What does the term "vMotion compatibility" refer to?

The term "vMotion compatibility" specifically refers to the requirements that must be met to ensure the successful live migration of virtual machines (VMs) from one physical host to another without downtime. vMotion is a feature within VMware that allows for the seamless transfer of running VMs between ESXi hosts in a cluster.

For vMotion to be successful, the source and target hosts must meet certain criteria, which include having compatible CPU (Central Processing Unit) architectures, shared storage configurations, and network connectivity. These compatibility requirements ensure that the VM retains its operational state and continues to function without interruption during the migration process. This capability is crucial for maintaining high availability and improving resource allocation in virtualized environments.

The focus on live migration sets this term apart from considerations related to other VM functionalities, such as snapshot creation, network adapter compatibility, or the specifications of virtual disk types. Each of these aspects plays a role in the management of virtual machines, but they do not directly relate to the specific process of vMotion, which is centered on live migration.