Exemplary methods, apparatuses, and systems receive a request to initiate replication of a virtual machine (VM). In response to the request, a copy of the VM disk is exported to a locally attached portable storage device while the VM continues running. In response to receiving indication of the VM disk being imported from the portable storage device locally within a destination data center, the host computer determines VM data within the source data center is different from or not included within the exported copy of the VM disk and transmits the VM data to the destination data center via a network connection while the VM continues running. An indication that the virtual machine data within the destination data center is within a threshold of similarity with virtual machine data within the source data center is transmitted to the destination data center via the network connection.