Virtual Server Migration

Symptom

You need to migrate a virtual database-server with 2TB of data to a new virtual machine environment, but you cannot afford to have the server offline for three days to migrate the data.

Solution

Keep the old server running, and generating incremental backups, while you begin a HeadStart Restore of the same backup image chain into a virtual machine file (VMDK, ESX Server, VHD). Over time, the HSR catches up to the most current incremental from the database-server. You can then take the old server down during off-hours, apply the final incremental backup to the new server. You can then bring the new system online very quickly.

You can to do a Hardware Independent Restore (HIR) to make sure the migrated OS boots properly on the new machine.