VMware vCenter Converter Standalone - 4.0 User’s Guide
User's Guide
vCenter Converter Standalone 4.0
EN-000086-02
User's Guide
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2 VMware, Inc.
Contents
About This Book 5
Introduction 7
1
Migration with Converter Standalone 7
Converter Standalone Components 8
Converter Standalone Features 8
System Requirements 17
2
Supported Operating Systems 17
Installation Space Requirements 18
Supported Source Types 19
Supported Destination Types 22
Restoring VCB Images in Converter Standalone 22
How Conversion Affects the Source Settings When They Are Applied to the Destination 23
Changes That Conversion Causes to Virtual Hardware 24
TCP/IP Port Requirements for Conversion 24
Common Requirements for Remote Hot Cloning of Windows Operating Systems 25
Installing and Uninstalling VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 27
3
Install Converter Standalone in Windows 27
Uninstall, Modify, or Repair Converter Standalone in Windows 28
Perform a Command-Line Installation in Windows 29
Command-Line Options for Windows Installation 29
Perform a Local Installation in Linux 30
Perform a Client-Server Installation in Linux 31
Uninstall Converter Standalone in Linux 32
Modify or Repair Converter Standalone in Linux 32
Connect to a Remote Converter Standalone Server 32
Converting Machines 35
4
Convert a Machine 35
Configuring VMware Virtual Machines 59
5
Configure a Virtual Machine 59
Managing Conversion and Configuration Tasks 65
6
Manage Tasks in the Task List 65
Glossary 71
Index 79
VMware, Inc. 3
User's Guide
4 VMware, Inc.
About This Book
This book, the VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User’s Guide, provides information about installing and
using VMware® vCenter Converter Standalone.
Intended Audience
This book is intended for users who want to do the following:
n
Install, upgrade, or use Converter Standalone
n
Nonintrusively copy and transform physical machines into VMware virtual machines that VMware
vCenter manages
The material in this book is written for information systems engineers, software developers, QA engineers,
trainers, salespeople who run demonstrations, and anyone who wants so create virtual machines.
Document Feedback
VMware welcomes your suggestions for improving our documentation. If you have comments, send your
feedback to docfeedback@vmware.com.
Technical Support and Education Resources
The following technical support resources are available to you. To access the current version of this book and
other books, go to http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs.
Online and Telephone
Support
Support Offerings
VMware Professional
Services
VMware, Inc. 5
To use online support to submit technical support requests, view your product
and contract information, and register your products, go to
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Customers with appropriate support contracts should use telephone support
for the fastest response on priority 1 issues. Go to
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VMware Education Services courses offer extensive hands-on labs, case study
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tools. Courses are available onsite, in the classroom, and live online. For onsite
pilot programs and implementation best practices, VMware Consulting
Services provides offerings to help you assess, plan, build, and manage your
virtual environment. To access information about education classes,
certification programs, and consulting services, go to
http://www.vmware.com/services.
User's Guide
6 VMware, Inc.
Introduction 1
VMware® vCenter Converter Standalone 4.0 provides a scalable solution to migrate physical-to-virtual and
virtual-to-virtual machines.
Converter Standalone eases interoperability among the following products.
n
VMware hosted products can be both conversion sources and conversion destinations.
n
VMware Workstation
n
VMware ACE
n
VMware Fusion™
n
VMware Server
n
VMware Player
n
Virtual machines running on ESX 3.x and 2.5.x that VirtualCenter manages can be both conversion sources
and conversion destinations.
n
Unmanaged VMware ESX 3.x
n
VMware ESXi Installable
n
VMware ESXi Embedded
You can also restore VMware Consolidated Backup (VCB) images into VMware virtual machines.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n
“Migration with Converter Standalone,” on page 7
n
“Converter Standalone Components,” on page 8
n
“Converter Standalone Features,” on page 8
Migration with Converter Standalone
You can convert virtual machines from different source formats into one of several VMware product
destinations.
Use Converter Standalone to accomplish the following tasks:
n
Convert physical and virtual machines to use across different VMware product formats.
n
Move virtual machines to use across different VMware product platforms.
n
Import and export virtual appliances from a local file system or from a URL.
n
Create VMware virtual machines from VCB images.
VMware, Inc.
7
User's Guide
n
Create VMware virtual machines from third-party formats.
n
Reduce the time needed to set up new virtual machine environments.
n
Migrate legacy servers to new hardware with no need to reinstall operating systems or application
software.
n
Perform migrations across heterogeneous hardware.
n
Readjust volume sizes and place volumes on separate virtual disks and migrate the disks across
independent datastores.
n
View audit trails.
Converter Standalone Components
The Converter Standalone application consists of a client, a server, and an agent. The Converter Standalone
client can run on a separate machine, while the Converter Standalone server and agent must always run on
the same machine. With this configuration, you can set up and manage conversion tasks remotely.
