Virtual machine migration definition
Virtual machine (VM) migration refers to the process of moving a running VM from one physical host machine to another, or from one data center to another, without disrupting the VM's availability or performance.
VM migration is commonly used in virtualization environments to optimize resource utilization, balance workload, and reduce downtime for maintenance and upgrades. This process is typically automated using virtualization management tools.
See also: host virtual machine
Examples of virtual machine migration:
- Live migration. This is a popular type of VM migration that allows a running VM to be migrated from one physical host machine to another without any disruption to its availability or performance. Live migration typically involves copying the VM's memory state over a high-speed network connection while the VM continues to run on the source host.
- Storage migration. It is often used to move VMs to higher-performance storage arrays or to consolidate storage in a centralized data center. Storage migration can be performed offline, with the VM powered off, or online, with the VM running and the storage being moved in the background.
- Cloud migration. This type of VM migration involves moving VMs from an on-premises virtualization environment to a public or private cloud environment. Cloud migration is often used to take advantage of cloud scalability, flexibility, and cost savings.
