ESXI 8 Migration Support on SCMT/SCP 5

EduardoOliveira Lv1Posted 2026-Apr-15 00:02

Hello team,

Are there any plans to start supporting vms migration from ESXI 8 to HCI?

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Yes, there are clear signs Sangfor is actively investing in VMware-to-HCI migration, including support for newer VMware environments.
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Humayun Ahmed Lv4Posted 2026-Apr-15 11:58
  
Yes, there are clear signs Sangfor is actively investing in VMware-to-HCI migration, including support for newer VMware environments.
Prosi Lv3Posted 2026-Apr-15 20:24
  
Yes, there are some plans to start supporting vms migration from ESXI 8 to HCI.
Newbie088706 Lv1Posted 2026-Apr-16 09:04
  
It is supported now using whatever SCP or SCMT
Damai_Group Lv2Posted 2026-Apr-17 23:08
  
Hello Eduardo,

Regarding your question about migrating VMs from ESXi 8 to Sangfor HCI, here is the current status and the recommended approach based on available public documentation.

First, the direct answer: As of now, publicly available documentation for the official Sangfor Cloud Migration Tool (SCMT) explicitly lists compatibility with vCenter versions 5.0 through 7.0.2. There is no explicit public statement confirming full support for ESXi 8 as a source host yet.

However, this does not mean migration is impossible. Sangfor provides several migration methods, and some of these methods are largely independent of the source ESXi version. Before you start, I strongly recommend the following step:

CRITICAL PRE-MIGRATION STEP: VERIFY COMPATIBILITY

1. Check the Official List: Visit the Sangfor official website and locate the Hardware and Software Compatibility List for the HCI version you are running.
2. Contact Support: The most efficient way is to contact Sangfor Technical Support or your Account Manager directly. Ask specifically: "Does the current SCMT version support pulling data from ESXi 8 hosts?" They may have an internal patch or a specific technical note regarding this.

OVERVIEW OF MIGRATION METHODS (AND THEIR RELEVANCE TO ESXI 8)

Here is a plain text breakdown of the methods you can use, ranked by likelihood of working with ESXi 8 if official support is missing.

Method 1: SCMT Agentless Migration
Tool: Sangfor Cloud Migration Tool (SCMT)
Description: Connects to vCenter and migrates VMs without installing software inside the VM. Supports live migration.
Compatibility Note: Officially supports vCenter up to 7.0.2. If you are using vCenter 8 with ESXi 8 hosts, this may result in an API error or connection failure.

Method 2: SCMT Agent-Based Migration
Tool: SCMT Agent (installed inside the VM)
Description: You install a small agent inside the source Windows or Linux VM. The agent copies data at the block level to the HCI storage.
Compatibility Note: This method is relatively insensitive to the ESXi version. As long as the guest OS is supported and the VM has network access to the HCI platform, the underlying hypervisor version (ESXi 8) is not a primary blocker. This is a strong fallback option.

Method 3: ISO Boot Migration
Tool: Sangfor HCI Migration ISO (bootable image)
Description: Shut down the source VM, mount the Sangfor Migration ISO, and boot from it. The system boots into a Linux-based migration environment that copies the disk data.
Compatibility Note: Completely independent of the ESXi version. This is the most reliable method if you are facing hypervisor API compatibility issues. The trade-off is that it requires a VM reboot/shutdown.

Method 4: Offline Export/Import
Tool: VMware OVF Tool / Manual Export
Description: Shut down the VM on ESXi 8. Export the VM as an OVF or OVA file. Upload that file to the Sangfor HCI image repository and deploy a new VM from it.
Compatibility Note: Universal and always works regardless of ESXi version. The limitation is that it requires downtime and does not do a "sync" of changes like the other methods.

SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATION

Since you are on ESXi 8, I would avoid relying on the Agentless method until you get verbal confirmation from Sangfor support that it works.

Suggested Plan:
1. Confirm with Sangfor Support first.
2. If they say Agentless is not yet supported, use either the Agent-Based Migration (if you can install software on the VM) or the ISO Boot Migration (if you cannot or prefer not to install an agent).

After the migration is complete, remember to install Sangfor VMTools on the target VM to ensure the best performance and driver stability on the HCI platform.

Hope this helps clarify the options.
Damai_Group Lv2Posted 2026-Apr-17 23:13
  
For references,

Sangfor Community Post on VMware 8.0.2 Migration Issue
This is a direct user discussion about migrating from VMware 8.0.2. The response from a Sangfor representative indicates that it might be a compatibility issue and recommends contacting support.
https://community.sangfor.com/archiver/?tid-9903.html

Sangfor Official Blog - VMware Virtual Machine Data Migration Solution Part 2
This official blog post provides a comprehensive guide. It includes a table showing the supported VMware versions for agentless migration (up to ESXi 7.0.2) and provides a link to the official hardware/software compatibility list.
https://www.sangfor.com/blog/clo ... ta-migration-online

Sangfor Knowledge Base - Cloud Migration Scenario
This article provides an overview of all migration methods (SCMT, aHM, ISO, Converter, OVA/OVF) for migrating to the Sangfor platform.
https://knowledgebase.sangfor.co ... on%20Scenario%22%7D

Sangfor Thailand Support - ISO Migration Method
A step-by-step guide for migrating VMs from VMware ESXi using the ISO method, which is a viable fallback when agentless methods are incompatible.
https://support.thailand.sangfor ... B8%A2-ISO-Migration

Sangfor Thailand Support - SCMT Migration Method
A step-by-step guide for migrating VMs using the Sangfor Cloud Migration Tool (SCMT), including links to the SCMT Compatibility List and User Manual.
https://support.thailand.sangfor ... B9%83%E0%B8%8A-SCMT

Sangfor HCI Compatibility Chart
This is the official hardware and software compatibility list for Sangfor HCI. You should check this page for the most up-to-date information on supported VMware vCenter and ESXi versions.
https://www.sangfor.com/cloud-an ... compatibility-chart

If you find that ESXi 8 is not listed in the official compatibility chart, you can also try these alternative methods which are less dependent on the source hypervisor version:

SCMT Agent-Based Migration: The full user manual can be found in the link provided in the "Sangfor Thailand Support - SCMT Migration Method" article.

ISO Boot Migration: A detailed guide for this method is in the "Sangfor Thailand Support - ISO Migration Method" article.

Offline Export/Import: This is a standard method using VMware's OVF Tool or manual export. You can refer to the "Sangfor Knowledge Base - Cloud Migration Scenario" article for a description of the OVA/OVF import process.

As a final reminder, if you encounter any issues, the most direct path is to contact Sangfor Technical Support. They can provide definitive information on ESXi 8 support and any available patches or internal tools.

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