VMware vCenter Converter Standalone - 5.1 User’s Guide

VMware vCenter Converter Standalone

User's Guide

vCenter Converter Standalone 5.1

This document supports the version of each product listed and
supports all subsequent versions until the document is replaced
by a new edition. To check for more recent editions of this
document, see http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs.

EN-001039-00

VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide

You can find the most up-to-date technical documentation on the VMware Web site at:

http://www.vmware.com/support/

The VMware Web site also provides the latest product updates.

If you have comments about this documentation, submit your feedback to:

[e-mail]

Copyright © 1998–2013 VMware, Inc. All rights reserved. This product is protected by U.S. and international copyright and
intellectual property laws. VMware products are covered by one or more patents listed at

http://www.vmware.com/go/patents.

VMware is a registered trademark or trademark of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. All other marks
and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.

VMware, Inc.

3401 Hillview Ave.
Palo Alto, CA 94304
www.vmware.com

2 VMware, Inc.

Contents

About This Book 7

Introduction to VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 9

1

Migration with Converter Standalone 9

Converter Standalone Components 10

Cloning and System Configuration of Physical Machines 10

Hot Cloning of Physical Machines 11

Remote Hot Cloning of Physical Machine Sources That Are Running Windows 11

Remote Hot Cloning of Physical Machine Sources That Are Running Linux 12

Types of Data Cloning Operations 13

Volume-Based Cloning 14

Disk-Based Cloning 14

Full and Linked Clones 14

Using Converter Standalone with Virtual Machine Sources and System Images 15

System Settings Affected by Conversion 15

Changes to Virtual Hardware 16

System Requirements 17

2

Supported Operating Systems 17

Supported Firmware Interfaces 18

Supported Source Types 19

Supported Destination Types 20

Supported Source Disk Types 21

Supported Destination Disk Types 22

Support for IPv6 in Converter Standalone 22

Installation Space Requirements 23

Screen Resolution Requirements 23

Configuring Permissions for vCenter Users 23

TCP/IP and UDP Port Requirements for Conversion 24

Requirements for Remote Hot Cloning of Windows Operating Systems 25

Ensure that Windows Firewall Does Not Block File and Printer Sharing 26

Turn Off Simple File Sharing on Windows XP Professional 26

Prepare the Guest Operating System for Customization 26

VMware, Inc.

