220-1101 Virtualization and Cloud Computing Practice Question
A cloud administrator is migrating a virtual machine from a private cloud to a public cloud. The VM must retain its hostname and IP address. The public cloud provider does not support the same hypervisor as the private cloud. Which of the following migration methods is MOST appropriate?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the distinction between live migration and V2V migration, trapping candidates who assume live migration works across different hypervisors or cloud providers, when in fact it requires identical hypervisor and shared storage.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Virtual-to-virtual (V2V)
Virtual-to-virtual (V2V) migration is the correct method because it converts a virtual machine from one hypervisor format to another, allowing the VM to run on a public cloud provider that uses a different hypervisor than the private cloud. This process preserves the guest OS, applications, and configuration, including the hostname and IP address, by converting the virtual disk and metadata to the target hypervisor's format.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Physical-to-virtual (P2V)
Why it's wrong here
Physical-to-virtual (P2V) conversion imports a physical server's operating system, applications, and data into a virtual disk. It does not address the core task of migrating an existing virtual machine between distinct hypervisor platforms, so its process and tooling are fundamentally different from the required V2V conversion. Even if a P2V tool could ingest the VM's virtual disk, its purpose is to convert from physical hardware to a virtual environment, not to translate between VM formats.
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Virtual-to-virtual (V2V)
Why this is correct
Virtual-to-virtual (V2V) conversion is the correct method because it translates a virtual machine's disk, configuration, and metadata from one hypervisor's format to another (e.g., VMware VMDK to Hyper-V VHDX). This process preserves the VM's operating system, applications, settings, and often its network and storage configuration. V2V tools also install or adjust necessary drivers to make the guest OS bootable on the destination hypervisor, ensuring a successful migration.
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Live migration
Why it's wrong here
Live migration (e.g., vMotion, Live Migration) moves a running VM from one physical host to another using the same hypervisor's shared storage and compatible CPU features. It does not convert the VM's disk format or configuration because the source and destination hosts must run the same hypervisor (or a compatible cluster). Since this scenario explicitly involves different hypervisors, live migration is technically inapplicable and would not be a viable option.
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Cloning
Why it's wrong here
Cloning duplicates an existing VM on the same hypervisor, producing an identical virtual machine in terms of disk, settings, and hardware profile. It does not perform any format conversion or change virtualization platform, so it cannot address migrating a VM to a different hypervisor. A clone created on the source platform would remain unreadable or incompatible on the destination hypervisor without a separate V2V conversion step.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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