Hi vAdmins,
Time for a deep dive!
In this post, we are going to configure VMware HCX and we’ll make a start with migrating workload, so let’s do it!
Pre Requirements:
For a supported VMware HCX implementation, you should always fist consult the VMware interoperability Matrix and validate product compatibility with the focus on VMware vSphere (source vs destination) and VMware HCX.
You can easily obtain the vCenter version, just open the vSphere Web Console, navigate to the inventory tree and select the related vCenter. The vCenter version including it’s build number is visible under the summary tab, like the picture below.
The system requirements depend on the size of the environment and the desired VMware HCX services.
See my previous post “VMware HCX: Migrate your Workload to the Cloud (and back) part 1“, for more information.
In this post we already have HCX pre-installed.
This video indicates an overview of the HCX landing page, the VMware HCX plug-in from the vCenter Web Console.
HCX manager overview:
As you can see, the HCX Plug-In is available, so let’s open it.
This HCX Dashboard is the HCX starting page which provides a High-Level overview of all HCX related services.
You’ve probably noticed that 2 migrations already taken place successfully and Site Paring is already active between 2 Sites.
The interconnect>Service Mesh tab indicates the Site paring including all available services:
The Services> Network Extension tab indicates all the extended network(s) including the related Extended-Appliance with the current status.
The Services> Migration tab provides the status of all the running and finalized migrations.
The Services> Disaster Recovery tab provides the status of all Disaster Recovery specific task(s).
The System>Administration tab provides the status of HCX components, like the current version and available updates. From this webpage you can also create log bundles and review logs.
Check check final check, let’s verify the connectivity status between both sites called Site Paring.
Before we do a VM migration, we want to make sure that bots sites are connecties by a stretched (L2) network.
You can validate this status by opening the Services>Network Extension tab and select the source Network.
The status indicates the network connectivity is healthy, from this point we are able to initiate a migration by VMware HCX.
HCX Mesh Set UP:
This video demonstrates how to setup the connectivity between the source and destination site.
HCX Network Extension Set Up:
With VMware HCX Network Extension (HCX-NE), you can extend the Virtual Machine networks to a VMware HCX remote site. Virtual Machines that are migrated or created on the extended segment at the remote site behave as if on the same L2 segment as virtual machines in the source environment. With Network Extension,
Migration workload from Hyper-V to vSphere (OSAM)
This migration service moves Linux- or Windows-based non-vSphere guest virtual machines from their host environment to a VMware vSphere data center, called OS Assisted Migration.
For a migration, network connectivity is a pre-requirement.
Let’s prepare for a migration and start with resolving the IP adress of this Hyper-V workload.
Assumption: The network connectivity is stretched L2, so we can start with the migration to VMware vSphere with HCX OSAM.
In this scenario We assume that Site paring and Network Extension are prepared (Services>Network Extension>Service Mesh).
Next step is to validate that the vm/hostname is not already in use by the destination site/vCenter.
So let’s start with a migration:
Migration by vMotion
We are about to migrate workload by vMotion technology.
You can initiate a vMotion bij the the services>Migration tab and click on Migrate.
For this scenario you have to select: REVERSE MIGRATION AND SOURCE/DESTINATION, choose the target network and define the migration scope.
During this proces we select the appropriate source and destination HCX connection sites and define a group name where we add the workload for this migration batch.
Once the workload has been added you can configure the migration approach.
A powerfull feature is the option to schedule a failover window for migrations.
Let’s validate this migration approach. Once this validation has succeeded, the migration can be initiated (which is based on vMotion technology).
During this validation, we receive a warning because the storage becomes overcommitted.
Let’s hit the Migrate button and start with the first migration:
Bulk Migration
We will now perform a bulk migration and migrate somee VMs from site-B to Site-B.
This migration method uses the VMware vSphere Replication protocols to move the virtual machines to a remote site.
To start a bulk migration go to the services>Migration tab and click on Migrate.
Don’t forget to select: Reverse Migration and choose the destination Datacenter.
See the demo below:
Mobility Optimized Network (MON)
MON enables optimized application mobility for virtual machine application groups that span multiple segmented networks or for virtual machines with inter-VLAN dependencies, as well as for hybrid applications, throughout the migration cycle.
In this scenario we assume that Site Pairing is healthy.
We are going to migrate a VM from site A to site B and in doing so, connectivity has remained up and running (same steps as vMotion).
You initiate the migration by hitting the Go bottom.
You can then track the migration status in real time.
Once the migration is complete, this vm will be visible in Site-B (destination).
Through console access, we tested the network connectivity and it works (confirmed with a ping reply).
We open the HCX page and click on the Network Extension tab from Site-A (source).
We change the default Target Router Location (to hcx-01b).
From this point on, all the network traffic is handled efficiently and routed in its own network segment.
Soon I will post a brand-new post “VMware HCX: migrate your workload to the Cloud (and back) part 3” with focusing on migration scenario’s including the adoption of a Cloud Smart (Multi-Cloud) strategy, so stay tuned!
End of this post.
Disclaimer: This blog is based on my personal title and assumptions. No rights can be derived from this blog.