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Migrate or import your VMs

You rarely start from an empty datacenter: most evaluations begin by bringing existing VMs into Vates VMS. Xen Orchestra covers the common paths out of the box.

From VMware, with V2V​

Xen Orchestra includes a native V2V (VMware to Vates) migration engine. Since Xen Orchestra 5.110, it relies on nbdkit and VMware's VDDK libraries, bringing:

  • Warm migration for all ESXi versions: most of the data is transferred while the source VM is still running, keeping downtime per VM to a minimum.
  • Improved performance: only allocated blocks are read, with no temporary NFS storage required.
  • Better visibility: progress bar from the start of the migration, speed metrics, and snapshots at each step so you can pause and resume safely.
Xen OrchestraVMware · ESXiVates VMSyour VMimported VMXCP-ngkeeps running during the copywarm copy · allocated blocks onlyfinal cutover: a brief stop, then the VM starts on XCP-ng
V2V · warm migration from VMwareVM dataV2V orchestration

The complete procedure (preparing the VMware environment, running a test migration, final cutover and troubleshooting) is covered in the V2V migration guide in the Xen Orchestra documentation.

Import an OVA​

For single VMs, appliances, or when V2V is not the best fit, Xen Orchestra imports OVA archives (OVF1 format, the archive that bundles a VM description with its VMDK disks) directly from the New → Import menu: pick the target pool and SR, drop the file, review the detected settings and import. OVAs exported from VirtualBox are supported; report any issue with OVAs from other platforms. Details: VM import in the XO documentation.

From Hyper-V​

There is no one-button engine for Hyper-V; migrations follow a disk-based path: export or copy the VM disks (VHD/VHDX, depending on your environment), import them into Xen Orchestra, create the destination VM and attach the imported disks. The migration overview covers the full approach.

Between XCP-ng pools​

The native XVA format exports and imports whole VMs between XCP-ng and XenServer infrastructures, and VM copy streams a VM directly to any SR, even across pools.

Migrating a whole infrastructure?

For large or sensitive projects, the Migration Package pairs you with Vates migration specialists: personalized plan, guided proof of concept, hands-on support and post-migration follow-up.