You use the Converter Standalone client to send conversion requests to the server. The server manages
conversion requests and sends them to the agent. The Converter Standalone agent runs the conversion task.
You can install all components on the same machine and use the Converter Standalone to convert all source
types to all destination types.
You can also install the Converter Standalone client on a separate machine and use it to manage a remote
Converter Standalone server.
During a client-server installation you must install remote access to allow incoming connections to a Converter
Standalone server.
Converter Standalone Features
VMware® vCenter Converter Standalone provides a set of features to convert physical and virtual machines.
Table 1-1. Converter Standalone Features
Features VMware vCenter Converter Standalone
Supported products Designed for single migrations to VMware products such as
VMware Infrastructure, VMware Player, VMware Workstation, and
VMware Server.
License No licensing support.
Cloning Local and remote hot cloning to hosted products (Workstation, VMware Player,
VMware Server) and ESX.
Task management Single migration at a time. Set up a conversion.
The VMware Converter Boot CD (for cold cloning) is available only with a Converter Enterprise license. For
details about how to install the Boot CD, see the VMware Converter Enterprise for VirtualCenter 2.5 Administration
Guide.
Cloning and System Reconfiguration of Physical Machines
Cloning and system reconfiguration are steps that create the virtual disks and configure the target virtual
machine so that it works successfully in a virtual environment.
Cloning is the process of creating a cloned disk, where the cloned disk is a virtual disk that is an exact copy of
the source physical disk. This process involves copying the data on a physical source machine’s hard disk and
transferring that data to a target virtual disk (the new cloned disk).
8 VMware, Inc.
Chapter 1 Introduction
System reconfiguration is the process of adjusting the migrated operating system so that it can function on
virtual hardware. This adjustment is performed on the target virtual disk after cloning. The target virtual disk
can then function as a bootable system disk in a virtual machine.
Converter Standalone creates a VMware virtual machine based on a source physical machine. The migration
process is nondestructive, so that you can continue to use the original source machine. To run a converted
VMware virtual machine on the same network as the source physical machine, you must modify the network
name and IP address on one of the machines to avoid network related conflicts. This modification allows the
physical and virtual machines to coexist.
NOTE You cannot move original equipment manufacturer (OEM) media between physical machines. The
license is attached to the server when you purchase it from the OEM and you cannot reassign it. You can only
reassign retail and volume licenses to new physical servers. If you migrate an OEM Windows image, you must
have a Windows Server Enterprise or Datacenter Edition license on the ESX host to run multiple virtual
machines.
Hot and Cold Cloning
Although Converter Standalone 4.0 supports only hot cloning, you can still perform cold cloning using the
VMware Converter 3.0.3 Boot CD. Hot and cold cloning have different applications that depend on your virtual
environment.
Hot cloning, also called live cloning or online cloning, entails cloning the source machine while it is running
its operating system. Hot cloning allows cloning machines without shutting them down.
When you create a hot clone, the resulting virtual machine is not an exact copy of the source machine because
processes continue to run on the source machine during conversion.
To reduce the difference between the source and the resulting virtual machine, Converter Standalone can shut
down unused Windows services based on your settings in View/Edit options page. You can set Converter
Standalone to synchronize the destination virtual machine with the source machine after hot cloning. You do
this by transferring from the source to the destination those blocks that were changed during the initial cloning
period.
Converter Standalone can shut down the source machine and power on the destination machine when the
conversion process is complete. This is the so called P2V motion that allows migrating a physical machine
source to a virtual machine destination. The destination machine takes over the source machine operations
with least possible down time.
Cold cloning, also called offline cloning, entails cloning the source machine when it is not running its operating
system. In cold cloning, the user reboots the source machine from a CD that contains an operating system and
the VMware Converter application. This cloning method allows you to create the most consistent copy of the
source machine because nothing changes on the source machine during conversion. Cold cloning leaves no
data on the source machine, but requires physical access to the source machine that is being cloned.
When you cold clone a Linux source, the resulting virtual machine is an exact replica of the source machine
and you cannot reconfigure the virtual machine. You must reconfigure the resulting virtual machine after the
cloning is complete.
Table 1-2 compares the hot and cold cloning modes.
Table 1-2. Hot and Cold Cloning Comparison
Comparison Criteria
Hot Cloning with Converter
Standalone 4.0
Cold Cloning with Converter
Enterprise 3.0.x
Licensing No license required with VMware
vCenter Converter Standalone 4.0.
Required Installation Full Converter Standalone installation
or a server and agent installation.
VMware, Inc. 9
License file required for Enterprise
features of VMware Converter
Enterprise.
No installation. Installation occurs when
you reboot the source machine.
User's Guide
Table 1-2. Hot and Cold Cloning Comparison (Continued)
Hot Cloning with Converter
Comparison Criteria
Standalone 4.0
Cold Cloning with Converter
Enterprise 3.0.x
Supported sources Local and remote powered-on
physical or virtual machines.
Advantages
n
Does not require direct access to
the source machine
n
You can clone the source machine
while it is running.
