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2.7 Migration Types: Cold Migration, Storage vMotion & Cross vCenter Export

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VMware Certified Professional - Data Center Virtualization VCP-DCV

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1 Introduction: VCP-DCV Exam Overview

About the VCP-DCV Exam (2V0-21.23)

2 Chapter 1: vSphere Architecture & Core Platform Technologies

1.1 vSphere 8.x Architecture and Components Overview 1.2 vCenter Server Appliance (vCSA) Architecture & Deployment 1.3 vSphere Distributed Services Engine (DSE) & DPUs 1.4 vSphere Products, Solutions & Workload Platform 1.5 vCenter Topology: SSO Domains & Enhanced Linked Mode 1.6 vSphere with Tanzu: Supervisor, Namespaces, Zones & Lifecycle 1.7 vSphere in the SDDC: vCenter Converter, vSphere Replication & SRM

3 Chapter 2: Compute Resources & Cluster Management

2.1 vSphere High Availability (HA) Architecture 2.2 Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS) & Resource Pools 2.3 vMotion & Enhanced vMotion Compatibility 2.4 Virtual Machine Advanced Compute Configuration 2.5 Fault Tolerance, Proactive HA & Advanced Cluster Options 2.6 vSphere Cluster Services (vCLS) & Retreat Mode 2.7 Migration Types: Cold Migration, Storage vMotion & Cross vCenter Export

4 Chapter 3: Storage Technologies & VMFS Datastores

3.1 Storage Access Protocols & Multipathing 3.2 VMFS Datastore Architecture & Management 3.3 Storage Policies (SPBM) & Virtual Volumes (vVols) 3.4 Storage DRS & Storage I/O Control 3.5 RDM, PMem, NVMe, NVMe-oF & iSER Use Cases

5 Chapter 4: VMware vSAN Architecture & Operations

4.1 vSAN Core Architecture & Disk Groups 4.2 vSAN Fault Domains & Stretched Clusters 4.3 vSAN Storage Policies & Data Protection 4.4 vSAN Maintenance, Health Checks & Monitoring

6 Chapter 5: Virtual Networking Architecture & Configuration

5.1 Standard Switches (vSS) vs Distributed Switches (vDS) 5.2 Port Group Policies & NIC Teaming 5.3 VLAN Configuration & Security Policies 5.4 Network I/O Control (NIOC) & TCP/IP Stacks

7 Chapter 6: Security, Identity & Access Control

6.1 vCenter Single Sign-On (SSO) & Identity Sources 6.2 Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) & Global Permissions 6.3 Virtual Machine Encryption & Key Management 6.4 ESXi Host Security & vSphere Trust Authority 6.5 vSphere Certificate Management 6.6 VM Firmware, Secure Boot, vTPM & Virtualization-Based Security

8 Chapter 7: Lifecycle Management & Host Configuration

7.1 vSphere Lifecycle Manager (vLCM) Cluster Images 7.2 Baseline-Based Lifecycle Management 7.3 Host Profiles & Cluster Quickstart 7.4 Content Libraries & Virtual Machine Deployment 7.5 ESXi Host Configuration: Time, Services, Product Locker & Boot Options 7.6 vCenter Lifecycle: Update Planner, VAMI Patching & Upgrades 7.7 Virtual Machine Snapshots & VM Creation Methods

9 Chapter 8: Monitoring, Performance Tuning & Troubleshooting

8.1 Performance Monitoring & Metrics 8.2 Command-Line Diagnostics & esxtop 8.3 Log Analysis & Diagnostic Data Collection 8.4 Troubleshooting Common Infrastructure Scenarios 8.5 Alarms & vCenter Appliance Health Monitoring

2.7 Migration Types: Cold Migration, Storage vMotion & Cross vCenter Export

Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI

Cold migration moves a powered-off or suspended VM to another host or datastore and does not check CPU compatibility between hosts.

vMotion moves a running VM and requires vMotion-enabled VMkernel adapters on both hosts, compatible CPUs (same vendor, with EVC where generations differ), and access to the VM's storage unless storage moves too.

Storage vMotion moves a running VM's disks and configuration to another datastore without downtime; the host must see both datastores, and the disk format can change during the move.

Advanced Cross vCenter vMotion (Cross vCenter Server export), available from vSphere 7.0 Update 1c, migrates VMs between vCenter instances in different SSO domains without Enhanced Linked Mode.

Fault Tolerance VMs cannot use Storage vMotion, and encrypted VMs can move between vCenters only if both have access to the same key provider.

Last updated: September 2026

2.7 Migration Types: Cold Migration, Storage vMotion & Cross vCenter Export

Section 2.3 explained how vMotion works. This section answers objective 7.6.1 : which migration type fits each situation, and what each one requires.

