Migrate Virtual Server

You can migrate virtual servers using a hot or cold migration method:

  • Hot migration is a live migration of a virtual server with or without disks and NICs between compute resources that share common data stores or data store zones.
  • Cold migration is a migration of virtual servers with disks between compute resources with local storage or across compute zones.


On this page:

Hot Migration


You can migrate an online virtual server from one compute resource to another compute resource that are both utilizing local/shared/IS storage or across zones. There are two types of hot migration:

  • Compute Resource - a migration of a virtual server from one compute resource to another. 
  • Full Migrate - a migration of a virtual server with or without disks and NICs between compute resources, data stores, and networks.


Hot Migration Between Compute Resources

Before you begin, take into consideration the following: 

  • Check if your Windows template supports hot migration at the Windows Templates.
  • If both source and destination compute resources have backup IP addresses, VS migration will be performed using those backup IP addresses as an alternative network for traffic. If migration fails for any reason, it will be retried using destination compute resource IP address in management network.
  • Migrating a virtual server to a compute resource with Any operating system type has the next implications. It won’t be possible to set the Windows Only type for a compute resource, if there are any Linux or FreeBSD VSs residing on it. Likewise, it won't be possible to set the Non Windows type for a compute resource, if there are Windows-based VSs residing on it.

To hot migrate a virtual server:

  1. Go to your Control Panel > Cloud > Virtual Servers.
  2. Click a label of a virtual server that you want to migrate.
  3. Click the Tools button and click the Migrate Virtual Server button.
  4. In the Migration Type box, select Compute Resource and click Next. 
  5. Select a Target compute resource from the box and click Next. 
  6. At the final step of the wizard, you can see the migration summary and select the following checkbox: 
    • Cold-migrate when hot-migration fails - select the check box to apply cold migration in case of the hot migration failure
  7. When you are finished, click the Submit button.

Full Hot Migration 

Before you begin, take into consideration the following: 

  • The hot migration is applicable only to virtual servers running on CentOS 7 KVM compute resources and virtual servers can be migrated only to CentOS 7 KVM compute resources.
  • You can hot migrate a virtual server NIC to a VXLAN/VLAN management network that is not shared by the source and destination compute resources. When you migrate a NIC to another network, only one IP address assigned to a virtual server is migrated. 

  • The source and destination compute resources and data stores should be in the same location. Migration between different locations is not possible.

  • The bandwidth from compute resource to compute resource should be sufficient enough to allow transferring of virtual servers.

  • Hot migration is applicable to virtual servers with local storage. Be aware that migration will take much more time if you want to perform it between shared data stores.
  • If both source and destination compute resources have backup IP addresses, VS migration will be performed using those backup IP addresses as an alternative network for traffic. If migration fails for any reason, it will be retried using destination compute resource IP address in management network.
  • Be aware that disk migration is better than full VS migration in case you want to migrate disks within the same compute zone and if the advanced backup scheme is used. Such scenario is applicable only to shared data stores within the same compute zone.
  • The hot migration is available only if a virtual server is online and your Quick Emulator (QEMU) version is later than 2.6.

To run a full hot migration of a virtual server:

  1. Go to your Control Panel > Cloud > Virtual Servers.
  2. Click a label of a virtual server that you want to migrate.
  3. Click the Tools button and click the Migrate Virtual Server button.
  4. In the Migration Type box, select Full Migrate (Hot).
  5. Select Migrate Storage and/or Migrate Networks and click Next. 
  6. Select the destinations to which to migrate a virtual server:

    Compute Resources

    • Target compute zone - select a destination compute zone
    • Target compute resource - select a destination compute resource
      Click Next to proceed to the following step. 

    Storage Resources 

    • Target data store for disk - select a destination data store for each disk. The list includes available data stores associated with the compute zone and compute resource that you selected earlier.
      Click Next to proceed to the following step.

    Network Resources

    • Target network - select a destination network for each network interface
    • Target IP net - select an IP net in a destination network 
    • Target IP range - select an IP range in a destination network 
    • Select and assign IP address - select an IP address to assign to a virtual server.  You can click Free IPs or My IPs to select from all free IP addresses or your own IP addresses. 
      Click Next to proceed to the following step.
  7. At the final step of the wizard, you can see the migration summary. Click Submit to start the migration.


  • Hot migration is not performed if a virtual server has temporary disks (attached to or from other virtual server).