Disadvantages
n
On source systems running MS
Windows 2000, you must install a
special driver and reboot the
system once.
n
Applications that constantly
modify files need to be VSS-aware
to allow you to create a consistent
snapshot for cloning.
Use
n
Use to clone running source
machines without shutting them
down.
n
Use when you have unique
hardware that the boot CD does
not recognize.
Do Not Use When you do not want anything to be
installed on the source system.
Local powered-off physical machines.
n
Creates the most consistent copy of
the source machine.
n
Leaves no data on the source
machine.
n
You must restart the source machine
to clone it.
n
Requires physical access to the
source machine.
n
Hardware detection and
configuration of Boot CD.
n
Converter Standalone 4.0 features are
not supported.
n
When you need to clone a system that
Converter Standalone does not
support.
n
To preserve the exact disk layout in
the target.
n
To preserve logical volumes in
dynamic disks (Windows) or LVM
(Linux).
n
When you want Linux P2V with
automatic reconfiguration.
n
When you do not have physical
access to the source machine.
n
When you cannot afford a long
downtime of the source system.
n
To perform P2V Motion.
Prepare for Cold Cloning
Because VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 4.0 does not support cold cloning, you must use an earlier
Converter edition boot CD. The features supported on the boot CD depend on the product version you choose.
VMware Converter 3.0.x Enterprise edition is not a free software product.
Procedure
1 To obtain a boot CD, go to the VMware Download Web site and download Converter 3.0.x Enterprise
installation.
2 Extract the boot CD .iso file from the installation package.
3 Burn the boot CD .iso on a CD.
What to do next
You can proceed with cold cloning following the on-screen instructions.
10 VMware, Inc.
agent
vCenter Converter Standalone running
on Windows machine
powered-on
physical machine
ESX/ESXi
source
destination
network
snapshot
source
volumes
Chapter 1 Introduction
Hot Cloning of Physical Machines
Converter Standalone supports only hot cloning of physical machines. VMware Converter 3.0.x supports cold
cloning.
You can select which services to keep running on the source machine while the conversion is running. If you
want the destination virtual machine to have all the blocks that were changed in the source system during the
cloning process, you can turn on the synchronization feature. With synchronization on, if any changes occur
on the source machine during the conversion, Converter Standalone copies them to the destination machine
after the conversion is complete. This process helps you to prevent downtime on important services.
NOTE When you hot clone dual-boot systems, you can clone only the default operating system to which the
boot.ini file points. To clone the non-default operating system, change the boot.ini file to point to the other
operating system and reboot. After you are booted into the other operating system, you can install Converter
Standalone and hot clone it. If your second operating system is Linux, you can boot it, install the Converter
Standalone Linux version, and clone your distribution.
Local and Remote Cloning of Physical Machines
Local cloning is a migration performed with Converter Standalone running on the source machine. Remote
cloning is migration when Converter Standalone is running on a machine different than the source. When you
perform a local clone, you can access the source machine without having to physically touch it, as long as it is
running.
For physical machine sources running Linux, local cloning is set up and performed like remote cloning.
Remote Hot Cloning of Physical Machine Sources Running Windows
You use the Conversion wizard to set up a migration task and Converter Standalone automatically performs
all of the cloning tasks.
The following workflow is an example of remote hot cloning, in which the physical machine being cloned
experiences no downtime.
1 Converter Standalone prepares the source machine for the conversion.
Converter Standalone installs the agent on the source machine and the agent takes a snapshot of the source
volumes.
2 Converter Standalone prepares the virtual machine on the destination machine.
Converter Standalone creates a virtual machine on the destination machine and the agent copies volumes
from the source machine to the destination machine.
VMware, Inc. 11
agent
vCenter Converter Standalone running
on Windows machine
powered-on
physical machine
ESX/ESXi
copied
volumes
source
destination
network
snapshot
VM
source
volumes
agent
vCenter Converter Standalone running
on Windows machine
powered-on
physical machine
ESX/ESXi
source
destination
network
VM
source
volumes
snapshot
reconfiguration
customization (optional)
User's Guide
3 Converter Standalone completes the conversion process.
The agent installs the required drivers to allow the operating system to boot in a virtual machine and
personalizes the virtual machine, for example, changing the IP information.
4 Optionally Converter Standalone uninstalls the agent from the source machine.
The virtual machine is ready to run on the destination server.
Hot Cloning of Physical Machine Sources That Are Running Linux
Conversions of physical machine sources that are running Linux differ from conversions of Windows sources.
In Windows conversions, Converter Standalone agent is deployed to the source machine and the source
information is pushed to the destination machine.
In Linux conversions, no agent is deployed on the source machine. A helper virtual machine is created instead
and deployed to the destination ESX/ESXi. The source data is then pulled from the source Linux machine to
the helper virtual machine. After the conversion is over, the helper virtual machine shuts down to become the
target virtual machine the next time you power it on.
