Specifications

VMware, Inc. 237
Chapter 15 Migrating Virtual Machines
Minimum Network Requirements
 TwoNICswithatleastoneGigENICdedicatedtoVMotion.
 Forbestsecurity,dedicatetheGigENICtoVMotionanduseVLANstodividethe
VirtualmachineandmanagementtrafficontheotherNIC.
 Forbestavailability,combinebothNICsintoabond,anduseVLANStodivide
trafficintoatleastthreenetworks(Oneormoreforvirtualmachines,oneforthe
serviceconsoleonanESXServer3host,andoneforVMotion).
Network Best Practices
 OnededicatedNICfortheserviceconsoleonanESXServer3host(10/100orGigE).
 OnededicatedNICforVMotion(GigE).
 OneormoreNICsforvirtualmachines(10/100orGigE).
Swapfile Location Compatibility
VirtualmachinesonhostsrunningESXServer3.0andESXServer3.0.1haveavirtual
machineswapfilelocatedwiththevirtualmachineconfigurationfile.Thesevirtual
machinescanbemigratedwithVMotiononlyifthedestinationhostcanaccessthe
VMFSvolumewheretheswapfileislocated.
YoucanconfigureESX
Server3.5andESXServer3iversion3.5hostsorclustersorhosts
managedbyVirtualCenter2.5tostorevirtualmachineswapfilesinoneoftwo
locations:withthevirtualmachineconfigurationfile,oronalocalswapfiledatastore
specifiedforthathost.Youcanalsosetindividualvirtualmachines
tohaveadifferent
swapfilelocationfromthedefaultsetfortheircurrenthost.
ThelocationofthevirtualmachineswapfileaffectsVMotioncompatibilityasfollows:
 MigrationsbetweenhostsrunningESXServer3.5orESXServer3iversion3.5:
MigrationswithVMotionandmigrationsofsuspendedandpowered‐offvirtual
machinesareallowed.
Iftheswapfilelocationspecifiedonthedestinationhostdiffersfromtheswapfile
locationspecifiedonthesourcehost,theswapfileiscopiedto
thenewlocation.
ThiscanresultinslowermigrationswithVMotion.Ifthedestinationhostcannot
accessthespecifiedswapfilelocation,itstorestheswapfilewiththevirtual
machineconfigurationfile.
 MigrationsbetweenahostrunningESXServer3.5orESXServer3iversion3.5
andahostrunninganearlierversionofESXServer:Migrationsofsuspendedand
powered‐offvirtualmachinesareallowed.Ifthevirtualmachineisconfiguredto
usealocalswapfiledatastore,attemptingtomigrateitto
ahostthatdoesnot