Migrate Hyper-V to Windows Server 2012 R2 from Windows Server 2008 R2
Applies To: Windows Server 2012 R2
With Hyper-V, you can create a virtualized server computing environment by using a technology that is part of Windows. This guide provides information and instructions about migrating the Hyper-V role that include virtual machines, data, and operating system settings from the source server running Hyper-V in Windows Server 2008 R2 to the destination server that is running the Windows Server 2012 R2 operating system.
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Did you know that Microsoft Azure provides similar functionality in the cloud? Learn more about Microsoft Azure virtualization solutions. Create a hybrid virtualization solution in Microsoft Azure: - Learn about running virtual machines in Microsoft Azure - Move VM’s between Hyper-V and Microsoft Azure - Move VMware, AWS, Hyper-V and Physical Servers to Microsoft Azure - Manage Azure VMs with Virtual Machine Manager in System Center 2012 R2 with Rollup 6 - Create and upload a Windows Server VHD to Azure - Create and preconfigure Windows virtual machine with the classic deployment model and PowerShell |
In this document:
About this guide
This guide describes how to migrate the Hyper-V role by providing preparation, migration, and verification steps.
Migration documentation facilitates the migration of server role settings and data from an existing source server to a destination server that is running Windows Server 2012 R2.
In addition to the migration options that are described in this topic, System Center 2012 R2 Virtual Machine Manager can facilitate and automate a considerable part of the migration process. For more information about Virtual Machine Manager, see Virtual Machine Manager.
Target audience
This document is intended for information technology (IT) professionals who are responsible for operating and deploying Hyper-V in a managed environment.
What this guide does not provide
Clustering scenarios are not supported by this migration process. For information about how to perform a migration in a clustered environment, see Migration of Highly Available Virtual Machines Using the Migrate a Cluster Wizard.
Migration of Hyper-V from one server that runs Windows Server 2012 to another server that runs Windows Server 2012 R2. For more information about migration from Windows Server 2012 to Windows Server 2012 R2, see Migrate Hyper-V to Windows Server 2012 R2 from Windows Server 2012.
Instructions for migrating more than one server role at one time.
Migration of Hyper-V from one server that runs Windows Server 2012 R2 to another server that runs Windows Server 2012 R2. Instead, you can leverage one of the following Hyper-V features:
Live migration
Shared nothing live migration
Export and import
Copy cluster wizard
Supported migration scenarios
This guide provides you with instructions to migrate a server that is running Hyper-V in Windows Server 2008 R2 to a server that is running Windows Server 2012 R2. This guide does not contain instructions for migration when the source server is running multiple roles. If your server is running multiple roles, we recommend that you design a custom migration procedure that is specific to your server environment and is based on the information in other role migration guides. Migration guides for additional roles are available on the Windows Server Migration Portal.
Migration dependencies
The Hyper-V role does not depend on any other roles. As a best practice, we recommend that no other roles are installed on a server running Hyper-V.
Migration scenarios that are not supported
The following migration scenarios are not supported:
Virtual machine configuration under one of the following conditions:
When the number of virtual processors that are configured for the virtual machine is greater than the number of logical processors on the destination server.
When the memory that is configured for a virtual machine is greater than the available memory on the destination server.
Overview of migration process for this role
Hyper-V role migration involves moving the virtual machines, virtual networks, and all the associated settings from one physical computer to another physical computer in the enterprise. The process supports moving from a server running Hyper-V in Windows Server 2008 R2 to a server running Hyper-V in Windows Server 2012 R2. The Hyper-V role does not depend on any other roles.
The following options are available to move a virtual machine:
Manually copy virtual hard disks and virtual machine configuration files
Important
Exporting a virtual machine from Windows Server 2008 R2 and importing it on a server running Windows Server 2012 R2 is not supported.