Converter Standalone supports converting Linux sources only to managed destinations.
12 VMware, Inc.
vCenter Converter Standalone
agent and server
Converter Standalone
agent deploys helper
virtual machine
powered-on Linux
machine
ESX/ESXi
source
destination
network
Helper
VM
source
volumes
vCenter Converter Standalone
agent and server
powered-on Linux
machine
data copied to the
helper virtual machine
ESX/ESXi
source
destination
network
Helper
VM
source
volumes
Chapter 1 Introduction
The following workflow demonstrates the principles of hot cloning physical machine sources that run Linux
to managed destinations.
1 The Converter Standalone agent uses SSH to connect to the source machine and retrieves source
information. The Converter Standalone agent creates an empty helper virtual machine based on your
conversion task settings. The helper virtual machine serves as a container for the new virtual machine
during conversion. The Converter Standalone agent deploys the helper virtual machine on the managed
destination, an ESX/ESXi host. The helper virtual machine boots from an *.iso file that is located on the
converter Standalone server machine.
2 The helper virtual machine powers on, boots from the Linux image, and connects to the source machine
through SSH. Then it starts retrieving the selected data from the source. While you set up the conversion
task, you can select which source volumes to be copied to the destination machine.
3 Optionally, when data copying is complete, the target virtual machine is reconfigured to allow the
operating system to boot in a virtual machine.
4 The Converter Standalone agent shuts down the helper virtual machine. The conversion process is
complete.
Optionally, you can configure Converter Standalone to power on the newly created virtual machine after the
conversion is complete.
VMware, Inc. 13
User's Guide
Disk Cloning Modes
Converter Standalone implements volume-based cloning, disk-based cloning, and linked cloning.
Table 1-3. Disk Cloning Modes
Disk Cloning Mode Application Description
Volume based Selects the volumes to copy from the
source machine to the destination
machine.
Disk based Creates exact copies of the source
machines, for all types of basic and
dynamic disks.
Linked clone Use to quickly check compatibility of
non-VMware images
Volume-based cloning is relatively slow.
File-level cloning is slower than blocklevel cloning.
You cannot select which data to copy.
Disk-based cloning is faster than volumebased cloning.
For certain third-party sources, the linked
clone is corrupted if you power on the
source machine. Linked cloning is the
fastest (but incomplete) cloning mode
that Converter Standalone supports.
Volume-Based Cloning
Converter Standalone supports volume-based cloning for hot and cold cloning and to import existing virtual
machines.
In volume-based cloning, all volumes in the destination virtual machine are basic volumes, regardless of the
type in the corresponding source volume. Volume-based cloning at the file or block level is performed,
depending on your size selections.
Volume-based cloning at
Performed when any size smaller than the original is selected.
the file level
Volume-based cloning at
Performed when the volume size is maintained or extended.
the block level
Depending on the cloning mode, Converter Standalone might not support some types of source volumes.
Table 1-4 shows the supported and unsupported source volume types.
Table 1-4. Supported and Unsupported Source Volumes
Cloning Mode Source Volumes Supported Source Volumes Not Supported
Virtual machine importing
Hot Cloning All types of source volumes that
n
Basic volumes
n
All types of dynamic volumes
n
Windows NT 4 with mirrored
volumes
n
Only master boot record (MBR)
disks
Windows recognizes
n
RAID
n
Windows NT4 fault-tolerant
volumes
n
GUID partition table (GPT) disks
n
Windows NT 4 fault-tolerant
volumes
n
Windows NT4 with mirrored
volumes
Volume-based cloning at the file level is supported only for FAT, FAT32, NTFS, ext2, ext3, and ReiserFS file
systems.
14 VMware, Inc.
Chapter 1 Introduction
Disk-Based Cloning
Converter Standalone supports disk-based cloning to import existing virtual machines.
Disk-based cloning transfers all sectors from all disks and preserves all volume metadata. The destination
virtual machine receives the same volumes, of the same type as the volumes of the source virtual machine.
Disk-based cloning supports all types of basic and dynamic disks.
Full and Linked Clones
Clones can be full or linked according to the amount of data copied from the source to the destination machine.
A full clone is an independent copy of a virtual machine that shares nothing with the parent virtual machine
after the cloning operation. Ongoing operation of a full clone is entirely separate from the parent virtual
machine.
Because a full clone does not share virtual disks with the parent virtual machine, full clones generally perform
better than linked clones. Full clones take longer to create than linked clones. Creating a full clone can take
several minutes if the files involved are large.
You can create a full clone by using any disk clone mode other than the linked clone mode.
A linked clone is a copy of a virtual machine that shares virtual disks with the parent virtual machine in an
ongoing manner. A linked clone is a fast way to convert and run a new virtual machine. You can create a linked
clone from the current state, or snapshot, of a powered-off virtual machine. This practice conserves disk space
and allows multiple virtual machines to use the same software installation.
