How to move VM (including snapshots) to a new storage?

turnicus

Member
Jun 15, 2020
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Hello,

I am using proxmox 6.2-4 on a single node. I did not use ZFS encryption at first, but I would like encrypt everything now. Unfortunately, it's impossible to encrypt existing ZFS datasets, so I just created new encrypted datasets to which I want to move my VM's now. So my storage configuration looks like:

IDTypeContentPath/TargetSharedEnabledBandwidth Limit
hddpool-type_zfsZFSDisk image, ContainerNoYes
hddpool-type_directoryDirectoryVZDump backup file, ISO image, Snippets, Container template/hddpool/proxmox_directories/type_directoryNoYes
hddpool-enc_type_zfsZFSDisk image, ContainerNoYes
hddpool-enc_type_directoryDirectoryVZDump backup file, ISO image, Snippets, Container template/hddpool/enc_proxmox_directories/type_directoryNoYes


  • the ID "hddpool-type_zfs" points to the non-encrypted dataset hddpool/proxmox_directories/type_zfs and "thin provision" is enabled
  • the ID "hddpool-enc_type_zfs" points to the encrypted dataset hddpool/enc_proxmox_directories/type_zfs and "thin provision" is enabled

So I would just like to move my VM's from hddpool-type_zfs to hddpool-enc_type_zfs. I tried using the "Move disk" button (VM -> Hardware -> Select HDD -> Move Disk) but it doesn't move the snapshots.

Could you please explain me how I can move EVERYTHING to the encrypted datasets?

Thanks for any help!
 
Last edited:
Do you really need the snapshots? I always just delete them and then move the the VM discs from one to another pool. If anything doesn't work and I need to restore a previous state I just use my backups.
 
Hello and thanks for your answers

Do you really need the snapshots?

Yes if possible, hence the whole point of this question!

I think the only way to to do it manually with "zfs send|zfs receiv" commands

This was my first idea and I tested it before creating this thread in this way:

- I moved the disk of the VM 110 with the GUI

- I "zfs send hddpool/proxmox_directories/type_zfs/vm-110-state-snap1 | zfs recv hddpool/enc_proxmox_directories/type_zfs/vm-110-state-snap1"

- I "zfs destroy hddpool/proxmox_directories/type_zfs/vm-110-state-snap1"

- I updated the new path of the snapshot in /etc/pve/qemu-server/110.conf

- I tried to rollback to snap1 with the GUI but I got an error "can't rollback, more recent snapshots exist".

I guess I should do it exclusively through the command line but what am I missing?
 
Last edited:
I would also really love to move VM with snapshots but i dont know if it is possible with QEMU/LXC atm.
 
Hello,

OK, I think I found the correct way.

- step1 = shutdown VM via the GUI

- step2 = create a snapshot (called "ready_to_move" in this example) via the GUI

- step3 = send this snapshot recursively (with the -R flag) which will send the complete tree (snapshot + all previous snapshots + initial volume)
Code:
zfs send -R hddpool/proxmox_directories/type_zfs/vm-110-disk-0@ready_to_move | zfs recv hddpool/enc_proxmox_directories/type_zfs/vm-110-disk-0

- step4 = send the state volumes (states volumes are created when snapshotting an active VM with the "include RAM" checkbox ticked). You can list them with "zfs list"
Code:
zfs send hddpool/proxmox_directories/type_zfs/vm-110-state-snap2 | zfs recv hddpool/enc_proxmox_directories/type_zfs/vm-110-state-snap2

- step5 = update all paths in /etc/pve/qemu-server/110.conf

- step6 = start VM and test everything

- step7 = destroy the old volumes and snapshots (with the -r flag)
Code:
zfs destroy -r ssdpool/proxmox_directories/type_zfs/vm-110-disk-0

- step8 = destroy the state volumes
Code:
zfs destroy ssdpool/proxmox_directories/type_zfs/vm-110-state-snap2

Hope it helps!
 

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