The HCX migration interface provides a set of options that can be used to tailor the behaviors and conditions of the virtual machine before or after the migration operation.
HCX has several types of optional settings for use when migrating virtual machines: Switchover, Virtual Machine, and Extended.
The available options depend on the selected migration type.
Switchover Options
Switchover options are applied during the switchover phase of the migration. Except for the Force Power-Off VM setting, which can be set on an individual virtual machine (VM) migration, these options are set globally for a group of selected VMs.
- Force Power-Off VM
-
By default, HCX attempts to shut down the virtual machine guest gracefully during the HCX Bulk migration operation. If the OS interrupts the termination process, the migration operation fails. Checking this option causes HCX to force the power-off.
- Remove Snapshots
-
Causes HCX to consolidate snapshot files during migration of the virtual machine. For more information, see Understanding Virtual Machine Snapshots During HCX Migrations.
Virtual Machine Options
The virtual machine (VM) options are available only for individual VM migration.
- Enable Seed Checkpoint
-
In the event that a migration is unsuccessful or canceled, Seed Checkpoint retains the target disks created at the target site. Without Seed Checkpoint, the HCX roll back process cleans up the target disks created during the migration and all transferred data is lost. Seed Checkpoint is available with HCX Bulk Migration and Replication Assisted vMotion.
Note:To resume from the migration checkpoint, select Enable Seed Checkpoint when you restart the migration. If the Seed Checkpoint option is not selected, the migration creates new disks at the target site and ignores the existing checkpoint.
To use this option, select a specific datastore for migration and not a datastore cluster.
Restarting a Seed Checkpoint migration to a new datastore creates additional target disks on that datastore, and saves new checkpoint information related to that datastore with the virtual machine data in HCX.
Extended Options
Extended options customize the characteristics of the migrated virtual machine without having to manually update the settings after migration. Extended options can be set globally for a group of virtual machines migrations or for an individual virtual machine.
- Retain MAC
-
Causes a virtual machine to keep its current MAC address during HCX Bulk migration operation, allowing communications to resume gracefully, and honors MAC-based security policies. This option is selected by default for vMotion and Replication Assisted vMotion migration types and cannot be changed.
- Upgrade Virtual Hardware
-
Allows HCX to upgrade virtual machine hardware to the latest supported version as part of the migration operation, making current virtual machine hardware features immediately available to the migrated virtual machine.
- Upgrade VMware Tools
-
Allows HCX to upgrade VMware Tools to the latest supported version as part of the migration operation, making current VMware Tools features immediately available to bulk migrated virtual machine.
- Deactivate Per Virtual Machine EVC
-
vSphere Enhanced vMotion Compatibility (EVC) ensures that workloads can be live migrated, using vMotion, between ESXi hosts in a cluster that is running different CPU generations. EVC is a cluster level setting that supports virtual machine mobility within a cluster. For virtual machines implementing per-VM EVC, the EVC mode becomes an attribute of the virtual machine rather than the specific processor generation it happens to be booted on in the cluster. If this option is selected then this virtual machine might not be able to vMotion back to the source site.
- Domain Name
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Sets the domain name for the virtual machine at the destination site. This option is available only with Linux virtual machines.
- Personalization Script
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Uploads a customization script to a migrated virtual machine. The script runs before and after guest customization. The customization script cannot exceed 1500 characters.
For Linux VMs, Guest Customization using the Personalization Script option requires VMware Tools version 10.1.0 or later.Note: In the VMware Tools configuration, the enable-custom-scripts option is deactivated by default for security and must be enabled manually to run the custom script. For information about enabling this option, see VMware KB 74880.
- Generate a new Security Identifier (SID)
-
Generates a new Security Identifier (SID) for the migrated virtual machine. This option is only for Windows virtual machines. Make sure the virtual machine has an active "local administrator" present. If the virtual machine is connected to the domain, it is moved to workgroup, and no DNS suffix is set.
- Resize CPU
-
Changes the number of vCPUs for the migrated virtual machine. For more information about VMware virtual machine vCPU limitations, see the VMware vSphere product documentation.
- Resize Memory
-
Changes the memory size for the migrated virtual machine. For more information about VMware virtual machine memory limitations, see the VMware vSphere product documentation.
- Replicate Security Tag
-
Replicates VMware NSX for vSphere and NSX security tags associated with a virtual machine undergoing migration. The security tags are replicated from the source site to the destination site.
- Migrate Custom Attributes
-
Migrates VMware Custom Attributes associated with a virtual machine undergoing migration. The Custom Attributes are replicated from the source site to the destination site.
- Migrate vCenter Tags
- Migrates vCenter Tags associated with a virtual machine undergoing migration. The vCenter Tags are replicated from the source site to the destination site.
The following table summarizes the options that apply to each migration type.
Option |
Cold Migration |
vMotion Migration |
Bulk Migration |
Replication Assisted vMotion Migration |
HCX Assisted vMotion (Direct) | OS Assisted Migration |
Workload Migration for NSX V2T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Force Power-off VM |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
No | N/A |
No |
Remove Snapshots |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No | N/A |
No |
Force Unmount ISO Images |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No | N/A |
No |
Seed Checkpoint |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
No | No |
No |
Retain MAC |
No |
Yes (default setting; not selectable) |
Yes (not supported for single vCenter operation) |
Yes (default setting; not selectable) |
Yes (default setting; not selectable) | Yes (default setting; not selectable) |
Yes (see note) |
Upgrade Virtual Hardware |
Yes |
Yes (upgrades on reboot) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes | N/A |
Yes |
Upgrade VMware Tools |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes | N/A |
Yes |
Deactivate Per-VM EVC |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No | N/A |
No |
Hostname |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
No | No |
No |
Domain Name |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
No | No |
No |
Personalization Script |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
No | No |
No |
DNS Customization |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
No | No |
No |
Generate a new Security Identifier (SID) |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
No | No |
No |
Resize CPU |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No | Yes |
No |
Resize Memory |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No | Yes |
No |
Replicate Security Tags |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes | N/A |
Yes |
Migrate Custom Attributes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes | N/A |
Yes |
| Migrate vCenter Tags | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
