claude-home/vm-management/migration-quick-start.md

VM to LXC Migration - Quick Start Guide

Status: Approved & Ready for Execution Last Updated: 2025-01-12

✅ Confirmed Decisions

• Networking: Reuse existing IP addresses
• Storage: Fresh install + volume copy for Docker hosts
• Timeline: 4-6 weeks (expected to accelerate)
• GPU: No GPU hardware - all services can migrate

Migration Order (Risk-Based)

Wave 1: docker-7days (111) - LOWEST RISK

Goal: Validate entire migration process

• Non-critical game server
• Docker-in-LXC test
• Build confidence

Wave 2: docker-pittsburgh (114) + docker-vpn (105)

Goal: Regional/isolated Docker hosts

• Test VPN routing
• Regional services validation

Wave 3: docker-sba (115) + docker-unused (117) + docker-home-servers (116)

Goal: Additional Docker infrastructure

• Use SBA maintenance windows
• Decommission unused if appropriate

Wave 4: discord-bots (110) + databases-bots (112)

Goal: Application & database servers

• ⚠️ EXTRA CARE for database migration
• Full backups required

Wave 5: docker-tdarr (113) + plex (107)

Goal: Media services (software transcoding)

• Monitor CPU usage
• Validate transcode performance

Wave 6: docker-home (106) - MOST CRITICAL

Goal: Final critical infrastructure

• Migrate last after all confidence built
• Most important home services

Keep as VMs

• hass-io (109): HassOS requirement
• ubuntu-template (100): Strategic flexibility

LXC Container IDs (200-series)

VM → LXC	Service	Wave
111 → 211	docker-7days	1
114 → 214	docker-pittsburgh	2
105 → 205	docker-vpn	2
115 → 215	docker-sba	3
117 → 217	docker-unused	3
116 → 216	docker-home-servers	3
110 → 210	discord-bots	4
112 → 212	databases-bots	4
113 → 213	docker-tdarr	5
107 → 207	plex	5
106 → 206	docker-home	6

Quick Commands

Create LXC for Docker

pct create 2XX local:vztmpl/ubuntu-22.04-standard_22.04-1_amd64.tar.zst \
  --hostname docker-7days-lxc \
  --memory 4096 \
  --cores 2 \
  --net0 name=eth0,bridge=vmbr0,ip=10.10.0.TMP/24,gw=10.10.0.1 \
  --storage local-lvm \
  --rootfs local-lvm:32 \
  --unprivileged 0 \
  --features nesting=1,keyctl=1

pct start 2XX
pct enter 2XX

Install Docker in LXC

apt update && apt upgrade -y
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com -o get-docker.sh
sh get-docker.sh
apt install docker-compose-plugin -y

Migrate Docker Volumes

# While VM running - initial sync
rsync -avz --progress root@VM_IP:/var/lib/docker/volumes/ root@LXC_IP:/var/lib/docker/volumes/
rsync -avz --progress root@VM_IP:/opt/docker/ root@LXC_IP:/opt/docker/

# During cutover - final sync with VM stopped
rsync -avz --progress --delete root@VM_IP:/var/lib/docker/volumes/ root@LXC_IP:/var/lib/docker/volumes/

Cutover Process

1. Stop VM: qm stop 111
2. Reconfigure LXC to production IP
3. Start LXC: pct start 211
4. Validate services
5. Monitor for 48 hours
6. Keep VM stopped for rollback capability

Rollback (if needed)

pct stop 211
qm start 111

Next Immediate Steps

1. Schedule Wave 1: Pick maintenance window for docker-7days
2. Build LXC 211: Create first container
3. Test & Migrate: Execute Wave 1
4. Document Learnings: Refine process for Wave 2

Full Documentation

See /mnt/NV2/Development/claude-home/vm-management/lxc-migration-plan.md for comprehensive details.

Expected Benefits

• ~17GB RAM freed (87% reduction in overhead)
• 5-10x faster backups/restores
• Near-instant container starts (1-5 seconds)
• Improved resource density