In VMware PowerCLI, New-VM and Move-VM are two distinct cmdlets used for different purposes related to virtual machines. VAAI (vStorage APIs for Array Integration) is a VMware feature that offloads certain storage operations to the storage array to improve performance and efficiency. While VAAI is not directly related to the New-VM and Move-VM cmdlets, I will provide examples of how these cmdlets are used, and then explain the relationship between VAAI and storage operations.

1. New-VM: The New-VM cmdlet is used to create a new virtual machine (VM) within a specified host or cluster. It allows you to define various configuration settings for the new VM, such as the VM name, guest operating system, CPU, memory, disk, network settings, and more.

Example of New-VM:

# Create a new virtual machine
New-VM -Name "NewVM" -VMHost "ESXiHost" -Datastore "Datastore1" -MemoryGB 4 -NumCPU 2 -NetworkName "VM Network" -DiskGB 50

In this example, the New-VM cmdlet is used to create a new VM named “NewVM” on the host “ESXiHost,” with 4GB of memory, 2 CPUs, connected to the “VM Network” for networking, and a 50GB virtual disk on “Datastore1.”

2. Move-VM: The Move-VM cmdlet is used to migrate a VM from one host or datastore to another. It allows you to perform live migrations (vMotion) or cold migrations (Storage vMotion) of VMs across hosts or datastores in a vSphere environment.

Example of Move-VM:

# Migrate a virtual machine to a different datastore
Move-VM -VM "MyVM" -Datastore "NewDatastore"

In this example, the Move-VM cmdlet is used to migrate the VM named “MyVM” to a different datastore named “NewDatastore.”

Now, let’s briefly discuss VAAI:

VAAI (vStorage APIs for Array Integration): VAAI is a set of APIs provided by VMware that allows vSphere to offload certain storage operations from the ESXi hosts to the storage array. This offloading improves performance and efficiency by leveraging the capabilities of the underlying storage hardware.

Examples of storage operations offloaded to VAAI-enabled storage arrays include:

• Hardware Accelerated Copy (HWCOPY): Improves VM cloning and snapshot operations by using the storage array to perform data copies.
• Zero Block Detection (Zero): Allows the storage array to automatically handle zeroed-out blocks, reducing the burden on the ESXi host and improving storage efficiency.
• Full Copy (HWFCOPY): Facilitates storage vMotion by performing fast and efficient data movement between datastores using the storage array’s capabilities.

In VMware PowerCLI, the Move-VM cmdlet automatically leverages VAAI (vStorage APIs for Array Integration) if the underlying storage array supports VAAI and the necessary VAAI primitives are enabled. VAAI allows the storage array to offload certain storage operations, making VM migrations faster and more efficient. Let’s take a look at an example of using Move-VM with VAAI:

# Connect to vCenter Server
Connect-VIServer -Server "vcenter.example.com" -User "username" -Password "password"

# Define the source VM and its current datastore
$sourceVM = Get-VM -Name "MyVM"
$sourceDatastore = Get-Datastore -VM $sourceVM

# Define the destination datastore
$destinationDatastore = Get-Datastore -Name "NewDatastore"

# Perform the VM migration using VAAI (Storage vMotion)
Move-VM -VM $sourceVM -Datastore $destinationDatastore -Force -DiskStorageFormat Thin

# Disconnect from vCenter Server
Disconnect-VIServer -Server "vcenter.example.com" -Confirm:$false

In this example, we perform a Storage vMotion using the Move-VM cmdlet with VAAI. Here’s what each step does:

1. We start by connecting to the vCenter Server using Connect-VIServer.
2. We define the source VM ($sourceVM) for the migration and get the current datastore ($sourceDatastore) where the VM is located.
3. Next, we define the destination datastore ($destinationDatastore) where we want to move the VM.
4. Finally, we use the Move-VM cmdlet to perform the VM migration. The -DiskStorageFormat Thin parameter specifies that the virtual disks should be moved with thin provisioning. The -Force parameter is used to suppress any confirmation prompts during the migration.

The Move-VM cmdlet will automatically utilize VAAI primitives if they are supported and enabled on the underlying storage array. VAAI accelerates the data movement between datastores, resulting in faster and more efficient VM migrations.