How to Migrate a VMware VM to Another Host (Safely, with or without vMotion)

If you are searching for how to vmware migrate vm to another host, the short answer is that you will use one of a few core methods: vMotion for live moves, cold migration when downtime is acceptable, or OVF and manual registration in environments without vCenter. In this guide we will walk through each option step by step, add safety checklists, troubleshooting tips, and modernization guidance so you and I can read it together until the end and complete your migration with confidence.

Quick Answer: Which VMware Migration Method Should You Use?

Before diving into detailed procedures, here is how to pick the right method for your environment.

1. Do you have vCenter, a vMotion license, and shared storage between hosts?
   
   • Yes → Use vMotion (live migration, no downtime).
     
   • Best for production workloads and services with low tolerance for downtime.
     
2. Do you have vCenter, but no vMotion license or no shared storage?
   
   • Yes → Use cold migration via vCenter.
     
   • The VM is powered off, then moved. Simpler but requires downtime.
     
3. Do you have only standalone ESXi hosts, no vCenter?
   
   • Shared datastore between hosts?
     
     • Yes → Unregister VM on Host A, register it on Host B (cold move).
       
   • No shared storage?
     
     • Use OVF export and import between hosts.
       
4. Do you have many VMs to move or expect to repeat this often?
   
   • Consider PowerCLI automation or orchestration tools to script migrations.
     

The rest of this article walks through each method in more detail and then helps you troubleshoot, validate, and plan what comes next.

Before You Move Anything: Safety and Prerequisites Checklist

Whether you run a small on premises cluster or a multi site environment, a few safety checks are non negotiable.

• Backups and snapshots
  
  • Ensure you have a recent, tested backup of the VM, preferably off host or off site.
    
  • In more mature environments, this should be part of a documented backup and disaster recovery strategy; if you are still building that strategy, our guide on cloud computing service providers in Singapore for backup and disaster recovery is a practical reference.
    
  • If you use a service like Managed Backup Services, verify the latest successful backup job before you move anything.
    
• Host and cluster compatibility
  
  • Confirm CPU compatibility or the configured Enhanced vMotion Compatibility (EVC) level.
    
  • Check that ESXi versions are supported for the migration scenario you plan to use.
    
• Storage and network readiness
  
  • Verify sufficient free space on the destination datastore.
    
  • Confirm matching port groups and VLANs exist on the destination host. Many post migration outages are caused by moving VMs to a host that does not have equivalent networking configured.
    
• Maintenance windows and communication
  
  • If your method involves downtime, book a maintenance window and notify stakeholders.
    
  • Well run teams often formalize this in partnership with managed or outsourced IT support; if you are designing that model, our business IT support in Singapore guide for US decision makers shows how mature operations handle these changes.
    

Once these items are covered, you are ready to choose the right migration method.

Method 1 – Live Migration with vMotion (No Downtime)

If you have vCenter, vMotion licensed, and shared storage between source and destination hosts, vMotion is usually the best choice.

What vMotion Does in Practical Terms

Conceptually, vMotion:

1. Copies the VM’s memory from the source host to the destination host while the VM continues running.
   
2. Briefly pauses the VM to copy any remaining changes.
   
3. Resumes the VM on the new host using the same MAC address and IP address.
   

From the application’s point of view, the move is almost invisible. When you are dealing with revenue critical workloads such as those described in our articles on cloud banking solutions in Singapore and Southeast Asia or real time cloud application patterns, this seamlessness matters.

Steps: Move a VM to Another Host with vMotion

1. Confirm prerequisites
   
   • Both ESXi hosts are part of the same vCenter inventory.
     
   • A dedicated or appropriate vMotion network is configured and reachable.
     
   • The datastore containing the VM is accessible by both hosts.
     
2. Perform the migration in vSphere Client
   
   • Right click the VM and select Migrate.
     
   • Choose Change compute resource only.
     
   • Select the destination host.
     
   • Review and resolve any warnings from the compatibility check (CPU, network, storage).
     
   • Click Finish to start the vMotion task.
     
3. Monitor and validate
   
   • Watch task progress in vSphere.
     
   • Optionally run a continuous ping or application health check from a client system to confirm there is no visible outage.
     

Used correctly, vMotion should become a routine tool in your operational playbook, whether you are scheduling host maintenance or slowly reshaping your VMware footprint as part of a broader VMware digital transformation strategy.

Method 2 – Cold Migration with vCenter (Simple but Requires Downtime)

Cold migration is the second most common method: it relies on vCenter but does not require vMotion licenses or sometimes even shared storage.

When Cold Migration Makes Sense

• You can tolerate downtime for the VM or application.
  
• The VM is on local storage and you want to move it to another host and datastore.
  
• Your vSphere edition or licensing does not include vMotion.
  

