How to Move a VM from Old Proxmox to New Proxmox

To move a VM from an old Proxmox server to a new one so it can run immediately, there are several methods you can use.

Method 1: Backup and Restore (Recommended)

1. Log in to the Old Proxmox:

   ssh root@old-proxmox

2. Backup VM using vzdump:

   vzdump <VM_ID> --mode stop --compress zstd --storage local

3. Transfer Backup to New Proxmox:

   scp /var/lib/vz/dump/vzdump-qemu-<VM_ID>-<timestamp>.zst root@new-proxmox:/var/lib/vz/dump/

4. Restore Backup on New Proxmox:

   qmrestore /var/lib/vz/dump/vzdump-qemu-<VM_ID>-<timestamp>.zst <NEW_VM_ID>

5. Start the VM:

   qm start <NEW_VM_ID>

Method 2: Direct Migration (If in a Cluster)

1. Check Cluster:

   pvecm status

2. Directly Migrate VM:

   qm migrate <VM_ID> new-proxmox --online

Method 3: Manually Copy Disk Image

1. Check VM Disk Location:

   qm config <VM_ID>

2. Transfer Disk to New Proxmox:

   rsync -av --progress /var/lib/lvm/vm-100-disk-0 root@new-proxmox:/var/lib/lvm/

3. Attach Disk to New VM:

   qm set <NEW_VM_ID> --scsi0 local-lvm:vm-NEW_VM_ID-disk-0

Conclusion

• Backup & Restore: The safest & recommended method.
• Direct Migration: Fast if within a cluster.
• Manual Disk Copy: Useful for large backups.