Conversion Limitations 29

3

Conversion Limitations for Powered On Machines 29

Conversion Limitations for VMware Virtual Machines 29

Conversion Limitations for Third-Party Virtual Machines or System Images 30

Limitations Related to Creating Snapshots of Windows Sources 30

3

VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide

Installing and Uninstalling Converter Standalone 33

4

Perform a Local Installation on Windows 33

Perform a Client-Server Installation in Windows 34

Perform a Command-Line Installation in Windows 36

Command-Line Options for Windows Installation 36

Modify Converter Standalone in Windows 37

Repair Converter Standalone in Windows 38

Uninstall Converter Standalone in Windows 39

Connect to a Remote Converter Standalone Server 39

Convert a Physical or Virtual Machine 41

5

Start the Wizard for a Conversion 42

Select a Source Machine to Convert 42

Select a Powered On Windows Machine to Convert 43

Select a Powered On Linux Machine to Convert 44

Select an ESX/ ESXi or vCenter Server Virtual Machine to Convert 44

Select a VMware Hosted Virtual Machine to Convert 46

Select a Backup Image or a Third-Party Virtual Machine to Convert 46

Select a Hyper-V Server Virtual Machine to Convert 47

Select a Destination for the New Virtual Machine 48

Select a Managed Destination 48

Select a Hosted Destination 50

Configure the Hardware of the Destination Virtual Machine 51

Organize the Data to Copy on the Destination Machine 51

Edit the Number of Processor Sockets and Cores 60

Allocate Memory for the Destination Virtual Machine 61

Select a Disk Controller for the Destination Virtual Machine 62

Configure the Network Settings of the Destination Virtual Machine 62

Configure the Network for the Helper Virtual Machine 63

Configure the Software on the Destination Virtual Machine 63

Customize the Windows Guest Operating System 64

Install VMware Tools on the Destination Virtual Machine 67

Remove System Restore Checkpoints 68

Configure the Conversion Job 69

Set the Startup Mode for Destination Services 69

Stop Services Running on the Source Machine 70

Synchronize the Destination Machine with Changes Made to the Source Machine 71

Power Off the Source Machine After Conversion 72

Power On the Destination Virtual Machine After Conversion 72

Limit the Amount of Resources Used by the Conversion Job 73

Uninstall Converter Standalone Agent from the Source Machine 73

Review the Summary and Submit the Conversion Job 74

Configure Virtual Machines 75

6

Save Sysprep Files 75

Start the Configuration Wizard 76

Select a Source Machine to Configure 76

Select a vSphere Virtual Machine to Configure 77

4 VMware, Inc.

Select a VMware Desktop Virtual Machine to Configure 78

Select the Options to Configure 79

Install VMware Tools on a Virtual Machine 79

Customize the Windows Guest Operating System 79

Remove System Restore Checkpoints 83

Reconfiguring a Virtual Machine To Boot Properly 83

Review and Submit the Configuration Job 83

Contents

Manage Conversion and Configuration Jobs and Tasks 85

7

Manage Jobs in the Job List 85

Add a Job to the Job List 86

View the Running Task of a Job 86

Deactivate a Job 86

Delete a Job 87

Create a Job by Copying an Existing Job 87

Filter the Jobs in the Jobs List 87

Add a Synchronization Task to a Conversion Job 88

Manage Tasks in the Task List 89

Control the Number of Tasks Running Concurrently 89

View the Job to Which a Task Belongs 90

Cancel a Task 90

Filter the Tasks in the Task List 90

Verify Jobs and Tasks Progress and the Log Files 91

View Task Progress 91

Export the Log Files for Jobs 92

Export the Log Files for a Task 92

Back-End and Client Log Files Locations 92

Index 95

VMware, Inc. 5

VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide

6 VMware, Inc.

About This Book

The VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide provides information about installing and using
VMware®vCenter Converter Standalone 5.1.

Intended Audience

This book is intended for users who want to perform the following tasks:

n

Install, upgrade, or use Converter Standalone

n

Convert physical and virtual machines into VMware virtual machines

The material is written for information systems engineers, software developers, QA engineers, trainers,
salespeople who run demonstrations, and anyone who wants to create virtual machines.

VMware Technical Publications Glossary

VMware Technical Publications provides a glossary of terms that might be unfamiliar to you. For definitions
of terms as they are used in VMware technical documentation, go to http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs.

Document Feedback

VMware, Inc.

VMware welcomes your suggestions for improving our documentation. If you have comments, send your
feedback to [e-mail].

7

VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide

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

To use online support to submit technical support requests, view your product
and contract information, and register your products, go to

http://www.vmware.com/support.

Customers with appropriate support contracts should use telephone support
for the fastest response on priority 1 issues. Go to

http://www.vmware.com/support/phone_support.html.

To find out how VMware support offerings can help meet your business needs,
go to http://www.vmware.com/support/services.

VMware Education Services courses offer extensive hands-on labs, case study
examples, and course materials designed to be used as on-the-job reference
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.

8 VMware, Inc.

Introduction to
VMware vCenter Converter

Standalone 1

VMware® vCenter Converter Standalone is a product to convert virtual and physical machines to VMware
virtual machines. You can also configure existing virtual machines in your vCenter Server environment.

Converter Standalone eases the exchange of virtual machines among the following products.

n

VMware hosted products can be both conversion sources and conversion destinations.

n

VMware Workstation

n

VMware Fusion™

n

VMware Player

n

Virtual machines running on an ESX or ESXi instance that vCenter Server manages can be both conversion
sources and conversion destinations.

n

Virtual machines running on unmanaged ESX or ESXi hosts can be both conversion sources and conversion
destinations.

This chapter includes the following topics:

n

“Migration with Converter Standalone,” on page 9

n

“Converter Standalone Components,” on page 10

n

“Cloning and System Configuration of Physical Machines,” on page 10

n

“Types of Data Cloning Operations,” on page 13

n

“Using Converter Standalone with Virtual Machine Sources and System Images,” on page 15

n

“System Settings Affected by Conversion,” on page 15

n

“Changes to Virtual Hardware,” on page 16

Migration with Converter Standalone

Migration with Converter Standalone involves converting physical machines, virtual machines, and system
images for use in VMware hosted and managed products.

You can convert virtual machines that vCenter Server manages for use in other VMware products. You can
use Converter Standalone to perform a number of conversion tasks.

n

Import running remote physical and virtual machines as virtual machines to standalone ESX/ESXi or to
ESX/ESXi hosts that vCenter Server manages.

n

Import virtual machines hosted by VMware Workstation or Microsoft Hyper-V Server to ESX/ESXi hosts
that vCenter Server manages.

n

Import third-party backup or disk images to ESX/ESXi hosts that vCenter Server manages.

VMware, Inc.

