Nutanix Move 6.3.3 introduces DirectPath, a new migration method that transfers virtual machine (VM) disk data directly from VMware ESXi to Nutanix AHV without requiring the VMware Virtual Disk Development Kit (VDDK).
The release also includes security updates, UI improvements, and bug fixes. For administrators planning a migration, the most important consideration is deployment compatibility: Move 6.3.3 supports new deployments only.
Review the detailed release notes before deploying any product updates.
Action required: New deployments only
Nutanix Move 6.3.3 cannot be installed through an upgrade from an earlier release. Upgrading from 6.3.3 to another version is also unsupported.
Before deploying, administrators should review the supported platform versions, required VMware permissions, and known migration limitations.
VM migrations using ESXi as the source require two permissions:
-
Provisioning: Allow virtual machine download -
Cryptographic Operations: Direct Access
Administrators should ensure the necessary permissions are configured before starting migrations.
What's new and improved
DirectPath: VM migration without VDDK
DirectPath introduces a new approach to transferring VM disk data from VMware ESXi to Nutanix AHV.
Instead of requiring VDDK, DirectPath transfers disk data directly between the source and destination platforms. This removes the VDDK dependency from the migration method.
For infrastructure teams, DirectPath provides an additional option when planning ESXi-to-AHV migrations.
Security, UI, and bug fixes
Move 6.3.3 includes security improvements, user interface enhancements, and resolved issues.
The release notes do not provide individual details for these changes.
Availability and compatibility
Move 6.3.3 supports the following platform versions:
| Platform | Supported versions |
|---|---|
| Nutanix AOS | 6.10, 7.0, 7.3, 7.5, 7.6 |
| Prism Central | pc.2024.3, pc.7.3, pc.7.5, pc.7.6 |
| VMware ESXi | 6.5, 6.7, 7.0 (including Updates 1–3), 8.0 (including Updates 1 and 3) |
| VMware vCenter | 6.7, 7.0 (including Updates 1–3), 8.0, 8.0 Update 3, 9.0 |
ESXi hosts using a free license are not supported. The supported Nutanix VirtIO version is 1.2.5.
Known issues and migration considerations
Several known issues may affect migration planning and cutover operations.
DirectPath datastore naming conflicts. Migrations can fail when two clusters in the same datacenter contain datastores with identical names but different contents. To resolve this issue, assign unique datastore names and mount the datastore to another host as required.
Cutover failures. If a cutover fails because target VM properties exceed available cluster resources, resizing the VM alone may not resolve the issue. Delete the previously created target VM from Prism Element or Prism Central before retrying the cutover.
Secure Boot compatibility. CentOS 8.4 and 8.5 VMs configured with Secure Boot may fail to boot on AHV after migration. The documented workarounds are to disable Secure Boot or reset its keys through the boot manager.
Network configuration. Move uses 172.18.0.0/16 and 172.17.0.0/16 for internal communication with containerized services. Nutanix recommends avoiding these address ranges to prevent network conflicts.
Administrators should review the remaining known issues, particularly those involving scheduled cutovers, guest customization, and source-agent memory consumption.
Learn more
For complete compatibility details, migration limitations, and workarounds, refer to the Nutanix Move 6.3.3 Release Notes.
For 32-bit Windows migrations, the notes also reference the latest AHV Administration Guide for VirtIO installation and the Prism Web Console Guide for SAN policy configuration.
Want to dig deeper, share what you’re seeing, or swap ideas with other users? Keep the conversation going in the Nutanix Move forum, your next great solution might be one reply away.
