Virtual Machine Migration
Migration is the process of moving a virtual machine from one host or storage location to another. Copying a virtual machine creates a new virtual machine. It is not a form of migration. vSphere supports the following migration types:
| Migration Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Cold migration | Moves a powered-off virtual machine to a new host. Optionally, you can relocate configuration and disk files to new storage locations. |
| Migration of a suspended virtual machine | Moves a suspended virtual machine to a new host. Optionally, you can relocate configuration and disk files to new storage location. |
| Migration with vMotion | Moves a powered-on virtual machine to a new host. Migration with vMotion allows you to move a virtual machine to a new host without interruption in the availability of the virtual machine. |
| Migration with Storage vMotion | Moves the virtual disks or configuration file of a powered-on virtual machine to a new datastore. Migration with Storage vMotion allows you to move a virtual machine’s storage without interruption in the availability of the virtual machine. |
Migration of a suspended virtual machine and migration with vMotion are both sometimes called hot migration, because they allow migration of a virtual machine without powering it off.
You can move virtual machines manually or set up a scheduled task to perform the cold migration.