How to migrate HCX manager vmdk files to another datastore.

Products

• VMware HCX

Issue/Introduction

This issue can arise when a datastore or storage array is to be decommissioned.  
The HCX manager and associated appliances (IX,NE, etc.) will need to be migrated to another storage location.
This article will present a method that can be utilized.

Environment

HCX

Cause

This is not a defect.  It is a environmental issue that mandates that the vmdk files be relocated to another storage location.

Resolution

The HCX manager and appliances are virtual machines that can be treated the same way as any other VM that needs to be moved to another storage location. 
Storage vMotion is a vCenter server function that will be used to move/migrate the files from one storage location to another.  This is a type of vMotion that is selected when the migration wizard is opened.

Steps:

• Use Storage vMotion to migrate the HCX manager's files to the new datastore
• Edit the compute profiles that are used to configure the HCX deployed appliances
• Redeploy the HCX appliances which will then used the newly configured datastore of the compute profile

 

HCX Manager Storage vMotion steps:

This is what will be used to move/migrate the HCX manager's files to the new storage location.  Storage vMotion is only need for the HCX manager.
The HCX appliances will be handled by editing the storage resource configured in the compute profile.

 

HCX Appliance VM Storage relocation by editing the compute profile storage resource selection.

The HCX appliances deployed by the managers get their storage resources configuration for the HCX Compute Profile.
The storage location change for the Network Extension, IX, Sentinel, and other HCX appliance must by edited to reflect the new storage location.

• Edit the Compute profile
• Click Select Clusters
• Click second Dot "Select deployment resources and reservations"
  
  
  
• Select Datastore
  

The newly configure datastore selection in the compute profile will now be used for any newly created HCX appliances or redeployed HCX appliance.

Storage vMotion Requirements and Limitations

• Virtual machine disks must be in persistent mode or be raw device mappings (RDMs). For virtual compatibility mode RDMs, you can migrate the mapping file or convert to thick-provisioned or thin-provisioned disks during migration if the destination is not an NFS datastore. If you convert the mapping file, a new virtual disk is created and the contents of the mapped LUN are copied to this disk. For physical compatibility mode RDMs, you can migrate the mapping file only.
• Migration of virtual machines during VMware Tools installation is not supported.
• Because VMFS3 datastores do not support large capacity virtual disks, you cannot move virtual disks greater than 2 TB from a VMFS5 datastore to a VMFS3 datastore.
• The host on which the virtual machine is running must have a license that includes Storage vMotion.
• ESXi 4.0 and later hosts do not require vMotion configuration to perform migration with Storage vMotion.
• The host on which the virtual machine is running must have access to both the source and target datastores.
• For limits on the number of simultaneous migrations with vMotion and Storage vMotion, see Limits on Simultaneous Migrations.

 

Additional Information

Reference Documents concerning the use and requirement of Storage vMotion.

Migrating Virtual Machines

Migration with Storage vMotion

Storage vMotion Requirements and Limitations