Move Windows 8 ESXi VM to KVM?

[sgibbers17]

When unRAID 6 comes out as and RC I have plans to move my ESXi VMs to KVM.  Has anybody moved a windows 8 VM from one hypervisor to another using the same hardware and did it cause any activation issues?

[BobPhoenix]

I've gone from ESXi to VirtualBox then back to ESXi and had to activate again but I've not gone to or from Xen or KVM.  The Windows VMs I have on unRAID 6.0 I started from scratch.

 

Should have qualified that some more.  The ESXi to VirtualBox and back was with WHSv1 VM.  I have not tried 8+ yet.  Waiting for 6.0 final if not 6.1.

[sgibbers17]

 

I've gone from ESXi to VirtualBox then back to ESXi and had to activate again but I've not gone to or from Xen or KVM.  The Windows VMs I have on unRAID 6.0 I started from scratch.

 

Should have qualified that some more.  The ESXi to VirtualBox and back was with WHSv1 VM.  I have not tried 8+ yet.  Waiting for 6.0 final if not 6.1.

 

Did you have to call Microsoft to activate it or did it reactivate as if it was just reinstalled on the same PC?

 

I know that windows activation is based off the hardware and was wondering if changing from one hypervisor to another "changes the hardware" that Microsoft uses for activation.  Having to install from scratch is fine but I don't want to find out I can't reactivate for some reason and have to jump through hoops to activate it.  My windows VM is my tv tuner and SQL server and I don't want to have a bunch of down time trying to figure it out.

[StevenD]

You can use VMWare Converter to migrate the VM.  Yes, you will have to re-activate it, no matter what method you use to move it.

[sgibbers17]

You can use VMWare Converter to migrate the VM.  Yes, you will have to re-activate it, no matter what method you use to move it.

I believe that the converter only converts physical machines to VMs not VM to VM.  If I am wrong let me know.

[BobPhoenix]

 

I've gone from ESXi to VirtualBox then back to ESXi and had to activate again but I've not gone to or from Xen or KVM.  The Windows VMs I have on unRAID 6.0 I started from scratch.

 

Should have qualified that some more.  The ESXi to VirtualBox and back was with WHSv1 VM.  I have not tried 8+ yet.  Waiting for 6.0 final if not 6.1.

 

Did you have to call Microsoft to activate it or did it reactivate as if it was just reinstalled on the same PC?

 

I know that windows activation is based off the hardware and was wondering if changing from one hypervisor to another "changes the hardware" that Microsoft uses for activation.  Having to install from scratch is fine but I don't want to find out I can't reactivate for some reason and have to jump through hoops to activate it.  My windows VM is my tv tuner and SQL server and I don't want to have a bunch of down time trying to figure it out.

With WHSv1 you can activate more than once before you call.  So no I didn't have to call them but I doubt I would be able to move it again without calling them.

[garycase]

You'll almost certainly have to reactivate.    The only time that's not true is if you MOVE (not copy) a VM between VMware systems -- in that case since the virtual hardware is identical, there's no change in the machine that requires re-activation.    But with a different hypervisor, the virtualized hardware will be different.

 

[StevenD]

You can use VMWare Converter to migrate the VM.  Yes, you will have to re-activate it, no matter what method you use to move it.

I believe that the converter only converts physical machines to VMs not VM to VM.  If I am wrong let me know.

 

You can use the converter for any "Powered On Machine".  It doesnt care if its physical, or another type of VM.