All files available on the source machine at the moment of the snapshot continue to remain available to the
linked clone. Ongoing changes to the virtual disk of the parent do not affect the linked clone, and changes to
the disk of the linked clone do not affect the source machine. If you make changes to a source Virtual PC and
Virtual Server machines, or to LiveState images, the linked clone is corrupted and you cannot use it anymore.
A linked clone must have access to the source. Without access to the source, you cannot use a linked clone at
all.
To quickly convert a virtual machine, create a linked clone. See “Create a Linked Clone,” on page 47.
Migrating Existing Virtual Machines and System Images
You can move virtual machines between hosted products and managed products. A hosted product runs as
an application on physical machines with an operating system. A managed product is a bare-metal VMware
product that provides a thin software layer (the hypervisor) that enables it to run directly on the physical
machine.
Converting virtual
machines
Configuring virtual
machines
You can move VMware virtual machines between Workstation,
VMware Player, VMware ACE, VMware Fusion, ESX, ESXi Embedded,
ESXi Installable, and VMware Server. You can also import virtual machines
from Microsoft Virtual Server and Virtual PC.
For VMware virtual machines with disks set up by restoration from a backup
of a physical host or by some other direct means of copying, Converter
Standalone prepares the image to run on VMware virtual hardware. If you used
a third-party virtualization software to create a virtual machine on an ESX host,
VMware, Inc. 15
User's Guide
you can use Converter Standalone to reconfigure it. You can also reconfigure
any operating system installed on a multiboot machine if you imported the
virtual machine to an ESX host. Before you reconfigure a multiboot machine,
you must change the boot.ini file.
Converting and
exporting virtual
appliances
You can convert and export virtual appliances stored in Open Virtual Machine
Format (OVF and OVA). You can import a virtual appliance to run in an
existing ESX host or Workstation virtual machine, or you can export an existing
VMware virtual machine to an OVF virtual appliance to share over the
network.
Managing Tasks
Converter Standalone provides a task manager to manage conversion tasks and configuration tasks.
After you create a task to import or configure a machine, use the Task View of the manager to perform the
following tasks:
n
Control the number of concurrent conversion or configuration tasks.
n
Create a copy of a task and edit it.
n
Cancel a task.
n
Delete a task.
n
View a task’s progress.
n
Export and view the log files for a task or for all tasks.
n
Filter tasks that are displayed in the task list.
16 VMware, Inc.
System Requirements 2
This information describes the requirements you must fulfill before you operate VMware® vCenter Converter
Standalone and describes the compatibilities and interoperabilities among the systems on which and with
which Converter Standalone works.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n
“Supported Operating Systems,” on page 17
n
“Installation Space Requirements,” on page 18
n
“Supported Source Types,” on page 19
n
“Supported Destination Types,” on page 22
n
“Restoring VCB Images in Converter Standalone,” on page 22
n
“How Conversion Affects the Source Settings When They Are Applied to the Destination,” on
page 23
n
“Changes That Conversion Causes to Virtual Hardware,” on page 24
n
“TCP/IP Port Requirements for Conversion,” on page 24
n
“Common Requirements for Remote Hot Cloning of Windows Operating Systems,” on page 25
Supported Operating Systems
The Converter Standalone components you can run on an operating system determine the type of support
available: client support, server support, and remote access support. Source support is available if Converter
Standalone can convert the operating system that is installed on a powered-on or virtual machine.
For a list of operating systems on which you can install Converter Standalone components, see Table 2-1.
Table 2-1. Supported Operating Systems
Supported
Operating Systems Client Support Server Support
Windows NT4 SP6+ X
Windows 2000 SP4 X X X X
Windows 2003
(32 bit and 64 bit)
Windows XP
Professional (32 bit
and 64 bit)
VMware, Inc. 17
X X X X
X X X X
Remote Access
Support Source Support
User's Guide
Table 2-1. Supported Operating Systems (Continued)
Supported
Operating Systems Client Support Server Support
Remote Access
Support Source Support
Windows 2008
Server (32 bit and
64 bit)
Red Hat Enterprise
Linux 2.1 (32 bit)
Red Hat Enterprise
Linux 3.0 (32 bit and
64 bit)
Red Hat Enterprise
Linux 4.0 (32 bit and
64 bit)
Red Hat Enterprise
Linux 5.0 (32 bit and
64 bit)
Red Hat Linux
Advanced Server 2.1
(32 bit)
SUSE Linux
Enterprise Server 8
SUSE Linux
Enterprise Server 9
(32 bit)
SUSE Linux
Enterprise Server 10
(32 bit)
Ubuntu 5.x X X X
Ubuntu 6.x X X X X
Ubuntu 7.x (32 bit) X X X X
Ubuntu 8.x (32 bit) X
X X X X
X X X
X X X X
X X X X
X X X
X X X
X X X X
X
X
Installation Space Requirements
During installation you can select which Converter Standalone components to install. All components require
different disk space to install.
Table 2-2 shows the disk space required to install Converter Standalone and its components.
