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vJailbreak

Migration Options

vJailbreak provides a number of options to optimize and control the migration process. These options are available in the migration wizard under “Migration Options”.

Copy options

There are several options available to control how data is copied during migration.

Data copy method

Determines how the data copy is done

  • Copy live VMs, then power off - This option copies the data from the live VMs to the OpenStack/PCD volumes. vJailbreak uses CBT (Change Block Tracking) to copy the data that is dirtied. Then, the VMs are powered off and the remaining changed blocks are copied to the OpenStack/PCD volumes (see cut over options below)

  • Power off VMs, then copy - This option powers off the VMs and then copies the data to the OpenStack/PCD volumes. There is no CBT involved in this case, it will be the faster option, but will impact the uptime of the application. Power off VMs are supported but may need user input to provide the IP address, Operating System type during migration.

Storage copy method

Determines the underlying mechanism used to transfer disk data.

  • Normal (default) - Uses the traditional network-based copy via VMware’s NFC protocol. Data is transferred from ESXi hosts to OpenStack Cinder volumes over the network. This method is limited to approximately 1 Gbps per VMDK due to NFC protocol constraints.

  • Storage-Accelerated Copy - Leverages storage array-level XCOPY operations for dramatically faster migrations. Instead of copying data over the network, this method offloads the copy to the storage array itself. Requires:

    • Supported storage array (Pure Storage or NetApp)
    • Both VMware datastores and OpenStack Cinder backed by the same array
    • ESXi SSH access configured
    • VMs must be powered off during copy (cold migration only)

See Storage-Accelerated Copy for detailed configuration instructions.

Data copy start time

As the name implies, determines when the copy operation should start, typically used to start the migration during off-peak hours.

Cutover options

There are 3 options available

  • Cutover during time window - This option allows the user to specify a time window during which the VM would be powered off and the corresponding OpenStack/PCD VM would be configured and powered on. This window also involves copy of any remaining changed blocks to the OpenStack/PCD volumes since the last time the block were copied.

  • Cutover immediately after data copy - This option is simpler and follows the copy operation immediately after the copy is complete. This option is recommended for applications that have flexible uptime requirements and can be powered off anytime during the migration.

  • Admin initiated cutover - This option allows the user to manually trigger the cutover operation after the data copy is complete.

Data Copy Method Workflows

1. Power off Live VM, then Copy

Immediately Cutover

The VM is powered off on the source before the initial copy begins. Once the initial copy completes, the migration immediately performs the final sync and powers on the VM at the destination.

Cutover During Time Window

The VM is powered off on the source before the initial copy begins. After the initial copy completes, the migration waits for the specified time window. When the time window arrives, it performs the final sync and powers on the VM at the destination.

Admin Initiated Cutover

The VM is powered off on the source before the initial copy begins. After the initial copy completes, the migration waits for manual intervention. When the admin initiates cutover, the migration performs the final sync and powers on the VM at the destination.

Note: When “Power off VMs then copy” is selected, cutover timing options (immediate, time window, or admin-initiated) are disabled in the UI.

2. Copy Live VM, then Power off

Immediately Cutover

The initial copy is performed while the VM remains running on the source. Once the initial copy completes, the VM is powered off on the source, and the migration immediately performs the final sync and powers on the VM at the destination.

Cutover During Time Window

The initial copy is performed while the VM remains running on the source. After the initial copy completes, the migration waits for the specified time window. When the time window arrives, the VM is powered off on the source, the final sync is performed, and the VM is powered on at the destination.

Admin Initiated Cutover

The initial copy is performed while the VM remains running on the source. After the initial copy completes, the migration waits for manual intervention. When the admin initiates cutover, the VM is powered off on the source, the final sync is performed, and the VM is powered on at the destination.

Post migration options

Post migration script

A script to be executed after the migration is complete. This script is optional and can be used to perform post migration tasks such as starting the application, updating the application configuration, adding VM to domain controller etc.

Rename VM

An optional parameter. Renames the source VM in VMware to have a specific suffix, good option to indicate a VM is migrated to OpenStack/PCD. The default suffix is “_migrated_to_pcd”.

Move to folder

An optional parameter. Moves the source VM in VMware to a specific folder, good option to group migrated VMs and keep it out of the hands of the user.

Network persistence

Persist source network interfaces

When enabled, vJailbreak preserves the source VM’s network interface names on the destination VM (for example, eth0 or ens3). This prevents breaking guest configurations—such as firewall rules or legacy scripts—that depend on specific interface names.

For statically configured interfaces, vJailbreak also preserves routes defined in configuration files, ensuring the guest retains its original network behavior after migration.

To enable this behavior, check Persist source network interfaces under Migration Options in the migration form.

For more information, refer to the Network Persistence documentation.