Some questions about moving/migrating a VM from one VM host to another host

Question

HI everyone,

Good afternoon! Hope you all doing well.

I am getting a new server and it will arrive soon. That will be our new Hyper V server to replace an existing one.

All our old Hyper VM servers are running W2019 Data center version. The new one will be W2022 data center. They are not running in Cluster though. I am new to the hyper v (1 year almost) and I have some questions listed in the following:

1.) I think I can migrate the vm from the W2019 to the W2022? If so, what do I need to be careful with (any advise)?

2.) Can I just move it instead of doing exporting or making a copy?

3.) Would exporting or copying create a new SSID for the vm?

4.) Currently, there are some replications taking on the VMs between the hosts. IF I want to move a VM, do I need to stop or clear the replication first? If so, I will assume i need to reconfigure the replication settings for the vm?

In the longer one, I may like to setup a cluster like VCenter with VMware for higher availability. So far I found the Hyper V is easier to manupulate than VMWare, and i think I just need to take the chance to learn it more bit by bit by all different upgrade/migration project.

Thank you for your help in advance.

Takami Chiro

Answer 1

Hi Takami,

Hope you're doing well.

Q1. Yes, you can migrate VMs from a Windows Server 2019 Hyper-V host to a Windows Server 2022 Hyper-V host. Here are some key considerations:

(1) Ensure that the VMs and their configurations are compatible with the new host.

(2) Make sure the integration services (also known as guest services) are up-to-date in your VMs.

(3) Consider the state of snapshots; ensure they are not in a running or inconsistent state before migration.

(4) Ensure that network settings, such as virtual switches, are properly configured on the new host.

Q2. Please refer to the following methods:

(1) Live Migration: If the servers are part of the same domain or trusted domains and have the required configurations, you can use live migration to move VMs without downtime. This process will transfer the VM to the new host while keeping it running.

(2) Export/Import: Exporting and importing VMs is another method. This involves exporting the VM on the old server and importing it on the new server. This method is useful if live migration is not an option.

(3) Storage Migration: You can move the VM's storage to the new server while it is running, then perform a live migration of the VM itself.

Q3. SSID and VM Identity

(1) Export/Import: Exporting a VM and then importing it will maintain the VM's identity, including its SID.

(2) Copying: Simply copying the VM files (e.g., VHDX and configuration files) will not change the SID, but it's generally not recommended to do so without using proper tools to avoid configuration issues.

Q4. Handling VM Replications

(1) Stop or Pause Replication: Before moving a VM that is currently being replicated, it's recommended to stop or pause the replication to ensure consistency and avoid data corruption.

(2) Reconfigure Replication: After moving the VM to the new host, you will need to reconfigure the replication settings. This includes setting up the replication relationship again and initializing replication.

Best Regards