Table 2-2. Installation Space Requirements
Operating System Installation Component Disk Space Required
Windows Installation file 100MB
Decompressed installation file 100MB
Client 25MB
Server and agent 360MB
Linux Installation file 130MB
Decompressed installation file 500MB
18 VMware, Inc.
Table 2-2. Installation Space Requirements (Continued)
Operating System Installation Component Disk Space Required
Supported Source Types
With Converter Standalone, you can convert local or remote powered-on machines, VMware virtual machines,
third-party virtual machines and system images, and OVF or OVA virtual appliances.
Table 2-3 shows the sources that Converter Standalone supports.
Table 2-3. Supported Sources
Source Type Sources
Powered-on machines
VMware Infrastructure virtual
machines
VMware Virtual machines
Third-party virtual machines
or system images
OVF or OVA virtual
appliances
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
Chapter 2 System Requirements
Client 130MB
Server and agent 450MB
Windows physical machines (local or remote)
Linux physical machines (local and remote)
Hyper-V Windows virtual machines (local and remote)
Citrix XenServer 4 Enterprise Edition Windows virtual machines (local and remote)
Virtual Iron version 4.2 virtual machines (local and remote)
ESX Server 3.x
ESX Server 3i version 3.5 Installable and ESX Server 3i version 3.5 Embedded
ESX Server 2.5.x (if VirtualCenter 2.x manages ESX)
VirtualCenter 2.0
VMware Workstation 4.x, 5.x, 6.0.x, and 6.5.x
VMware Fusion 1.x and 2.x
VMware Player 1.x, 2.x, and 2.5
VMware ACE 1.x, 2.x, and 2.5.x
VMware Server 1.x, 2.x
VMware Consolidated Backup (.vmx)
Acronis True Image Echo 9.1 and 9.5, and Acronis True Image 10 (Home product)
(.tib)
Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery (formerly LiveState Recovery) 6.5, 7.0, 8.0,
and 8.0, LiveState Recovery 3.0 and 6.0 (.sv2i, .v2i or .iv2i)
Norton Ghost version 9.0, 10.0, 11.0, 12.0, 13.0, and 14.0 (.sv2i only)
Parallels Desktop for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0 (.pvs
and .hdd)
Parallels Workstation 2.0 (.pvs)
StorageCraft ShadowProtect Desktop, Server, SBS, IT, and so on, all versions (.spf)
Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 (for Windows only), Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 (for
Windows only) (.vmc)
Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 and 2005 R2 (.vmc)
OVF spec version 0.9
Local .ovf or .ova file
URL to an .ovf or .ova file
You must power off source virtual machines before you convert them. The only way to convert running virtual
machines is if you treat them as powered-on machines.
You can convert local Linux machines by treating them as remote powered-on machines. You must specify the
local IP address and root credentials to proceed.
VMware, Inc. 19
User's Guide
Powered-On Machine Conversion Limitations
When you convert a powered-on machine, some conversion features might not be available for certain source
operating systems.
For a list of limitations dependent on the source operating system, see Table 2-4.
Table 2-4. Powered-On Machine Conversion Limitations
Source Operating System Limitations
Windows NT Server SP6+ Only virtual machine conversion is supported.
Linux
n
Only volume-based cloning at the file level is supported.
n
Only managed destinations are supported.
Virtual Machine Conversion Limitations
Certain limitations exist when you convert a virtual machine, depending on the type of operating system on
which you run Converter Standalone.
Virtual machines must be powered off before you convert them. The only way to convert running virtual
machines is if you treat them as powered-on machines.
You can convert multiboot virtual machines only if GRUB is installed as the boot loader. LILO is not supported.
For a list of limitations dependent on the host operating system, see Table 2-5.
Table 2-5. Virtual Machine Conversion Limitations
Host Operating System Limitations
Windows 2000 Reconfiguration and customization are supported only for Windows NT4 and
Windows 2000 guest operating systems.
Windows Server 2003
Windows XP
Windows Vista
Windows Server 2008
Linux
n
Disk-based cloning only for Linux guests
n
No reconfiguration or customization for Linux guests
n
No VMware Tools installation for Linux guests
n
Only disk-based cloning for all guest operating systems
n
Volume-based cloning is not supported
n
Gathering volume information for Windows guests is not supported
n
Conversion of Symantec LiveState Recovery Image, Acronis, and Storage Craft is not
supported
n
Reconfiguration is only supported for all Windows guests except Windows NT4
n
VMware Tools installation is only supported for Windows guests
n
Customization is not supported
Third-Party Virtual Machine or System Image Conversion Limitations
Converter Standalone can convert third-party virtual machines, system images, and ShadowProtect and
BackupExec System Recovery images with some limitations.
The following are limitations for conversion of third-party virtual machines and system images:
n
Virtual machines from Macintosh versions of Virtual PC are not supported.
n
The operating system on the source Virtual PC or Virtual Server virtual machine must be a Windows guest
operating system supported by the intended VMware platform (for example, Workstation 5 or 6.0.x). For
a list of supported operating systems, see the Guest Operating System Installation Guide.
