Best Practices for Nutanix Metro Availability Migration

Question

HiI have a customer with two VMware clusters, each one located in a different site (two separate buildings). I need to replace both environments with two Nutanix AHV clusters configured with Metro Availability (active-active).As part of the project, I must migrate the VMs from both VMware vCenters to the new AHV clusters using Nutanix MOVE. The AHV clusters have been sized so that either cluster can host the full workload, so the migration order is not a problem.However, physical rack space is an issue:	Site A has enough rack space to install the new Nutanix nodes.			Site B does not have space until the old VMware hosts are removed.	Because of that, I’m considering different ways to sequence the work, and I’m not sure which approach is better.From what I understand, I should be able to enable Metro Availability either before or after migrating the VMs, and AHV Metro Availability can be enabled even when VMs are already running on both clusters. If that assumption is correct, these are my two planning options:Option A	Deploy the AHV cluster in Site A.			Migrate the VMs from the VMware cluster in Site B to AHV in Site A.			Remove the VMware hosts from Site B and deploy the AHV cluster there.			Enable Metro Availability between both AHV clusters.			Migrate the remaining VMs from the VMware cluster in Site A to AHV (Site A or Site B).	Option B	Deploy the AHV cluster in Site A.			Deploy the AHV cluster in Site B (temporarily outside the rack).			Enable Metro Availability between both AHV clusters.			Shut down the temporary AHV cluster in Site B.			Migrate the VMs from the VMware cluster in Site B to AHV in Site A.			Decommission the VMware hosts in Site B and install the AHV nodes in the rack.			Power on the AHV cluster in Site B again.			Migrate the remaining VMs from the VMware cluster in Site A to AHV.	What would be the best approach in your experience?Thanks.

aluciani · Accepted Answer

hey ​@Daniel MartinezGreat question! You’re correct that Metro Availability (MA) can only be enabled once both AHV clusters are deployed and operational. The sequencing matters because MA requires two active clusters with proper networking and witness configuration.Something to consider:Key ConsiderationsMetro Availability prerequisites:Both AHV clusters must be online and reachable over the Metro network.Witness VM must be deployed in a third site or cloud for quorum.Rack space limitation:Site B cannot host AHV nodes until VMware hosts are removed.Option APros:Simpler migration path; you start with Site A fully operational.No need for temporary hardware.Cons:MA cannot be enabled until Site B AHV cluster is deployed, so VMs in Site A will run without Metro protection during migration.Risk:Longer window without Metro redundancy.Option BPros:MA can be enabled earlier (after temporary cluster in Site B is online).Provides Metro protection sooner for migrated VMs.Cons:Requires temporary rack space or staging area for Site B cluster.Extra steps (deploy, enable MA, then redeploy).Consider:If temporary space for Site B AHV nodes is available (even outside the main rack), Option B is generally better because:You can establish Metro Availability earlier.Reduces risk during migration since VMs gain synchronous protection sooner.If no temporary space is possible, Option A works fine—just plan for a short period without Metro protection and ensure backups are current before migration.Might be best to talk with Nutanix Support for some ideas

Daniel Martinez · Answer

Hi ​@alucianiThanks for your detailed explanation!Fortunately, we have enough time to plan the process, so I'll talk to the client about the pros and cons to make a final decision.

Option A

Option B

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