9

VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide

n

Export virtual machines managed by vCenter Server hosts to other VMware virtual machine formats.

n

Configure virtual machines managed by vCenter Server so that they are bootable, and install VMware
Tools or customize their guest operating systems.

n

Customize guest operating systems of virtual machines in the vCenter Server inventory (for example,
change the host name or network settings).

n

Reduce the time needed to set up new virtual machine environments.

n

Migrate legacy servers to new hardware without reinstalling operating systems or application software.

n

Perform migrations across heterogeneous hardware.

n

Readjust volume sizes and place volumes on separate virtual disks.

Converter Standalone Components

The Converter Standalone application consists of Converter Standalone server, Converter Standalone worker,
Converter Standalone client, and Converter Standalone agent.

Converter Standalone
server

Enables and performs the import and export of virtual machines. The
Converter Standalone server comprises two services, Converter Standalone
server and Converter Standalone worker. The Converter Standalone worker
service is always installed with the Converter Standalone server service.

Converter Standalone
agent

The Converter Standalone server installs the agent on Windows physical
machines to import them as virtual machines. You can choose to remove the
Converter Standalone agent from the physical machine automatically or
manually after the import is complete.

Converter Standalone
client

The Converter Standalone server works with the Converter Standalone client.
The client component consists of the Converter Standalone user interface,
which provides access to the Conversion and the Configuration wizards, and
lets you to manage the conversion and the configuration tasks.

Cloning and System Configuration of Physical Machines

When you convert a physical machine, Converter Standalone uses cloning and system reconfiguration steps
to create and configure the destination virtual machine so that it works successfully in the vCenter Server
environment. Because the migration process is nondestructive to the source, you can continue to use the
original source machine after the conversion completes.

Cloning is the process of copying the source physical disks or volumes for the destination virtual machine.
Cloning involves copying the data on the source machine’s hard disk and transferring that data to a destination
virtual disk. The destination virtual disk might have a different geometry, size, file layout, and other
characteristics, so the destination virtual disk might not be an exact copy of the source disk.

System reconfiguration adjusts the migrated operating system to enable it to function on virtual hardware.

If you plan to run an imported 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, so that the physical and virtual machines
can coexist. Besides, you must make sure that the Windows source machine and the destination virtual machine
have different computer names.

NOTE You cannot move original equipment manufacturer (OEM) licenses between physical machines. The
license is attached to the server when you purchase it from the OEM and cannot be reassigned. 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 to run multiple virtual machines.

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 to VMware vCenter Converter Standalone

Hot Cloning of Physical Machines

With Converter Standalone 5.1, you can only perform hot cloning.

Hot cloning, also called live cloning or online cloning, requires converting the source machine while it is
running its operating system. Hot cloning lets you clone machines without shutting them down.

Because processes continue to run on the source machine during conversion, the resulting virtual machine is
not an exact copy of the source machine.

When converting Windows sources, you can set Converter Standalone to synchronize the destination virtual
machine with the source machine after hot cloning. Synchronization is performed by transferring from the
source to the destination the blocks that were changed during the initial cloning period. To avoid loss of data
on the destination virtual machine, Converter Standalone can shut down certain Windows services before the
synchronization. Based on your settings, Converter Standalone shuts down the selected Windows services so
that no critical changes occur on the source machine while destination is being synchronized.

Converter Standalone can shut down the source machine and power on the destination machine when the
conversion process is complete. When combined with synchronization, this action allows seamless migration
of a physical machine source to a virtual machine destination. The destination machine takes over the source
machine operations with the least possible downtime.

NOTE When you hot clone dual-boot systems, you can clone only the default operating system to which the

boot.ini file or the BCD points. To clone the nondefault operating system, change the boot.ini file or the BCD

to point to the other operating system and reboot. After the other operating system is booted, you can hot clone
it. If your second operating system is Linux, you can boot it and clone it using the standard procedure for
cloning Linux physical machine sources.

Remote Hot Cloning of Physical Machine Sources That Are Running Windows

You can use the Conversion wizard to set up conversion tasks and Converter Standalone components perform
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.

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)

VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide

Converter Standalone creates a virtual machine on the destination machine and the agent copies volumes
from the source machine to the destination machine.

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 (changes the IP information, for example).

4 Optionally, Converter Standalone uninstalls the agent from the source machine.

The virtual machine is ready to run on the destination server.

Remote Hot Cloning of Physical Machine Sources That Are Running Linux

The conversion process of physical machines that are running Linux operating systems differs from that of
Windows machines.

In Windows conversions, the Converter Standalone agent is installed on the source machine and the source
information is pushed to the destination.

