Hyper-V Migration Guide: Preparing to Migrate

Article
07/02/2012

Updated: February 11, 2010

Applies To: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2

Follow these steps to prepare for migration.

Select the computer to use as the destination computer
Prepare your destination server
Back up the source server
Install Windows Server Migration Tools
Collect configuration details from your source server
Prepare other computers in the enterprise

Important

If you installed Windows Server Migration Tools before you installed the Hyper-V role, you must remove the tools and then install the Hyper-V role before you install the tools. For removal instructions, see Windows Server Migration Tools Installation, Access, and Removal (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=134763).
Before you run the Import-SmigServerSetting, Export-SmigServerSetting, or Get-SmigServerFeature cmdlets, verify that during migration, both source and destination servers can contact the domain controller that is associated with domain users or groups who are members of local groups on the source server.
Before you run the Send-SmigServerData or Receive-SmigServerData cmdlets, verify that during migration, both source and destination servers can contact the domain controller that is associated with those domain users who have rights to files or shares that are being migrated.

Select the computer to use as the destination computer

The computer you select as the destination server must meet the following hardware requirements:

Storage. The destination server requires enough storage to hold the virtual hard disks from the source server.
Network. The destination server requires at least as many physical network adapters as the number of physical network adapters in use as external virtual networks on the source server. To determine this, open Hyper-V Manager, and then open Virtual Network Manager. Under Virtual Networks (in the left pane) note the number of the networks designated as “External”.
Memory. The destination server requires enough memory to run all the virtual machines you plan to run at the same time, as well as run the Hyper-V role in Windows Server 2008 R2. For example, if you run all the virtual machines configured on the source server at the same time, the destination server must have at least as much memory as the sum of memory configured for all virtual machines, plus memory to run the Hyper-V role in Windows Server 2008 R2.
Processor. The destination server requires at least as many logical processors as the largest number of processors configured on a virtual machine on the source server. Note that if you want to migrate virtual machines with saved states, the processor on the destination server must be compatible with the processor on the source server. The processors must be from the same manufacturer and have compatible steppings.

Prepare your destination server

To prepare the destination server for migration, you must perform the steps in the order they are given.

To prepare your destination server

Install Windows Server 2008 R2.
Add the Hyper-V role.
1. Open a Windows PowerShell session with elevated user rights. To do this, click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, open the Windows PowerShell folder, right-click Windows PowerShell, and then click Run as administrator.
2. Load the Server Manager module into your Windows PowerShell session. To load the Server Manager module, type the following, and then press ENTER.
```
Import-Module ServerManager
```
3. Run the following command to install the Hyper-V role:
```
Add-WindowsFeature Hyper-V -restart
```

Back up the source server

Before you start migration, back up the source server. If the migration fails, you can use this backup to restore the source server. Make sure you perform a full system backup. For information about the different types of backups, see Planning for Backup (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=178128).

Install Windows Server Migration Tools

Install Windows Server Migration Tools on the destination server first, and then on the source server. For installation, configuration, and removal instructions, see Windows Server Migration Tools Installation, Access, and Removal (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=134763).

Windows Server Migration Tools is a set of Windows PowerShell cmdlets. For more information about Windows PowerShell and working with cmdlets, see the section “Working with Windows PowerShell cmdlets” in Windows Server Migration Common Tasks and Information (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=181826).

Collect configuration details from your source server

Collect the following configuration details about the source server. You will use this information as part of the verification process after you perform the migration.

Gather identifying information about the set of virtual machines on the source server. If there is a relatively small number of virtual machines on the server (for example, less than 20), you could take a screenshot of the list of virtual machines displayed in the Hyper-V Manager snap-in. Additionally, record the following configuration information for each virtual machine:
- Amount of memory
- Number of virtual processors
- Virtual hard disks (.vhd files) connected to the virtual machine
For each virtual machine that has snapshots, gather information about the number of snapshots and the structure of the snapshot tree.
Record information about the external virtual networks. Include information such as the name of each external virtual network. If you plan to migrate the IP settings of the physical network adapters (for example, if the network adapters use static IP addresses that you want to retain), save the IP configuration settings by using the following command:
```
IPConfig /all > IPSettings.txt
```
If you have made any customizations to the Hyper-V security policy, gather all the information about scopes and roles from Authorization Manager (see Using Authorization Manager for Hyper-V Security (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=183469)).
If you have turned off any exceptions in Windows Firewall, record that information.
If you have granted remote access to the server for Hyper-V management to any user account that is not a member of the Administrators group, record that information. The Hyper-V Remote Management Configuration Utility is a tool is that you can use for this task. However, this tool is not published or supported by Microsoft. For more information, see Hyper-V Remote Management Configuration Utility (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=178138).
If you have granted remote access to the server for Hyper-V management to any user account that is not a member of the Administrators group or Distributed COM Users group, open the registry and navigate to the HKLM\Software\Microsoft\OLE\ key. Find the MachineLaunchRestriction value and record all the information about that value.

Warning

Incorrectly editing the registry may severely damage your system. Before making changes to the registry, you should back up any valued data on the computer.

Prepare other computers in the enterprise

Depending on the workloads that you have deployed in your virtual machines, you need to take the necessary actions to ensure that the users and clients that obtain services from the virtual machines are not negatively impacted during the migration. In other words, you could either have a planned downtime or redirect the clients and users to alternate, redundant virtual machines while the migration is in progress. The specific actions you take depend on the best practices you have in place for the workloads deployed in the virtual machines.