Vizioncore may have done it again. As you may or may not know, Vizioncore is the company that developed esxRanger, allowing VMware customers to backup live vmdk files, without suspending or halting the VM.

They have also released esxReplicator, which allows for esx-host based replication of virtual machines. This is great for people who want to replicate their VMware environment for DR purposes, but lack the ability to run SAN based replication like Mirrorview or SRDF.

Now, they have just released esxMigrator aimed at easing the migration from VMware 2.5.X to VI 3. Their website states:

“A GUI-driven management tool to help ease the migration process and enable companies to leverage the new efficiencies of VI3, esxMigrator completes the migration with minimal downtime. The existing production environment can still be used by the workforce, even as individual virtual machines are being replicated and ported to the new production server. During the migration process, the source virtual machine remains intact and unmodified. Because the source retains its integrity until the cutover to the new server is completed, administrators can leverage this feature to support roll-back contingency plans. The destination virtual machine is also migrated in a consistent state, keeping all data intact. This migration process allows downtime to be minimized — even for complex environments — to a simple required reboot at the end of the upgrade process, which can be as little as 60 seconds. A scheduling function allows administrators to control reboots in strict timetables to plan downtime. esxMigrator can be used to migrate multiple virtual machines simultaneously and requires no scripting, eliminating manual efforts. Because esxMigrator can be used by any level administrator easily, migrations can be handled by any available IT staff.”

Pretty cool! This is going to make migrating to VI 3 a lot easier than it currently is.

Go to http://www.vizioncore.com/, check out their product line, and then send me your comments.