20 VMware, Inc.
Converter Standalone supports Virtual PC and Virtual Server virtual machines with most Windows
operating systems earlier than Windows NT 4.0 and with non-Windows operating systems (for example,
Linux and DOS) only for cloning. Converter Standalone does not support configuring for these systems.
The following are limitations for ShadowProtect and Backup Exec System Recovery:
n
Dynamic disks are not supported.
n
All images for the backup of a machine must be in a single folder with no other images placed there.
n
For volume-based cloning, all volumes in the disk up to the active and system volumes must be backed
up. For example, if a disk has four partitions, 1 through 4, with partition 2 as the active volume and partition
3 as the system volume, the backup must include 1 through 3.
n
For incremental images, up to 16 incremental backups are supported.
n
Images of systems with logical drives are not supported if the logical drive is also a system or active volume
(ShadowProtect only).
Virtual Appliance Conversion Limitations
Some limitations exist when you convert virtual appliances.
The following scenarios are not supported:
n
Converting local and remote physical machines to virtual appliances
Chapter 2 System Requirements
n
Selecting a subset of the volumes or resizing the volumes. You must select all volumes for an import and
maintain the size of all of the volumes on the target machine.
n
Converting from OVF to OVF. That is, when both source and destination are virtual appliances.
n
Converting third-party backup images or virtual machine images to a virtual appliance.
n
Converting Windows 2000 virtual machines with scsiport.sys driver version 5.0.2195.7017 to a virtual
appliance.
n
Converting Windows NT 4 SMP virtual machines to a virtual appliance.
Although Converter Standalone does not support the preceding scenarios, in each case you can use Converter
Standalone to first convert the source machine to a VMware virtual machine and then convert that machine to
a virtual appliance.
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User's Guide
Supported Destination Types
Converter Standalone can create virtual machines compatible with VMware hosted and managed products.
Converter Standalone can also create virtual appliances for Internet distribution.
Table 2-6. Supported Destinations
Destination Type Supported Versions
VMware Infrastructure virtual machine Managed destinations
VMware virtual machines Hosted destinations
OVF and OVA virtual appliances
n
ESX 3.x
n
ESX 3i Installable and ESX 3i Embedded
n
VirtualCenter 2.x
n
VMware Workstation 5.x, 6.0.x, and 6.5.x
n
VMware Fusion 1.x and 2.x
n
VMware ACE 2.0.x and VMware ACE 2.5.x
n
VMware Player 1.x, 2.0.x, and 2.5.x
n
VMware Server 1.x and 2.x
n
OVF spec version 0.9
n
Local .ovf or .ova file
Restoring VCB Images in Converter Standalone
VMware Consolidated Backup enables you to back up all the virtual machines of an entire ESX server, storing
the backup by using Workstation disks, a .vmx file, and a catalog file. Converter Standalone can restore VCB
images to ESX server hosts, and convert them to VMware standalone virtual machines.
Converter Standalone supports restoring VCB images of any guest operating system type.
For the following operating systems, Converter Standalone enables you to select and resize volumes and
customize the identity for the restored virtual machine:
n
Windows NT SP6+ (with Internet Explorer 5 or higher)
n
Windows 2000
n
Windows 2003 32 bit and 64 bit
n
Windows XP Professional 32 bit and 64 bit
n
Windows Vista 32 bit and 64 bit
For all other guest operating systems, Converter Standalone supports only restoring the disks.
Converter Standalone does not maintain the .nvram file, nor the VMware log files. Only disks are preserved.
Converter Standalone does not read the original location settings from the catalog file. To restore to the same
location, find information such as datastore, host name, folder name, and resource pool in the catalog file and
enter it in the Conversion wizard. In addition, Converter Standalone does not read the original display name
from the catalog file. To use the same name and if you do not remember it, look it up in the catalog file. You
can read the catalog file as a plain text file.
22 VMware, Inc.
Chapter 2 System Requirements
Information Not Preserved When Using Converter Standalone for Managed Product Destinations
When you restore images for managed product destinations (ESX server hosts, for example), Converter
Standalone does not preserve certain hardware backing information from the original image, but rather
substitutes default settings.
Table 2-7 shows which areas are affected.
Table 2-7. Changes to Hardware Information Because of Conversion
Affected Area Behavior
CD-ROM Defaults to device type: host device.
Floppy Defaults to device type: host device.
Network adapters Defaults to the list of network adapters in the GUI. The MAC address is not preserved. The destination
host regenerates the MAC address.
Serial port Defaults to the physical serial port on destination host machine.
Parallel port Defaults to the physical parallel port on destination host machine.
When you restore images, the Converter Standalone GUI does not preserve certain other virtual machine
properties from the original image, but substitutes default settings. Table 2-8 shows the affected areas.
