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Difference between revisions of "VMware Converter"
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==Overview== | |||
VMware Converter clones an existing physical (or virtual) machine into a new virtual machine. | VMware Converter clones an existing physical (or virtual) machine into a new virtual machine. | ||
# A new VM is created | # A new VM is created | ||
| Line 63: | Line 64: | ||
#* Select appropriate network(s), then click '''Next''' | #* Select appropriate network(s), then click '''Next''' | ||
# '''3: Customization''' | # '''3: Customization''' | ||
#* Its recommended to select the ''Remove all System Restore checkpoints'' option (if available), VMware Tools can be installed later, then | #* Its recommended to select the ''Remove all System Restore checkpoints'' option (if available), VMware Tools can be installed later, then click '''Next''' | ||
# '''4: Schedule Task''' | # '''4: Schedule Task''' | ||
#* Run now! Its bound to fail as a scheduled task! Click '''Next''' | #* Run now! Its bound to fail as a scheduled task! Click '''Next''' | ||
# '''Ready to Complete''' | # '''Ready to Complete''' | ||
#* Leave ''Power on the new virtual | #* Leave ''Power on the new virtual machine after creation'' checkbox cleared, then click '''Finish''' | ||
== Troubleshooting == | |||
=== Unable to determine guest operating system === | |||
Try re-registering the source VM in its vCentre | |||
=== Unable to obtain hardware information for the selected machine === | |||
Unfortunately this is generic error and can be triggered by a rich variety of reasons. You'll probably need to ''Export diagnostic details...'' and then trawl through the logs to get a better picture, though there's no guarantee that this will be in any way illuminating. | |||
Some suggestions from various sources... | |||
* Try migrating the VM to another ESX | |||
* Try re-registering the VM in the vCentre inventory | |||
* Network connectivity problems between the server and client (ie the vCentre that Converter is running from, and the client machine that Converter is connecting to) | |||
* Try changing the VM's OS to ''Other'' (32bit or 64bit), migrate and then change the OS back to what it really is. | |||
* In Vista (and maybe Win7) run Converter as an Administrator | |||
=== Converted VM boots to PSOD - STOP 7B === | |||
This problem is caused by the converted OS being unable to find drivers for the boot device. The conversion appears to complete successfully, but on booting the new VM it fails with a '''STOP: 0x0000007B''' blue screen of death (BSOD). Solutions for Windows 7 and Windows 2008 machines are below, see [http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1005208 VMware KB 1005208 - Injecting SCSI controller device drivers into Windows when it fails to boot after converting it with VMware Converter] for details on how to fix on other operating systems | |||
==== Registry Hack ==== | |||
Prior to running the P2V conversion, on the physical nmachine... | |||
# Ensure that the LSI_SAS driver exists | |||
#* <code> C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\lsi_sas.sys </code> | |||
# Locate the following registry key | |||
#* <code> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LSI_SAS </code> | |||
# If it exists, with contents, change the following | |||
#* <code> Start </code> to <code> 0 </code> (would have been <code>3</code> originally) | |||
# If it doesn't exist with contents, import the key from a working Win7 or Win2008 VM | |||
# Reboot, and then reattempt | |||
==== VMX Hack ==== | |||
There are times when the registry hack (above) fails to prevent the STOP 7B BSOD. In the situations I've seen, this is because the boot disk in the VM is attached via IDE rather than SCSI. In which case you need to hack the VMX config file for the VM in order to represent the boot disk via SCSI. | |||
# Shutdown the VM, and identify where the VMX config file is located | |||
#* To find the VMX: | |||
#*# Right-click over the VM and select '''Edit Settings...''' | |||
#*# Go to the '''Options''' tab | |||
#*# Inspect the '''Virtual machine Configuration File''' field | |||
# Remove the VM from the inventory (right-click, '''Remove from Inventory''') | |||
# Edit the VMX file | |||
#* Either download the VMX using Datastore Browser, and in order to edit locally. Rename the original file to <code><VM Name>.vmx.orig</code> | |||
#* Or SSH to the ESX and edit directly (create a copy of the config file 1st!) | |||
# Look for all config lines starting with <code>ide</code> (they needn't be all together in the same place) | |||
# Update as per the examples below, and save the VMX | |||
# Browse the datastore to the edited VMX, and right-click to '''Add to Inventory''' to re-add the VM into vCentre | |||
#* If the import fails, restore the original VMX file and try again, you may have made a mistake in the config (you may have missed some lines in the jumbled up config file) | |||
# Double check the disk config of the VM, then power on | |||
#* If the power-on fails, remove VM from the inventory again, restore the original VMX file and try again, you may have made a mistake in the VMX config file | |||
Original contents of VMX file... | |||
ide0:0.present = "TRUE" | |||
ide0:0.fileName = "VM-Name.vmdk" | |||
ide0:1.present = "TRUE" | |||
ide0:1.clientDevice = "TRUE" | |||
ide0:1.deviceType = "cdrom-raw" | |||
ide0:1.startConnected = "FALSE" | |||
New contents of VMX file... | |||
ide0:0.present = "TRUE" | |||
ide0:0.clientDevice = "TRUE" | |||
ide0:0.deviceType = "cdrom-raw" | |||
ide0:0.startConnected = "FALSE" | |||
scsi0.present = "true" | |||
scsi0.sharedBus = "none" | |||
scsi0.virtualDev = "lsisas1068" | |||
scsi0:0.present = "true" | |||
scsi0:0.fileName = "VM-Name.vmdk" | |||
scsi0:0.deviceType = "scsi-hardDisk" | |||
==== Unexpected element tag ==== | |||
* A general system error occurred: Unexpected element tag “ConvertManager” seen while parsing serialized DataObject of type converter.AgentInstanceContent at line7, column 63 while parsing return value of type converter.ServiceInstanceContent, version converter.version.version2 at line 7, columen 0 while parsing SOAP body at line 6, column 0 while parsing SOAP envelope at line 2, column 0 while parsing HTTP response for method retrieveConent on object of type converter.ServiceInstance at line 1, column 0 | |||
Caused by the VMware Converter utility from a previous attempt still existing on the server to be P2V'ed, uninstall the utility | |||
== Alternatives == | |||
If VMware Converter is unable to P2V your machine (for example as of writing you can't P2V a Win2k8 R2 machine as the VSS interface has changed and VMware haven't released a new version yet), there are other (free) options | |||
# Use [http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/ee656415.aspx SysInternals Disk2vhd] to hot-clone a machines disk(s) to Microsoft format VHD files | |||
# Use [http://www.starwindsoftware.com/converter StarWind V2V Converter] to convert VHD file(s) to VMDK format (use sparse/thin (VI4 only) and iSCSI options) | |||
# Upload the VMDK file(s) to an appropriate datastore (in a folder with the VM name) | |||
# Create a new VM, using the active/boot disk of the VMDK's just uploaded (if multiple disks, add others separately after VM has been created) | |||
# Edit the VMX file to cater for the new VMDK's ?? | |||
# On first boot it may be necessary to edit the registry to avoid a BSOD (change <code>REG_DWORD Start</code> to <code>0</code> in <code>HKLM\p2v\ControlSet001\services\LSI_SAS</code> (you need to boot using a recovery CD to be able to access the registry. | |||
For further info see http://sanbarrow.com/p2v2008r2.html | |||
[[Category: VMware]] | [[Category: VMware]] | ||