Migrate to Hyper-V running on Windows Server 2012 first and then migrate to Hyper-V running on Windows Server 2012 R2. For additional information see:
Estimated duration
The length of time it takes to migrate the Hyper-V role depends on the size of the data to be transferred and on the tools that are used. Of the various types of files to be transferred, the virtual hard disk (VHD), have the largest file sizes from a few gigabytes to many gigabytes in size. The length of time that is required for migration is largely affected by the size of the VHD files and by the network bandwidth.
In-place upgrade
This scenario describes how to use the existing hardware that runs the Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system and to perform an in-place upgrade of the operating system to Windows Server 2012 R2. This scenario does not require any additional hardware.
Note
Before you run an in-place upgrade, we recommend that you back up the management operating system and the virtual machines.
Perform an in-place upgrade
Use the following steps to perform an in-place upgrade.
Log on to the server by using a user account with local Administrator rights.
Shutdown all running virtual machines and ensure none of the virtual machines are in a saved state.
Delete all online snapshots. Online snapshots contain saved state information and saved states cannot be migrated to Windows Server 2012 R2. For additional information about online snapshots, see Checkpoints and snapshots.
Insert media for Windows Server 2012 R2 and run Setup.exe if the installation program did not start automatically.
Review the upgrade report and fix any blocking warning messages.
After the server running Hyper-V has restarted, confirm that the server was successfully upgraded.
Install the latest updates.
Start each of the virtual machines that were running before the upgrade.
Confirm that each virtual machine operates as expected.
Upgrade the integration services for each virtual machine. A restart might be required to complete the integration services update.
Manually copy virtual hard disks and virtual machine configuration files
This scenario describes how to copy the virtual machine and associated files on a Hyper-V running on Windows Server 2008 R2 to a server running Windows Server 2012 R2. This scenario requires a server that is running Windows Server 2012 R2 with the Hyper-V role installed and configured.
There are two servers that are referenced in this scenario:
Source server – this is the server running Windows Server 2008 R2.
Destination server – this is the server running Windows Server 2012 R2.
Perform the following steps on the source server.
Shutdown or turn off virtual machines you want to move. Saved state is not supported.
Delete all online snapshots for each virtual machine to be moved. For more information about online snapshots, see Checkpoints and snapshots
Stop the Hyper-V Virtual Machine Management service (vmms.exe).
Note
This step is need to ensure that all files are properly unlocked.
Copy the virtual hard disk and configuration files to the destination server.
You can start the Hyper-V Virtual Machine Management service if you still have virtual machines running on the source server.
Perform the following steps on the destination server.
Install Windows Server 2012 R2 on the new server hardware.
Install the Hyper-V role on the server.
Configure the following Hyper-V settings, for example:
The default location for virtual hard disks and virtual machine configuration files.
Live migration settings.
Virtual switches.
Open the Hyper-V Manager console.
From the Actions pane click Import Virtual Machine to run the Import Virtual Machine wizard. You will need to specify the path to the files copied from the source server. The wizard walks you through the steps of addressing incompatibilities when you import the virtual machine to the new host—such as memory, virtual switches, and virtual processors. For more information about the Import wizard, see Export and import VM.
Note
You can also use the Windows PowerShell cmdlet Import-VM.
Start the virtual machine that was just imported.
Confirm that each virtual machine operates as expected.
Upgrade the integration services for each virtual machine. A restart might be required to complete the integration services update.
To import additional virtual machines, repeat steps 5-8.
Note
Hyper-V in Windows Server 2012 introduces a new version of the virtual hard disk format called VHDX, which is designed to handle current and future workloads. You can convert your existing VHD files to VHDX to take advantage of the VHDX features. When converting from VHD to VHDX the virtual machine must be turned off. In the Hyper-V Manager console use the Edit Virtual Hard Disk Wizard or you can use the Convert-VHDWindows PowerShell cmdlet. For additional information about VHDX, see Virtual hard disk format. For additional information about Convert-VHD Windows PowerShell cmdlet, see Convert-VHD.