Veeam Quick Migration enables you to promptly migrate one or more VMs between ESX(i) hosts, datastores or both. Veeam Backup Free Edition allows migration of VMs in any state with minimal disruption to business operations and end user access to services.
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Quick Migration functionality is available only for VMware VMs. |
When you migrate a VM, Veeam Backup Free Edition analyzes your virtual infrastructure, its configuration and the state of VMs and selects the most appropriate relocation method. Whenever possible, Veeam Backup Free Edition coordinates its operations with vCenter and uses native VMware vCenter migration mechanisms: vMotion and Storage vMotion. When VMware vCenter migration methods cannot be used (for example, your VMware vSphere license does not provide support for vMotion and Storage vMotion, or you need to migrate VMs from one standalone ESX(i) host to another), Veeam Backup Free Edition employs its proprietary SmartSwitch technology to relocate VMs.
Veeam Quick Migration provides means for fast background migration of VMs ensuring continuous uptime of your virtual environment. Quick Migration supports hot VM migration with SmartSwitch and cold VM migration with cold switch.
Migration of a VM is performed in several stages.
- Veeam Backup Free Edition copies the VM configuration file (VMX) to the target host and registers the VM on that host.
- Veeam Backup Free Edition triggers a VM snapshot and copies VM disk content to the new destination.
- Veeam Backup Free Edition moves to the new location the VM state and changes that were made after the snapshot creation. Veeam Backup Free Edition uses different approaches to move the VM state between hosts with compatible and non-compatible CPUs:
- If you move a VM between two hosts with compatible CPUs, Veeam Backup Free Edition uses SmartSwitch: it suspends a VM to move its state file and changes made after the snapshot creation. The VM is then resumed on the new host. This mechanism ensures minimum downtime and completely eliminates data loss during migration.
- If you move a VM between two hosts with non-compatible CPUs, Veeam Backup Free Edition stops the VM to move changes made after the snapshot creation and then starts the VM on the new host.
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