Cross architecture virtual machine migration

A method for transferring a running virtual machine from a first physical machine to a second physical machine, comprising:

• a second physical machine implementing a second instruction set architecture;
• pausing a first instance of a virtual machine executing on the first physical machine, wherein the first physical machine implements a first instruction set architecture;
• collecting a state of the first instance of the virtual machine in the first instruction set architecture;
• converting the collected state into an independent instruction set architecture;
• converting the collected state in the independent instruction set architecture to a second instruction set architecture suitable for the second physical machine;
• establishing a second instance of the virtual machine on the second machine in a paused condition;
• and
• resuming the second instance of the virtual machine using the state converted into the second instruction set architecture.

A computer program product operable in an environment having a first physical machine with a virtual machine and a second physical machine, comprising a computer readable storage device having computer readable program code embodied therewith to perform operations on at least one of the first and second physical machines, the operations comprising:

• pausing a first instance of a virtual machine executing on the first physical machine;
• collecting a state of the first instance of the virtual machine in a first instruction set architecture;
• converting the collected state into an independent instruction set architecture;
• converting the collected state in the independent instruction set architecture to a second instruction set architecture suitable for the second physical machine;
• establishing a second instance of the virtual machine on the second machine in a paused condition;
• and
• resuming the second instance of the virtual machine using the state converted into the second instruction set architecture.