Move CUCM VM from one UCS220 to another during maint window

[BILL PETERSEN]

Hello,

I understand it is possible and supported to be able to cold migrate / host to host move a CUCM VM from one Cisco C220 server to another during a maint window to deal with a server issue.

However I can't seem to find the exact process to follow to perform that move. We dont have vmotion but I understand it isn't needed for a cold migration between two C220's.

thanks

Bill

[islam.kamal]

Hi

Yes , you are completely true.You will find all your answers here , but you have to make sure that you have vcenter.

http://docwiki.cisco.com/wiki/Unified_Communications_VMware_Requirements#VMware_vMotion

https://supportforums.cisco.com/thread/2208089

Thank you

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[George Thomas]

Thats correct. All you have to do is shut down the virtual machine, navigate to the datastore, download the VM folder which has all the files in it and copy it over to the other C220.

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[BILL PETERSEN]

Hi George

So just to be sure on the process.

You go to your datastore and select your VM folder that pertains to your CUCM server and download it to machine like a desktop. Looks like about 6 or 7 files in a VM folder.

Then do you go and build a new VM using the same OVA and then uploade those files into that datastore folder that was created when you created that new VM?

thanks

Bill

[George Thomas]

You necessarily dont have to build a virtual machine using the OVA. You just have to upload the folder that you downloaded as-is to the datastore of the new host.

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[BILL PETERSEN]

Thanks

I did a test and for some reason the download does not want to bring down any data in the .vmdk file that is the virdual disk without about 2GB of data for that one file.

Bill

[George Thomas]

is the virtual machine running? the virtual machine needs to be turned off to do the cold migration.

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[George Thomas]

Once you copy the files over to the new host and if the virtual machine doesnt show up under the host, you can go to the datastore, open up the folder of the virtual machine and right click on the file ending in .vmx and select add to inventory.

The virtual machine files will be close to 80Gb if not more depending on applications. This is going to be time consuming. You can also use Veeam WinSCP to copy files between servers.

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[BILL PETERSEN]

Hi George

I took a look and the virtual machine is off so not sure why the vmdk file doesnt want to download. I took a look at Unity connection and the vmdk file is about 204 MB so not too bad on size.

Is there an issue if you bring a VM over to another UCS and you dont have the same network config such as network name?

thanks

[George Thomas]

I am not quite sure about that, I know vmotion has a problem with that. Not quite sure about cold migration.

Its interesting that your VMDKs arent big. I am guessing you are using thin provisioning which as far as i know is not supported. http://docwiki.cisco.com/wiki/Unified_Communications_Virtualization_Sizing_Guidelines

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[BILL PETERSEN]

Hi George

I am probably miss reading the size. I attached a screenshot of the vm folder. I did use thick provisioning. we are not using vmotion. I can try to make sure the other UCS server has the same network name in it.

thanks

[George Thomas · Accepted solution]

Yeah, that looks correct, 209Gb. Good luck with your migration!

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[BILL PETERSEN]

thanks

I did see it was downloading that file. just very slowly.

I did check a CUCM VM and it did show 80 GB plus 40GB so not as bad.