The Migrate Wizard's Choices

Right-click a VM and choose Migrate . The wizard offers:

  • Choice VM Powered On VM Powered Off or Suspended
  • Change compute resource only vMotion Cold migration
  • Change storage only Storage vMotion Cold migration of files

Change both compute resource and storage vMotion without shared storage (compute and storage together) Cold migration

  • Cross vCenter Server export Advanced Cross vCenter vMotion Cold cross-vCenter migration
  • Requirements by Migration Type
  • Cold Migration

The VM is powered off (or suspended), so there is no CPU compatibility check between hosts. You can even move between CPU vendors, as long as the guest OS supports the new hardware.

Can move compute, storage, or both, including to another data center or vCenter.

Copies use Network File Copy (NFC). If a VMkernel adapter uses the provisioning TCP/IP stack (Section 5.4), that traffic stays off the management network.

vMotion (Powered-On Compute Migration)

VMkernel adapters enabled for vMotion on source and destination, able to reach each other (Layer 2, or routed with the vMotion TCP/IP stack).

CPU compatibility : the same CPU vendor, with EVC or Per-VM EVC when generations differ.

Storage : the destination must see the VM's datastore, unless you change storage at the same time.

No blocking devices : detach host-local devices such as a CD-ROM connected to a host device or an ISO on local storage, and passthrough devices without vMotion support.

Enough destination resources, and no violated must VM-host affinity rules.

Concurrency: up to 4 vMotions per host on 1 GbE and 8 on 10 GbE or faster.

Storage vMotion (Powered-On Storage Migration)

The host running the VM must have access to both the source and destination datastores.

The VM keeps running; its disks and configuration files move with no downtime.

You can change the disk format during the move (thin to thick or back), and you can place individual disks on different datastores.

Virtual-compatibility RDMs can be converted to VMDKs during the move. A physical RDM's mapping file moves, but the LUN stays where it is.

Not allowed for Fault Tolerance VMs.

Storage DRS (Section 3.4) uses Storage vMotion for its recommendations and datastore maintenance mode.

Change Compute and Storage Together

Moves a running VM to a host that does not share its storage by copying memory and disks over the vMotion network. It combines the vMotion requirements with enough destination datastore space.

Cross vCenter Server Export (Advanced Cross vCenter vMotion)

Added in vSphere 7.0 Update 1c as Export (from the source) and Import (from the target) workflows in the vSphere Client.

Works between vCenter instances in different SSO domains , with no Enhanced Linked Mode required. You enter the other vCenter's FQDN and credentials.

Supports powered-on (vMotion) and powered-off migration, several VMs at once, and network mapping at the destination.

Can copy instead of move (keeping the source VM).

Long-distance vMotion tolerates up to 150 ms round-trip time between hosts.

Encrypted VMs need both vCenters to have access to the same key provider , configured with the same name.

Why Migrations Fail Validation

  • Error Theme Typical Cause Fix
  • CPU incompatibility Different CPU generations or vendors EVC or Per-VM EVC, or cold migration

vMotion not enabled VMkernel adapter missing the vMotion service Enable vMotion on a VMkernel adapter on both hosts

  • Datastore not accessible Destination host cannot see the storage Change storage too, or present the datastore
  • Device attached Client or host CD-ROM, local ISO, or passthrough device Disconnect the device
  • Rule violation A must run on VM-host affinity rule Pick an allowed host or change the rule
  • FT VM Storage vMotion requested Turn off FT first
  • Worked Scenarios

Scenario 1: Host decommissioning without shared storage. A standalone host with only local storage must be retired, and its running VMs must move to a cluster with a different datastore, without downtime. Use Change both compute resource and storage . vMotion copies memory and disks over the vMotion network, so both hosts need vMotion-enabled VMkernel adapters and compatible CPUs.

Scenario 2: Datastore evacuation. A storage array is being replaced. Put its datastore into datastore maintenance mode when it is in a Storage DRS datastore cluster, or use Change storage only for each VM. Storage vMotion moves the disks while the VMs keep running. FT VMs must have FT turned off first.

Scenario 3: Cross-generation cluster move. VMs must live-migrate from an older Intel cluster to a new Intel cluster without EVC. Either enable EVC on the destination cluster at a mode that the older hosts' CPUs also support, or set Per-VM EVC on the VMs (while they are powered off) before moving them. If downtime is acceptable, a cold migration avoids the CPU checks entirely.

Scenario 4: Tenant migration between separate vCenters. A business unit's VMs move to a new vCenter in a different SSO domain. Use Cross vCenter Server export with network mapping, and verify the target has the needed port groups, datastores, and, for encrypted VMs, the same key provider.

Limits to Remember

  • Limit Value
  • Concurrent vMotions per host 4 on 1 GbE, 8 on 10 GbE or faster
  • Concurrent vMotions per VMFS datastore 128
  • Maximum round-trip time for long-distance vMotion 150 ms
  • Switchover target Under one second (Section 2.3)