<div>
<div class="content wysiwyg-content">
We have 4 Server 2012 VM's that we host for a client using ESXi 5.5, we want to move these VM's off our system and onto a different hosting platform. &nbsp;<br />
<br />
I was thinking I could just download the VMDK files for the associated servers, however that seems to take forever. &nbsp;<br />
<br />
I was thinking, maybe I could export the servers to an OVF template, but I presume that would mean turning the VM off while it creates the template.<br />
<br />
The final thing I thought of was using the Veem backup tool that I have installed, but again that would mean having the VM's off wouldn't it ?<br />
<br />
Just trying to get a handle on what downtime might be required.<br />
<br />
Thanks<br />
Matthew
</div>
</div>


We have 4 Server 2012 VM's that we host for a client using ESXi 5.5, we want to move these VM's off our system and onto a different hosting platform.  

I was thinking I could just download the VMDK files for the associated servers, however that seems to take forever.  

I was thinking, maybe I could export the servers to an OVF template, but I presume that would mean turning the VM off while it creates the template.

The final thing I thought of was using the Veem backup tool that I have installed, but again that would mean having the VM's off wouldn't it ?

Just trying to get a handle on what downtime might be required.

Thanks
Matthew

Moving VMs to another supplier

VMware, a software company founded in 1998,  was one of the first commercially successful companies to offer x86 virtualization. The storage company EMC purchased VMware in 1994. Dell Technologies acquired EMC in 2016. VMware’s parent company is now Dell Technologies.

VMware has many software products that run on desktops, Microsoft Windows, Linux, and macOS, which allows the virtualizing of the x86 architecture.  Its enterprise software hypervisor for servers, VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi), is a bare-metal hypervisor that runs directly on the server hardware and does not require an additional underlying operating system.

VMware

Virtualization is the act of creating a virtual (rather than actual) version of something, including (but not limited to) a virtual computer hardware platform, operating system (OS), storage device, or computer network resources. Virtualization is usually the creation of a system that executes separate from the underlying hardware resources, or the creation of an entire desktop for systems located elsewhere, similar to thin clients.