Migration Automation Toolkit for MVMC 2.0

Migrators, assemble!  The MVMC team has published version 2.0, packed with new features, and in tandem the BCB team is releasing a new version of MAT!

MVMC 2.0DownloadButton

MAT for MVMC 2.0DownloadButton

MVMC is a tool for converting VMware virtual machines to Hyper-V virtual machines.  Version 2.0 offers many new features that helped make this version of MAT a lean, mean, migrating machine.

  • PowerCLI is no longer a requirement
  • MVMC removes VMware tools
  • MVMC handles disk assignments
  • MVMC is able to convert both Windows and Linux

The scope for MAT4MVMC2 is on premise migrations.  MVMC 2.0 does include the ability to migrate directly to Azure but this has not yet been implemented for MAT.

As a result of MVMC offering these new features, MAT is now 100% aligned with MVMC on-premise capabilities.  This was a minor regression from the MAT 1.5.2007 “network map” solution.

The remainder of changes are script maintenance:

The build is based on the latest MAT update which includes all known bug fixes.

This release also includes another round of script refactoring, so the functions are now part of a PowerShell Module and they each have a “MAT” prefix.  The purpose of this work is to take MAT in the direction of being a common set of cmdlets where anyone could build a custom “front end” experience.

The Variable.XML file has a minor change so that each top level child node is now “varType” with the title set as an “Id” attribute.  This makes enumerating the file a more simple operation so it is easier to add and remove sections as needed.

Finally, even the local machine is treated as a “Conversion Server” and managed using Task Scheduler just like remote nodes, completely managed by the Variable.XML file.  This makes it easy to run MAT from a “command and control” position and onlyperform actual conversions on remote nodes, if desired.

The release includes an example script to demonstrate how the entire migration can be moved to a governing PowerShell script.  This can be extended for any number of scenarios but the example given is a “no questions asked” approach to moving all running VM’s from a VMware host to a Hyper-V host.  This is ideal for test automation and for planned migrations during change windows when maximum efficiency is a must.

Your feedback is welcome as always.  For more information on MAT, follow the Migration Track on the Building Clouds Blog.  Thanks, and stay tuned to Building Clouds!