Using the Proxmox Migration Wizard

Migrating virtual machines from VMware ESXi to Proxmox VE has become easier with the Proxmox ESXi Import Wizard. In this training video, I walk through the complete process of preparing a Proxmox host. We connect it to a VMware ESXi server, and import a virtual machine directly into Proxmox VE.

We look at updating a newly installed Proxmox VE host and configuring the no-subscription repos for both Proxmox and Ceph. From there, I verify that the pve-esxi-import-tools package is installed and ready to use. This package enables Proxmox to connect directly to VMware ESXi storage and it enumerates the virtual machines available for migration. The video then shows how to add a VMware ESXi host as a storage source inside the Proxmox web interface using the ESXi storage option. To do this we enter the ESXi host credentials, handle self-signed certificates, and confirm that Proxmox can see the VMware datastore and the virtual machines running on it.

Next, I walk through the actual VMware to Proxmox VM migration process. This includes powering off the source VM, selecting it from the ESXi storage view, reviewing CPU, memory, storage, disk, network, and SCSI controller settings, and starting the import. I also explain how the Proxmox live import option works. We look at why it should not be confused with migrating a running VMware virtual machine.

Finally, we verify the migration by starting the imported Ubuntu virtual machine directly on Proxmox VE. Then, we makes sure that the guest operating system boots successfully. By the end of the video, you will understand how to use the Proxmox ESXi Import Wizard to move VMware virtual machines to Proxmox VE and what configuration details to review before beginning a migration.