Which method is the fastest for many VMs?

Restoring from the backup, because it does not depend on what the source hosts can serve and it runs several VMs in parallel. Direct import and manual conversion move one VM at a time unless you build your own automation.

Can I migrate if vCenter or the ESXi hosts are no longer available?

Only from the backup. The first two methods need the source environment up. If the image-level backups exist in Veeam, the VMs can be migrated without it.

Which method has the least downtime?

It depends on the disks. With direct import and manual conversion the VM is down while its disks are copied. Restoring from the backup with Instant VM Migration boots the VM on the target from the backup, with a stated RTO of 60 seconds or less, and copies the disks afterwards.

Do I have to convert the disks by hand?

Only with manual conversion. With direct import and with a restore from the backup the conversion happens during the migration.

What is VDDK and why does it matter when migrating?

VDDK, the Virtual Disk Development Kit, is the VMware library for reading virtual disks. Many direct import tools depend on it, and you have to obtain it separately and install it next to the tool. Restoring from the backup with Moov does not need it: Moov reads the disks from the restore point Veeam publishes.

Does Moov work without Veeam?

No. Moov migrates from Veeam Backup & Replication V13 restore points. Without them, the alternatives are a direct import or a manual conversion.

Moov · Guides by target

Three ways to migrate from VMware to Proxmox and KVM, compared

There are three ways to move a virtual machine from VMware to Proxmox VE, oVirt / OLVM or any KVM hypervisor: import it directly from the source hypervisor, export and convert its disks by hand, or restore it from the backup you already have. They differ in what they ask of the source environment, in how long the VM is down and in who prepares the operating system. Moov is a migration tool for the third one.

The three methods

Direct import from the source hypervisor

The target platform, or a tool running next to it, connects to vCenter or ESXi, reads the configuration and the disks of the VM over the network and creates it on the target.

What it needs

Network path and credentials to the source environment.
A source that is healthy and reachable for as long as the copy takes: every byte is read through its hosts.
The operating system prepared by hand in most cases: drivers, agent and boot.
In many cases, VMware VDDK: a proprietary library you have to obtain and install separately so the tool can read the disks.

When it fits

A few VMs with small disks, a source that still works well and a maintenance window long enough for the copy.

Manual export and conversion

You export the VM or copy its disk files, move them to the target, convert them to the format the target uses, create the VM by hand and attach the converted disk.

What it needs

Staging space for the export, usually as large as the disks themselves.
Command-line work for each VM, and a script if there are many.
The operating system prepared entirely by hand.

When it fits

One-off VMs, environments with no network path between both platforms and appliances that are delivered as a file.

Restore from the backup

The VM is rebuilt on the target from the restore point that already exists in the backup. The source environment takes no part: nothing connects to vCenter or ESXi.

What it needs

A backup platform that can publish its restore points. Moov uses Veeam Backup & Replication V13.
A restore point as recent as the data you can afford to leave behind: the VM arrives as it was when that backup was taken.
A tool that prepares the operating system for KVM during the migration.

When it fits

Tens or hundreds of VMs, a source you cannot or do not want to touch, and teams that already back up with Veeam.

Side by side

The same eight questions for each method. The third column describes the method as Moov implements it.

Question	Direct import	Manual conversion	Restore from backup
Does it touch the source environment?	Yes, it connects to it and reads through its hosts.	Yes, to export or copy the disks.	No. It only reads the backup.
How long is the VM down?	Usually as long as the copy of its disks takes.	Export, transfer, conversion and repair: the longest.	A final incremental backup plus the start on the target. With Instant VM Migration the stated RTO is 60 seconds or less.
Who prepares the operating system?	You, in most cases.	You.	The tool: VirtIO drivers, boot repair, guest agent and IP address.
Does it need extra space?	No.	Yes, for the exported copy.	No. The disk is read from the backup repository.
Does it need software from the source vendor?	Often yes: many tools read the disks through VMware VDDK, which you obtain separately.	No, only conversion tools.	No. Moov does not use or bundle VDDK or any other VMware library.
How does it scale?	VM by VM, at the pace the source hosts can serve.	Poorly without your own automation.	In waves, with several VMs in parallel per helper.
How do you go back?	Power the source VM on again.	Power the source VM on again.	The source VM and the backup are left untouched.
What does it depend on?	The source staying available.	Time and manual work.	Having image-level backups of the VMs.

Moov v1.0.44

How Moov does the third one

Moov is a self-contained appliance that migrates in bulk from Veeam restore points to Proxmox VE, oVirt / OLVM / RHV and HPE VM Essentials. It never connects to vCenter or ESXi.

Download the appliance

Two modes per VM: Instant VM Migration, which boots the VM on the target from the backup and later moves it to local storage, and Cold Migration, which copies the disks first.
The operating system is prepared during the migration: VirtIO drivers, boot repair, QEMU guest agent and static IP addresses.
Waves of VMs run in parallel, and each wave is verified by powering the VM on and waiting for its agent.
Pre-flight shows the restore point of each VM with its age and warns when Veeam already has a newer one.
The backup is not modified and the source VM stays as your way back.
It does not use or bundle VMware VDDK or any other VMware library: there is nothing extra to download.

When restoring from the backup is not the answer

There is no Veeam Backup & Replication V13, or it runs Community Edition, which is not supported.
The backups are agent or application backups, not VM image backups.
The target is a hypervisor other than Proxmox VE, oVirt / OLVM / RHV or HPE VM Essentials.
No change made after the last restore point may be lost and the VM cannot be stopped for a final backup.

Frequently asked questions

Which method is the fastest for many VMs?: Restoring from the backup, because it does not depend on what the source hosts can serve and it runs several VMs in parallel. Direct import and manual conversion move one VM at a time unless you build your own automation.
Can I migrate if vCenter or the ESXi hosts are no longer available?: Only from the backup. The first two methods need the source environment up. If the image-level backups exist in Veeam, the VMs can be migrated without it.
Which method has the least downtime?: It depends on the disks. With direct import and manual conversion the VM is down while its disks are copied. Restoring from the backup with Instant VM Migration boots the VM on the target from the backup, with a stated RTO of 60 seconds or less, and copies the disks afterwards.
Do I have to convert the disks by hand?: Only with manual conversion. With direct import and with a restore from the backup the conversion happens during the migration.
What is VDDK and why does it matter when migrating?: VDDK, the Virtual Disk Development Kit, is the VMware library for reading virtual disks. Many direct import tools depend on it, and you have to obtain it separately and install it next to the tool. Restoring from the backup with Moov does not need it: Moov reads the disks from the restore point Veeam publishes.
Does Moov work without Veeam?: No. Moov migrates from Veeam Backup & Replication V13 restore points. Without them, the alternatives are a direct import or a manual conversion.

Related guides

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