Smooth migration: Migrating virtual machines from VMware to Collax

This article provides a step-by-step guide for a smooth migration of virtual machines from a VMware hypervisor system to Collax. Basically, moving from VMware to Collax is done by exporting the desired virtual machine to VMware and then importing, customising and configuring it in Collax using the integrated board tools.

Please note that the basic procedure can also be used for other hypervisor systems such as Microsoft Hyper-V, Xen, Citrix and others.

Step 1: Preparation:

Thorough preparation is crucial. Gather all the necessary information about your virtual machines, network configurations and resources.

Step 2: Prepare the Collax environment - create the virtual machines:

By creating the virtual machines in Collax with the appropriate resources, you lay the foundation for a smooth migration from VMware to Collax.

• Select the “Create new virtual machine” option and enter a meaningful name for the VM.
• Specify the resources for the new VM, including the number of virtual CPUs, memory and virtual hard disks. Ensure that the size of the virtual hard disks is identical to or larger than those under VMware.
• Configure the network interfaces of the virtual machine according to your requirements. If required, you can also edit the MAC addresses.

Step 3: Identify the VMs to be migrated:

Select the virtual machines you want to migrate. Make sure they are properly shut down to ensure data integrity.

Step 4: Export the VMs from VMware:

Generate disk images in Virtual Machine Disk (VMDK) format for the selected virtual machines and store them on a NAS to make them available for migration. Please note that alternative methods for data transfer may also exist. If you have further questions or specific requirements, please contact our support team for assistance and customised advice.

Step 5: Import the VMs into Collax:

Contact our support team, let them know your intentions and arrange an appointment for an assisted migration. Our support team will be on hand to guide you through the import process of a VMDK file using the integrated board tools in Collax. During this assisted import, you will be guided step by step to ensure that you can carry out the import successfully. Our support team will be available to answer any questions you may have and clarify any uncertainties.

Step 6: Review and customisation:

After the migration, check the configurations of your virtual machines in Collax. If necessary, adjust network settings and resources to ensure optimum performance.

Additional notes on VirtIO drivers for the hard disks of a VM:

For faster performance during read and write accesses of the hard disks, it is recommended to use VirtIO drivers for the hard disks of a VM hard disks. We recommend using Virtio-HDD and the driver disc option for this.

In order to install the Virtio hard disk drivers in a Windows VM at a later date, a virtual dummy hard disk can be integrated with this option. This is helpful because Windows only installs a driver if a drive actually requires the driver. Once the driver has been installed under Windows for the dummy hard drive and the virtual machine has been shut down, all other hard drives can be switched to Virtio under “Virtual machines / Edit”. When booting the virtual machine, Windows then changes the driver for the hard disks.

Here you can find out how to use VirtIO drivers in Windows operating systems at a later date.

Conclusion:

Migrating virtual machines from VMware to Collax requires careful planning and execution. By following these steps, you can achieve a seamless move and take full advantage of the Collax platform. Use this guide to make your virtualisation move efficient and successful Migrating virtual machines from VMware to Collax requires careful planning and execution. By following these steps, you can achieve a seamless move and take full advantage of the Collax platform. Use this guide to make your virtualisation move efficient and successful.

You can find more information about our virtualisation and high availability solutions and their many possible applications on the product page Virtualisation and high availability.

Our team is at your disposal. Contact us to find out more about our migration support and receive customised solutions for a smooth transition.