Migrate a 3 node Hyper-v cluster from one domain to another

John Evans 40 Reputation points
2025-07-15T15:02:30.03+00:00

Hello,

I need to migrate a 3-node Hyper-V cluster from one domain to another. They are all using shared cluster storage and have 10 VMs across all 3. I have outlined the steps below, but just want to make sure I am not missing anything. Any assistance is welcome.

  1. Drain, then offline 1 host in the old cluster, then evict it from the cluster.
  2. On that 1 host join the new domain, create new cluster, use a quorum disk.
  3. Remove several VMs from the cluster - as they will stay running in Host Hyper-V Manager.
  4. Configure live migration between this host that has the VMs you’re about to live migrate from the old cluster and the host on the new cluster.
  5. Live-migrate the VMs from the one host in the old cluster to the host in the new cluster.
  6. Bring the migrated VMs on the new Host to the new Cluster.
  7. Repeat the process of removing 1 host from the old cluster to the new cluster, then live-migrating VMs until all done.
Windows for business | Windows Server | Storage high availability | Virtualization and Hyper-V
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Accepted answer
  1. Nam Bui (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 80 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2025-07-24T09:16:14.12+00:00

    Hello John,

    I'm Titus. Thank you for posting your question on the Microsoft Windows Forum.

    Your migration plan is well-structured and thoughtfully laid out. Just a few important considerations to help ensure a smooth transition:

    ⚠️ Cross-domain Live Migration Verify that Kerberos authentication is properly configured and constrained delegation is set up between the source and destination domains. DNS resolution and firewall rules should also be reviewed to allow seamless migration.

    ⚠️ Storage Access & NTFS Permissions Confirm that all nodes in the new cluster have full access to the shared storage. Also, ensure that the NT VIRTUAL MACHINE\Virtual Machines account has the appropriate NTFS permissions on the VM folders.

    ⚠️ Replica and Backup Configurations Post-migration, make sure to reconfigure any Hyper-V Replica relationships and backup solutions to reflect the new cluster environment.

    Wishing you a smooth and successful migration!
    Best regards,
    Titus Bui.

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