.

[PTide]

Hi,

Migration process performed by VBR look like this:

1. VBR copies VM configuration (.vmx) to the target host and registers the VM.

2. VBR triggers a VM snapshot and copies VM disk content to the new destination.

3. VM state and changes made after snapshot creation are moved to a new location.

So even with shared datastore the disk will be copied.

Thank you.

[cooperd1970]

So in the URL I supplied earlier, the text highlighted in red in the statement 'You can relocate one or more VMs with quick migration. Quick migration can be used to move VMs from one ESX(i) host to another one, move VM disks to another datastore or both. You can perform "hot" quick migration for running VMs or "cold" quick migration for VMs that are powered off.'

[cooperd1970]

Isn't strictly true, unless the datastore is also copied. unless I am not reading it correctly.

[PTide]

During Quick Migration a vMotion can be leveraged whenever VMware licensing allows to do so. If no vMotion available then Veeam quick migration will be used thus not only VM config files will be copied but VM disks too. I agree that the phrase from helpcenter that you've quoted might seem unclear - it will be clarified soon.

Thank you.