Move from VMware to Proxmox

Take it out

1. 1

   Step 1

   Pick one VM that does not matter

   Use a copy, or a machine you can rebuild. The Proxmox wiki says the ESXi VM is switched off during import, so there is downtime even with live import.

2. 2

   Step 2

   Clear the cases the wizard rejects

   The wiki says vSAN disks do not import. Move those disks to other storage first. Encrypted disks do not import. Remove the encryption policy first. A datastore name that contains a plus sign may fail. Rename it. Snapshots make the import much slower. Remove them if you can.

3. 3

   Step 3

   Write down the firmware

   If the VM boots with legacy BIOS, Proxmox needs SeaBIOS. If it boots with UEFI, Proxmox needs OVMF. A vTPM used for full-disk encryption cannot be copied. Disable it and keep the keys.

Put it in

1. 1

   Step 1

   Add the ESXi host as storage

   In Proxmox, open Datacenter, Storage, Add, and choose ESXi. The wiki says import was tested from ESXi 6.5 through 8.0. If the certificate is self-signed, skip verification or add the CA.

2. 2

   Step 2

   Import that one VM

   Start the import and wait. Do not start a pile of imports at once. The wiki says the ESXi API has a low connection limit and can stall every import if you overload it.

3. 3

   Step 3

   Boot it before you touch the disk bus

   Confirm the guest starts. For Windows, leave the disk on IDE or SATA until the VirtIO drivers are installed. The wiki says a Windows disk on VirtIO will not boot if those drivers were never installed.

What you lose

• vCenter workflows and PowerCLI

  Folders, permissions, alarms, and scripts that talk to vCenter do not import. Rebuild the few jobs you still run.

• A Windows boot disk on VirtIO

  If Windows cannot see the VirtIO disk, it stops during boot. People often call that error inaccessible boot device. The wiki's fix is to set the disk bus to IDE or SATA, boot, install the VirtIO drivers, and only then switch the bus.

• Shared storage and backup jobs

  The disks can land on Proxmox storage. Your old backup product and any vSAN layout do not come with them. Set up a Proxmox backup job before you decommission the host.