Steps: Cold Migration via vCenter

1. Plan and power off the VM
   
   • Notify users and application owners that downtime is about to occur.
     
   • Shut down the guest OS cleanly from within the VM.
     
   • Confirm in vSphere that the VM is powered off.
     
2. Run the migration
   
   • Right click the VM and choose Migrate.
     
   • Select one of the following options:
     
     • Change compute resource only if both hosts see the same datastore.
       
     • Change both compute resource and storage if you need to move the VM’s files to another datastore.
       
   • Choose the target host and datastore.
     
   • Follow the wizard and review settings, then click Finish.
     
3. Power on and validate
   
   • Power on the VM on the new host.
     
   • Validate that applications start correctly and that users can connect.
     

Teams that regularly perform maintenance windows and cold migrations often blend internal capacity with external expertise. If you find yourself planning more frequent moves across clusters, you may benefit from a partner model such as a managed cloud service provider or structured managed IT services to standardize these procedures.

Method 3 – Moving VMs Between Standalone ESXi Hosts (No vCenter)

In smaller environments, labs, or remote locations, it is common to run standalone ESXi hosts without vCenter. You can still migrate VMs, but the process is more manual and always includes downtime.

3.1 Hosts Share a Datastore

If both ESXi hosts have access to the same shared datastore, you can move the VM by changing where it is registered.

1. Power off the VM on Host A
   
   • Shut down the guest OS and verify the VM is off.
     
2. Unregister the VM on Host A
   
   • In the Host A client, remove the VM from inventory.
     
   • Ensure you do not select any option that deletes the VM’s files from disk.
     
3. Register the VM on Host B
   
   • In Host B’s client, browse the shared datastore.
     
   • Locate the VM folder and the .vmx file.
     
   • Right click the .vmx file and choose Register VM.
     
4. Power on and validate
   
   • Power on the VM on Host B.
     
   • Confirm network and application health.
     

3.2 Hosts Do Not Share Storage: OVF Export and Import

If there is no shared storage, you need to export the VM and re deploy it on the other host.

1. Export the VM as OVF from Host A
   
   • Power off the VM.
     
   • In the Host A client, select the VM and choose Export OVF Template.
     
   • Download the OVF and associated VMDK files.
     
2. Transfer the OVF package
   
   • Copy the files to a location accessible to Host B using your preferred secure method.
     
3. Deploy OVF on Host B
   
   • In Host B’s client, choose Deploy OVF Template.
     
   • Provide the location of the OVF files.
     
   • Select the destination datastore and network configuration.
     
4. Power on and test
   
   • Power on the VM.
     
   • Validate connectivity and application behavior.
     

Environments built entirely on standalone hosts are often under resource and management pressure as they scale. Many organizations eventually evolve towards more structured models such as on premise private cloud or rely on infrastructure IT outsource services in Singapore to keep host management sustainable.

Method 4 – OVF and Clone Based Moves

OVF and clones become even more important in larger or more complex environments, especially when crossing boundaries.

When to Use OVF or Clone

• Moving VMs between different vCenter instances.
  
• Building golden images for consistent deployment.
  
• Migrating workloads to a new cluster or data center.
  

Typical high level sequence:

1. Clone or export the VM
   
   • In vCenter, clone the VM to a template or another datastore; or export as OVF.
     
2. Transfer or register
   
   • For cross vCenter or cross site scenarios, move the VM or OVF to the target environment.
     
3. Adjust configuration
   
   • Update port groups, IP addressing, DNS, and any integration settings required by the new environment.
     
4. Validate
   
   • Perform functional tests and ensure that dependent systems recognize the new instance.
     

These patterns show up frequently when organizations move between facilities with different capabilities such as tier 2 data centers in Southeast Asia and tier 3 data centers, or when they embrace cloud adjacent architectures.

Method 5 – PowerCLI and Scripted Migrations

When you have more than a handful of VMs to move, doing everything manually does not scale. This is where PowerCLI and other automation tools help.

When PowerCLI is Useful

• You need to move a large number of VMs off a host during hardware refresh.
  
• You routinely rebalance clusters or rotate workloads between data centers.
  
• You want repeatable, documented procedures for compliance.
  

Typical approach:

1. Connect PowerCLI to vCenter.
   
2. Generate a list of target VMs based on folder, tag, name pattern, or other metadata.
   
3. Use Move-VM commands in a loop to migrate VMs according to your policy.
   

Always test scripts in a non production or staging environment first. As you move further into automation, this often ties into broader topics like IT infrastructure capacity planning and designing enterprise cloud computing solutions that balance cost, performance, and resilience.

Troubleshooting – Common VMware VM Migration Errors and Fixes

Even simple migrations can fail if environmental details are not aligned. Here are frequent issues and how to resolve them.

