VM Migration

[AerusVI]

Hello, my name is Blake.

 

 I am currently trying to transfer VMs from XenServer to ESXi and I am having no luck. I have the vhd's converted over to vmdks. But when I try to import them into the VM on ESXi it just instantly boots to PXE and won't go pass there. Everywhere I have looked tells me to do the steps I am doing..but I am having zero luck. Anyone know what could be causing the issue? 

[leadeater]

6 hours ago, AerusVI said:

Hello, my name is Blake.

 

 I am currently trying to transfer VMs from XenServer to ESXi and I am having no luck. I have the vhd's converted over to vmdks. But when I try to import them into the VM on ESXi it just instantly boots to PXE and won't go pass there. Everywhere I have looked tells me to do the steps I am doing..but I am having zero luck. Anyone know what could be causing the issue? 

Try exporting the VMs to OVF (Open Virtualization Format) then import them in to VMware.

 

Also mount a Windows install ISO and boot in to the installer then drop in to cmd and check the disks are present and showing a valid file system. If it is all there and just not booting try using the fixmbr fixboot commands. Make sure the VM bios type is them same, legacy bios or UEFI.

[KuJoe]

Use the VMware Converter, it works amazingly. I've done over 100 conversions with it and only a few issues (mostly user error).

[Kadah]

43 minutes ago, KuJoe said:

Use the VMware Converter, it works amazingly. I've done over 100 conversions with it and only a few issues (mostly user error).

VM Converter supports Xen now?

[leadeater]

41 minutes ago, Kadah said:

VM Converter supports Xen now?

Doesn't need to, treat it as a physical to virtual if a direct VM conversion is not possible.

[KuJoe]

Like @leadeater said, VMware Converter supports pretty much everything because it treats it like a physical server. I've converted physicals, Xen, and KVM without any issues. I haven't tried it on containers before but I'll give that a try tonight.

[pat-e]

@leadeater Good Point.

 

The only "problem" would be some drivers but should be able to work around if you select your destination VM in ESX to go with the LSI SCSI - controller (instead of using VMware Paravirtual SCSI) or selecting the Intel e1000 Ethernet Adapter.

 

So the basic rule for P2V (physical to Virtual) conversation is: convert first to standardized hardware (like the LSI SCSI - Controller or the Intel e1000 Ethernet), then Add the VMware Tools to the client and then convert to the better VMware - based Controllers (like SCSI or Ethernet).

 

@AerusVi: The VMware Converter is a software that needs components being installed on the source machine (either the Agent and doing the conversion from a different machine or the complete software and starting the process from inside the source-OS).

[cgtechuk]

As said above I used the P2V migrator which migrated the VM to OVF that I then installed onto VMWare, I used XenConvert to do it but I suppose that VMWares flavour would do the same thing, The only annoyance with the Xen software was having to disable the VSS service first before it would let me complete it , Wasn't too painful.

[leadeater]

5 hours ago, pat-e said:

@leadeater Good Point.

 

The only "problem" would be some drivers but should be able to work around if you select your destination VM in ESX to go with the LSI SCSI - controller (instead of using VMware Paravirtual SCSI) or selecting the Intel e1000 Ethernet Adapter.

 

So the basic rule for P2V (physical to Virtual) conversation is: convert first to standardized hardware (like the LSI SCSI - Controller or the Intel e1000 Ethernet), then Add the VMware Tools to the client and then convert to the better VMware - based Controllers (like SCSI or Ethernet).

 

@AerusVi: The VMware Converter is a software that needs components being installed on the source machine (either the Agent and doing the conversion from a different machine or the complete software and starting the process from inside the source-OS).

You could import the required drivers in to the Windows driver store before doing the conversion or even install the VM Tools software first. Not that I've actually tried it but should work. Generally speaking I don't like converting servers anyway, I build replacements and migrate. Less problems long term and gives you the opportunity to make any changes that you need to which could make the system better, like newer OS.

[pat-e]

9 minutes ago, leadeater said:

You could import the required drivers in to the Windows driver store before doing the conversion or even install the VM Tools software first. Not that I've actually tried it but should work. Generally speaking I don't like converting servers anyway, I build replacements and migrate. Less problems long term and gives you the opportunity to make any changes that you need to which could make the system better, like newer OS.

Well, adding the drivers doesn't work for the Storage drivers:

 

When you install the VMware Tools, then all drivers are in Windows. When you have first the LSI SCSI controller in your VM and want to switch it to the VMware Paravirtual SCSI controller, then you will get a Blue Screen on the first boot (because Windows didn't load the driver at least once .... just having it in the driver store doesn't help).

 

The trick is:

1. Leave Windows turned on
2. Edit the VM configuration
3. Adding a new disk in VMware and for this disk, select a different SCSI-controller ID (like 1:x instead of 0:x) (this will add a new SCSI controller)
4. Before pressing OK to close VM config window, change the newly added SCSI controller from LSI to VMware Paravirtual
5. click OK
6. Windows will first then detect the new SCSI controller, loads the driver and then adds the new disk (but don't change the disk in Windows ... leave it "uninitialized)
7. shut down Windows
8. edit the VM configuration and remove the newly added disk (this will also remove the newly added VMware Paravirtual SCSI controller)
9. Change the existing LSI controller now to the VMware Paravirtual
10. Start Windows again
11. If you have more then one disk added, go to Windows Disk Management, see the other "offline" disk -> Right click and select to take "online"
12. Reboot again

This is for Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2012 R2 ... why ever Windows is not loading the SCSI driver after changing the hardware IF it never have loaded the driver (and leading into Blue Screens on reboot)

 

 

[leadeater]

3 minutes ago, pat-e said:

Well, adding the drivers doesn't work for the Storage drivers:

 

When you install the VMware Tools, then all drivers are in Windows. When you have first the LSI SCSI controller in your VM and want to switch it to the VMware Paravirtual SCSI controller, then you will get a Blue Screen on the first boot (because Windows didn't load the driver at least once .... just having it in the driver store doesn't help).

 

The trick is:

1. Leave Windows turned on
2. Edit the VM configuration
3. Adding a new disk in VMware and for this disk, select a different SCSI-controller ID (like 1:x instead of 0:x) (this will add a new SCSI controller)
4. Before pressing OK to close VM config window, change the newly added SCSI controller from LSI to VMware Paravirtual
5. click OK
6. Windows will first then detect the new SCSI controller, loads the driver and then adds the new disk (but don't change the disk in Windows ... leave it "uninitialized)
7. shut down Windows
8. edit the VM configuration and remove the newly added disk (this will also remove the newly added VMware Paravirtual SCSI controller)
9. Change the existing LSI controller now to the VMware Paravirtual
10. Start Windows again
11. If you have more then one disk added, go to Windows Disk Management, see the other "offline" disk -> Right click and select to take "online"
12. Reboot again

This is for Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2012 R2 ... why ever Windows is not loading the SCSI driver after changing the hardware IF it never have loaded the driver (and leading into Blue Screens on reboot)

 

 

Well that's just annoying, good thing it is rather easily worked around using those steps. Not that'll ever have to do it , good for everyone else to know though. If I ever do need to convert a server at my current job I'd just use Commvault but not everyone has that luxury.

[AerusVI]

Thank you guys, I will try Monday morning when I get into the office.