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Home Articles&Tutorials VMwareESXandvSphereArticles VMotion&DRS&HighAvailability

What is Storage VMotion (SVMotion) and How do you perform a SVMotion using the VI
Plugin?
by David Davis [Published on 11 June 2008 / Last Updated on 11 June 2008]
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AnoverviewofVMware'sStorageVMotion,wheretofindanindispensableSVMotionpluginfortheVIClient,andastepbystepdemonstrationofhowSVMotionworkstomovea
VMwareESXGuestVM'sstorage,fromonedatastoretoanother,withoutanydowntimetotheendusers.

Introduction
InmyrecentVirtualizationAdmin.comarticleOverviewofVMwareESX/VMwareInfrastructureAdvancedFeatures(http://www.virtualizationadmin.com/articlestutorials/vmwareesx
articles/general/overviewofvmwareesx/vmwareinfrastructureadvancedfeatures.html),oneofthemanyfeaturesIcoveredwasVMware'sStorageVMotion
(http://vmware.com/products/vi/storage_vmotion_overview.html)(akaSVMotion).IcoveredhowStorageVMotionissimilartoVMotioninthesensethat"something"relatedtotheVM
ismovedandthereisnodowntimetotheVMguestandendusers.However,withSVMotiontheVMGueststaysontheserverthatitresidesonbutthevirtualdiskforthatVMiswhat
moves.Thus,youcouldmoveaVMguest'svirtualdisksfromoneESXserver'slocaldatastoretoasharedSANdatastore(orviceversa)withnodowntimefortheendusersofthatVM
guest.
Thereareanumberofrestrictionsonthis.Toreadmoretechnicaldetailsonhowitworks,pleaseseetheVMwareESXServer3.5AdministratorsGuide
(http://vmware.com/pdf/vi3_35/esx_3/r35/vi3_35_25_admin_guide.pdf).
Additionally,thereareatleast3waystoperformaSVMotionfromtheremotecommandline,interactivelyfromthecommandline,andwiththeSVMotionVIClientPlugin(tosee
theseinvideoform,checkoutSVMotionwatchithappenhere(in3ways)(http://www.getyournerdon.com/chris/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=10).Byfar,theeasiestwaytoperforma
SVMotionistousethefreeVIClientPluginandthatiswhatwewilldemonstrateinthisarticle.

ImageSource:VMwareSVMotion(http://vmware.com/products/vi/storage_vmotion_overview.html)
Advertisement

How do I obtain and install the VI Client Plugin?

ThefreeVIClientPluginwasgenerouslycreatedbyAndrewKutz(http://akutz.wordpress.com/about/)anditprovidesawonderfullyneededGUIforSVMotion.Istillcannotbelievethat
VMwarereleasedandheavilytoutsthisfeaturebutoffersnoGUIinterfaceforit.
ThefirststepwouldbeforyoutodownloadtheSVMotionfromhere:SVMotionVIClientPlugin(http://code.google.com/p/akutz/downloads/list).
ItisasimpleWindowsMSIinstallerandtherearenoquestionsaskedduringtheinstallation(thatisthekindIlike,thatis,aslongasItrusttheapp).Whenyouaredoneinstallingit,
youwillseethiswindow:

Figure1:SVMotionVIClientPluginInstallationComplete
Afteryouclosethiswindow,opentheVIClient(ifitwasalreadyopenthenyoushouldcloseitandreopenit).
Next,GotothePluginsOption,thenManagePlugins,ontheVIClientToolbar,likethis:

Figure2:GotothePluginsOption,thenMangePlugins,ontheVIClientToolbar
ClickontheInstalledtabofthePluginsManagerandcheckthecheckboxtoEnablethenewSVMotionPlugin,asyouseebelow.

Figure3:EnablingtheSVMotionPlugin
NowthattheSVMotionPluginisinstalledandenabled,ifyourightclickonaCluster,anESXServer,oraVMguest,allthewayatthebottom,youshouldseeMigrateStorage.This
tellsyouthatSVMotionisreadytohappenwhenyouarereadytotestit.
Note:
YouneedtohaveVMotionconfiguredandworkingforSVMotiontowork.Additionally,thereareatonofcaveatsaboutSVMotionintheESX3.5administratorsguide
(http://vmware.com/pdf/vi3_35/esx_3/r35/vi3_35_25_admin_guide.pdf)(page245)thatcouldcauseSVMotionnottowork.Onefinalreminder,SVMotionworkstomovethestorage

foraVMfromalocaldatastoreonanESXservertoashareddatastore(aSAN)andbackSVMotionwillnotmoveaVMatallonlythestorageforaVM.

How to move the storage for a VMware ESX Guest VM using the SVMotion Plugin (with no downtime)
NowthatyouhavetheSVMotionGUI,actuallymovingthestorageofaVMwareESXServerGuestVM,withnodowntimefortheendusers,isquiteeasy.Todoit,intheVIClient,right
clickonacluster,ESXserver,orguestVM.GodowntoMigrateStorageandyoushouldseeawindowlikethis:

Figure4:PreparingtouseVMwareESXServerSVMotion
Dependingonwhatyouclickedon(cluster,host,orVM)andhowmuchstorageyouhave,youmayhaveverylittleinthewindoworyoumayhavealot.
Inmycase,mytestVMcalledDavidDTestislocatedonthelocalstorageofanESXServer(calledstorage6b)connectedtoaniSCSIandaFCSAN.TomovemyVirtual
machinesstorage(includingtheVMXfilesandVMDKfiles)fromthelocalstoragetothesharediSCSISAN(calledstorage),allIhavetodoistodragtheVMfromwhereitistothe
newstorage,likethis:

Figure5:MovingStoragewithSVMotion
Then,IclickApply.
Downinmytaskwindow,IseetheRelocateVirtualMachineStorage,likethis:

Figure6:RelocatingVirtualMachineStorage
Whentheprocessisdone,IseeCompletedinthetaskwindowandIseethatmystorageforthisVMhasmovedfromthelocalstoragetothesharediSCSISANstorage.Icansee
thisinthedatastoresectionoftheVMresources,below:

Figure7:StoragefortheVMhasmoved
And,ofcourse,themostamazingthingaboutallofthisisthatthevirtualguestoperatingsystemwaspoweredonthisentiretime.Asyoucanseefromthegraphicabove,thestatus
stillsayspoweredon.BecauseofthisandbecauseofhowSVMotionworks,therewasneveranydowntimefortheenduserswhomayhavebeenaccessingthisvirtualguest.
Thisfeatureisgreatformaintenanceofserverhardware,ESXServermaintenance,maintenanceofdiskarrays,rearrangingstorage,andmanymoreapplications.Ofcourse,for
someofthoseapplications(likemaintenanceofserverhardware)youwouldalsohavetoperformaVMotionandmovetherunningguestOStoanotherphysicalserver.

Conclusion
Inthisarticle,IprovidedanoverviewofVMwaresStorageVMotion,wheretofindanindispensibleSVMotionpluginfortheVIClient,andastepbystepdemonstrationofhow
SVMotionworkstomoveaVMwareESXGuestVMsstorage,fromonedatastoretoanother,withoutanydowntimetotheendusers.Inmyopinion,SVMotionisanamazingproduct
anditsapplicationandadaptationwilljustcontinuetogrowandgrowmakingthelifeofvirtualizationadminslikeuseasierandeasier(Ihope).

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The Author David Davis

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