  • Hot migration is not performed for Integrated Storage data stores if any of the disks has snapshots.

  • Hot migration is not applicable for federated virtual servers that are built in compute zones submitted to the Marketplace.

  • If you have local backups on the source compute resource, please move them manually to a target compute resource or backup server.

  • If you change the compute resource or data store zone, the billing will be changed according to the prices set for that new zone in the bucket.

  • Go to Admin > Settings > Configuration > Defaults > Migration options, if you want to set migration rate limit and limit of transactions which can be run simultaneously on the target compute resource when migrating a VS.
  • The following disk migration scenarios are applicable:
    • From LVM data store to LVM data store
    • From Integrated Storage data store to Integrated Storage data store
    • From LVM data store to Integrated Storage data store
    • From Integrated Storage data store to LVM data store
      Hot migration is not applicable for SolidFire storage.
  • Disks that are migrated from one LVM data store to another are renamed in the source data store. In case of Integrated Storage, disks remain with the same name at source data store and are marked as offline zombie disks. You need to delete them manually, otherwise, you will get an error during backward migration.



Cold Migration


Cold migration enables you to migrate virtual servers with or without disks and NICs between compute resources with local storage or across compute zones. There are several prerequisites for the cold migration:

  • You should shut down a virtual server before performing migration.
  • You can cold migrate a virtual server NIC to a VXLAN/VLAN management network that is not shared by the source and destination compute resources. When you migrate a NIC to another network, only one IP address assigned to a virtual server is migrated. 

  • The source and destination compute resources and data stores should be in the same location. Migration between locations is not possible.

  • The bandwidth from compute resource to compute resource should be sufficient enough to allow transferring of virtual servers.

  • Cold migration is applicable to virtual servers with local storage. Be aware that migration will take more time if you want to perform it between shared data stores.
  • Be aware that disk migration is better than full VS migration in case you want to migrate the disks within the same compute zone and if the advanced backup scheme is used. Such scenario is applicable only to the shared data stores within the same compute zone.

To cold migrate a virtual server with disks:

  1. Go to your Control Panel > Cloud > Virtual Servers.
  2. Click a label of a virtual server that you want to migrate.
  3. Click the Tools button and click the Migrate Virtual Server button.
  4. In the Migration Type box, select Full Migrate (Cold).
  5. Select Migrate Storage and/or Migrate Networks and click Next.  
  6. Select the destinations to which to migrate a virtual server:

    Compute Resources

    • Target compute zone - select a destination compute zone
    • Target compute resource - select a destination compute resource
      Click Next to proceed to the following step. 

    Storage Resources 

    • Target data store for disk - select a destination data store for each disk. The list includes available data stores associated with the compute zone and compute resource that you selected earlier.
      Click Next to proceed to the following step.

    Network Resources

    • Target network - select a destination network for each network interface
    • Target IP net - select an IP net in a destination network 
    • Target IP range - select an IP range in a destination network 
    • Select and assign IP address - select an IP address to assign to a virtual server.  You can click Free IPs or My IPs to select from all free IP addresses or your own IP addresses. 
      Click Next to proceed to the following step.
  7. At the final step of the wizard, you can see the migration summary. Click Submit to start the migration.


  • Cold migration is not applicable for federated virtual servers that are built in compute zones submitted to the Marketplace.

  • You cannot migrate a virtual server from a compute resource that is offline.

  • If you have local backups on source compute resource, please move them manually to a destination compute resource or backup server.

  • If you change the compute resource or data store zone, the billing will be changed according to the prices set for that new zone in the bucket. The new estimated price per hour for a VS is displayed at the bottom of the VS migration screen.

  • Go to Admin > Settings > Configuration > Defaults > Migration options, if you want to set migration rate limit and limit of transactions which can be run simultaneously on the target compute resource when migrating a VS.
  • The following disk migration scenarios are applicable:
    • From LVM data store to LVM data store
    • From Integrated Storage data store to Integrated Storage data store
    • From LVM data store to Integrated Storage data store
    • From Integrated Storage data store to LVM data store
      Cold migration is not applicable for SolidFire data stores.
  • Disks that are migrated from one LVM data store to another will be renamed in the source data store. In case of Integrated Storage, disks will remain with the same name in the source data store and will be marked as offline zombie disks. You need to check if the transaction is completed and delete them manually, otherwise, you will get an error during the backward migration.