Table 2-8. Changes to Properties Because of Conversion
Affected Area Behavior
UUID The virtual machine’s BIOS and location, identified by uuid.bios and uuid.location, are not
preserved. The destination host machine regenerates the BIOS and location.
Disk resource allocation Defaults to the values available on the host when the virtual machine is created.
Information Not Preserved for Hosted Product Destinations
When you import a VCB image to a hosted product destination (Workstation, for example), Converter
Standalone cannot guarantee that virtual machine properties can be preserved. This is because Converter
Standalone handles this importation as a normal migration, not a restore.
For more information about VCB images, see the Virtual Machine Backup Guide.
How Conversion Affects the Source Settings When They Are Applied to the Destination
The VMware virtual machine that Converter Standalone creates contains an exact copy of the disk state from
the source physical machine, virtual machine, or system image. Some hardware-dependent drivers and
sometimes the mapped drive letters are not included in the copy.
The following settings from the source computer remain identical:
n
Operating system configuration (computer name, security ID, user accounts, profiles, preferences, and so
forth)
n
Applications and data files
n
Each disk partition volume serial number
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User's Guide
Because the target and the source virtual machines or system images have the same identities (name, SID, and
so on), running both machines on the same network can result in conflicts. To redeploy the source virtual
machine or system image, ensure that you do not run the source and target images or virtual machines on the
same network at the same time.
For example, if you use Converter Standalone to test the viability of running a Virtual PC virtual machine as
a VMware virtual machine without first decommissioning the original Virtual PC machine, you must resolve
the duplicate ID problem. To resolve this problem, use the optional View/Edit step in the Conversion wizard.
Changes That Conversion Causes to Virtual Hardware
Most migrated applications function correctly in the VMware virtual machine because their configuration and
data files have the same location as the source virtual machine. Applications might not work if they depend
on specific characteristics of the underlying hardware such as the serial number or the device manufacturer.
When troubleshooting after virtual machine migration, the following hardware changes might occur:
n
CPU model and serial numbers (if activated) can be different after the migration. They correspond to the
physical computer hosting the VMware virtual machine.
n
Ethernet adapter can be different (AMD PCNet or VMXnet) with a different MAC address. Each interface
IP address must be individually reconfigured.
n
Graphics card can be different (VMware SVGA card).
n
The number of disks and partitions remains the same, but each disk device can have a different model
and different manufacturer strings.
n
Primary disk controllers can be different from the source machine’s controllers.
n
Applications might not work if they depend on devices that are not available from within a virtual
machine.
TCP/IP Port Requirements for Conversion
Converter Standalone uses specific ports in the conversion process.
For a list of required TCP/IP ports during conversion, see Table 2-9.
Table 2-9. Converter Standalone Port Requirements
Communication Path Port
Converter Standalone server to remote Windows powered-on machine 445, 139, 9089
Converter Standalone server to remote Linux powered-on machine 22
Helper virtual machine to remote Linux powered-on machine 22
Converter Standalone to a VMware vCenter Server 443
Converter Standalone to ESX 3.x 443
Converter Standalone server to a helper virtual machine 443
Powered-on machine to a VMware vCenter Server 443
Powered-on machine to ESX 3.x 443, 902
24 VMware, Inc.
Chapter 2 System Requirements
Common Requirements for Remote Hot Cloning of Windows Operating Systems
The following information can help you avoid issues related to permissions and network access when you
perform hot cloning of Windows operating systems.
To ensure successful remote hot cloning of Windows platforms, verify the following items on the source
machine before you start the application:
n
Ensure that Simple File Sharing is turned off.
n
Ensure that file and printer sharing is not blocked by Windows Firewall.
Ensure That Windows Firewall Does Not Block File and Printer Sharing
If Converter Standalone fails to connect to a remote Windows XP machine and issues a bad username/password
error message, ensure that file and printer sharing is not blocked by Windows Firewall.
Procedure
1 Select Start > Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Local Security Policy.
2 In the Security Settings list to the left, select Local Policies > Security Options.
3 In the policies list to the right, select Network access: Sharing and Security model for local accounts.
4 Verify that Classic – local users authenticate as themselves is selected.
What to do next
For troubleshooting information about file and printer sharing, see the Microsoft TechNet Web site.
Turn Off Simple File Sharing on Windows XP Professional
To control permissions for individual users, you must turn off Simple File Sharing. Turning Simple File Sharing
off does not turn off the Shared Documents feature. Use the Simple File Sharing UI, located in the folder’s
properties, to configure share and file permissions.
For Windows XP Professional operating systems joined to a workgroup, the Simple File Sharing UI is turned
on by default. Windows XP Professional operating systems joined to a domain use only the classic file sharing
and security interface.
Procedure
1 Select Start > Settings > Control Panel > Folder Options.
2 Click the View tab and deselect Use Simple File Sharing (Recommended).
For additional information about turning simple file sharing on or off, see the Microsoft TechNet Web site.
VMware, Inc. 25
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