CPU or EVC Compatibility Errors

Symptom: vMotion compatibility check fails with CPU feature mismatch.

How to fix:

• Enable or adjust EVC mode at the cluster level to match the oldest CPU generation in the cluster.
  
• Confirm the destination host supports the same or newer CPU family and the chosen EVC baseline.
  

Network Port Group or VLAN Mismatches

Symptom: The VM moves successfully, but users cannot connect.

How to fix:

• Ensure that the destination host has identical port group names configured for the VM’s networks.
  
• For distributed switches, verify that the host is added to the correct vSphere Distributed Switch and that uplinks are mapped properly.
  
• Confirm VLAN IDs and upstream switch configuration.
  

Datastore Space and Performance Problems

Symptom: Migration fails with insufficient disk space or appears to hang under load.

How to fix:

• Check free space on both source and destination datastores. Free additional space or extend the datastore before retrying.
  
• Monitor storage latency and IO load. Stagger large migrations to avoid overloading shared storage.
  

Licensing and Feature Availability

Symptom: Migrate or vMotion options are greyed out, or errors mention missing features.

How to fix:

• Check your vSphere edition to confirm that vMotion is included.
  
• If the license does not support vMotion, plan for cold migration or consider upgrading your entitlement.
  
• For organizations reassessing their licensing and platform strategy, it is often helpful to review options like VMware alternatives and understand the role of managed cloud service providers in offloading operational burden.
  

If you consistently hit complex issues across clusters or sites, it may be time to consider a more structured operating model. Our guide on why partnering with a managed cloud services provider matters in 2025 explains how that partnership can improve stability and agility.

Validating Your Migration and Planning Rollback

A migration is only successful when the application runs correctly on the new host and users are satisfied.

Post Migration Validation Checklist

• VM status
  
  • Confirm the VM is powered on and VMware Tools is running.
    
• Network connectivity
  
  • Test basic connectivity with ping.
    
  • Confirm DNS continues to resolve correctly and that routing and firewalls still allow expected flows.
    
• Application functionality
  
  • Verify logins, transactions, scheduled jobs, and integrations with other systems.
    
• Performance
  
  • Monitor CPU, memory, disk, and network metrics for at least one business cycle after migration.
    

Rollback Options

If after migration you detect issues that cannot be quickly resolved:

• Consider reverting to a snapshot taken immediately before the move, being careful about application consistency.
  
• If the storage was not moved, you may be able to migrate the VM back to the original host.
  
• As a last line of defense, restore from backup using your backup tool or a service like IT DR as a Service.
  

Planning these rollback paths should be part of a larger discussion about risk and governance, such as those discussed in our article on managed vs cloud services and AI model governance.

Beyond Host to Host – Modernization, VMware Alternatives, and Hybrid Cloud

For many organizations, the question of how to vmware migrate vm to another host is part of a bigger picture. You might be:

• Consolidating data centers to different infrastructure tiers, such as tier 2 and tier 3 facilities in Southeast Asia.
  
• Exploring hybrid cloud models where some workloads stay on VMware and others move to public or government cloud, as in our guide to hybrid cloud providers in Singapore for US based teams and insights into GCC government cloud in Singapore.
  
• Reconsidering whether VMware is always the right platform, and reviewing VMware alternatives that might better fit cost, feature, or licensing strategies.
  

You do not need to decide all of this before you move a single VM between two hosts, but the best migrations are executed with this longer term roadmap in mind. For many enterprises, the ultimate goal is not just to move VMs smoothly, but to shape an infrastructure landscape that supports digital transformation, as discussed in our articles on ASEAN digital transformation and why companies fail at digital transformation and how not to.

Get a Free Consultation with an Accrets Cloud Expert for “vmware migrate vm to another host”

If you are dealing with complex clusters, mixed licensing, regulatory constraints, or upcoming data center changes, a short expert conversation can easily pay for itself in avoided risk and rework.

You can fill the form for a free consultation with an Accrets Cloud Expert for “vmware migrate vm to another host” on our contact page.

In that session, we can:

• Review your current VMware and infrastructure posture.
  
• Recommend the most appropriate migration approach for your workloads.
  
• Connect individual host to host moves to your broader strategy, whether that is modernized VMware, hybrid cloud, or a managed cloud service model supported by offerings such as enterprise cloud computing and our suite of solution brochures.
  

If you prefer, we can also extend the discussion to related topics such as IT infrastructure management services and IT outsourcing services so that your VMware migration journey fits into a coherent operations and sourcing strategy.

Dandy Pradana

Dandy Pradana is an Digital Marketer and tech enthusiast focused on driving digital growth through smart infrastructure and automation. Aligned with Accrets’ mission, he bridges marketing strategy and cloud technology to help businesses scale securely and efficiently.