VMware Migration Guide: ESXi to Proxmox VE
How to prepare a VMware migration, how ESXi import, live import and warm migration compare, limits such as vSAN, and what to check afterwards.
VMware migration means moving virtual machines from ESXi and vSphere to another virtualization platform. This guide covers preparation, methods, limits and post-migration checks when the target is Proxmox VE.
Prepare the source VMs
- Remove guest tools specific to the old hypervisor, such as VMware Tools, first. They can be hard to remove afterwards.
- Record network settings. The adapter changes, so IPs may need re-entering, and DHCP reservations must match the new MAC address.
- Prepare VirtIO drivers. Windows needs extra install steps, and Linux needs the drivers in its initramfs.
- Consider disabling disk encryption that keeps keys in a virtual TPM, such as BitLocker, and keep recovery keys at hand. VMware vTPM state cannot be moved to Proxmox VE.
Migration methods compared
| Method | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| ESXi import wizard | Add ESXi as a storage in the Proxmox VE UI and import VMs. Power off the source VM first. | Small VMs and planned maintenance windows |
| Live import | Starts the VM on Proxmox VE during import and copies the rest in the background. If it fails, data written since the start is lost. | Reducing downtime on a stable network (try a test VM first) |
| OVF or disk import | Export with ovftool, then use qm importovf or qm disk import. | When ESXi cannot be reached directly |
| Backup restore | Restore VMs through the backup product's Proxmox VE integration. | When your backup product already supports it |
| Warm migration (MOAVI) | Copies disks while the VM runs, moves the last changes, then shuts it down once to cut over. | Large VMs and servers that cannot stop in business hours |
Limits to check first
- Disks on vSAN cannot be imported with the wizard. Move them to other storage first.
- Disks encrypted by a storage policy cannot be imported. Remove the policy first.
- Snapshots can slow imports significantly. Datastore names with characters like '+' may need renaming.
- Import in sequence and keep to four disks at a time, because the ESXi API limits connections.
- Connect to the ESXi host directly, since going through vCenter is much slower. Proxmox documents testing with ESXi 6.5 to 8.0.
After the move
- The adapter name usually changes, so fix network settings in the guest.
- Install missing drivers and the QEMU guest agent.
- Use the VirtIO SCSI single controller and VirtIO NICs. On Windows, switch the boot disk after installing drivers.
- If a UEFI VM will not boot, add a boot entry and configure an EFI disk so the setting persists.
- Verify services, then set up backup. Keep the source VM powered off, not deleted, until you are confident.