In Linux conversions, no agent is deployed on the source machine. Instead, a helper virtual machine is created
and deployed on the destination ESX/ESXi host. The source data is then copied from the source Linux machine
to the helper virtual machine. After the conversion is complete, the helper virtual machine shuts down to
become the destination virtual machine the next time you power it on.

Converter Standalone supports conversion of 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 to VMware vCenter Converter Standalone

The following workflow demonstrates the principles of hot cloning physical machine sources that run Linux
to managed destinations.

1 Converter Standalone uses SSH to connect to the source machine and retrieves source information.

Converter Standalone 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. Converter
Standalone deploys the helper virtual machine on the managed destination, an ESX/ESXi host. The helper
virtual machine boots from a *.iso file that is located on the Converter Standalone server machine.

2 The helper virtual machine powers on, boots from the Linux image, connects to the source machine

through SSH, and 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, after data is copied, the destination virtual machine is reconfigured to allow the operating

system to boot in a virtual machine.

4 Converter Standalone shuts down the helper virtual machine. The conversion process is complete.

You can configure Converter Standalone to power on the newly created virtual machine after the
conversion is complete.

Types of Data Cloning Operations

Converter Standalone supports disk-based cloning, volume-based cloning, and linked-cloning modes.

IMPORTANT Converter Standalone cannot detect any source volumes and file systems that are located on
physical disks larger than 2TB.

VMware, Inc. 13

VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide

Table 1-1. Cloning Modes

Data Copy Types Application Description

Volume based Copy volumes from the source

machine to the destination machine.

Disk based Create 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
block-level cloning. Dynamic disks are
converted into basic volumes on the
target virtual machine.

You cannot select which data to copy.
Disk-based cloning is faster than
volume-based cloning.

For certain third-party sources, the
linked clone is corrupted if you power
on the source machine after the
conversion. Linked cloning is the fastest
(but incomplete) cloning mode that
Converter Standalone supports.

Volume-Based Cloning

During volume-based cloning, volumes from the source machine are copied to the destination machine.
Converter Standalone supports volume-based cloning for hot cloning, and during the import of existing virtual
machines.

During volume-based cloning, all volumes in the destination virtual machine are converted to basic volumes,
regardless of their type in the corresponding source volume.

Volume-based cloning is performed at the file level or block level, depending on the destination volume size
that you select.

Volume-based cloning at
the file level

Performed when you select a size smaller than the original volume for NTFS
volumes or you choose to resize a FAT volume.

For FAT, FAT32, NTFS, ext2, ext3, ext4, and ReiserFS file systems,
Converter Standalone preserves the file system type during a volume-based
cloning at the file level.

Dynamic source disks are read but not preserved during volume-based
conversions. Dynamic disks are converted into basic volumes on the target
virtual machine.

Volume-based cloning at
the block level

Performed when you choose to preserve the size of the source volume or when
you specify a larger volume size for NTFS source volumes.

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 partitions of the same type, size, and structure, as the partitions of the source virtual
machine. All volumes on the source machine's partitions are copied as they are.

Disk-based cloning supports all types of basic and dynamic disks.

Full and Linked Clones

Clones can be full or linked depending on 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 separate from the parent virtual machine.

14 VMware, Inc.

Chapter 1 Introduction to VMware vCenter Converter Standalone

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 type other than the linked clone type.

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 lets multiple virtual machines 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 cannot be used anymore.

A linked clone must have access to the source. Without access to the source, you cannot use a linked clone.

For more information about how to create a linked clone, see “Create a Linked Clone,” on page 60.

Using Converter Standalone with Virtual Machine Sources and System Images

With Converter Standalone, you can convert virtual machines and system images, and configure VMware
virtual machines.

Converting virtual
machines

Configuring virtual
machines

You can convert VMware virtual machines from and to Workstation,
VMware Player, VMware Fusion, ESX, ESXi Embedded, and ESXi Installable.
You can also import virtual machines from Microsoft Virtual Server and
Virtual PC.

To be able to run an imported VMware virtual machine and its source virtual
machine on the same network, you must modify the network name and IP
address on one of the virtual machines. Modifying the network name and IP
address lets the original and new virtual machines to coexist on the same
network.

If the VMware virtual machines have disks that have been populated by using
a backup of a physical host, Converter Standalone prepares the image to run
on VMware virtual hardware. If you have used third-party virtualization
software to create a virtual machine on an ESX host, you can use
Converter Standalone to reconfigure it. You can also reconfigure any operating
system installed on a multiboot machine if you have imported the virtual
machine to an ESX host. Before you reconfigure a multiboot machine, you must
change the boot.ini file or the BCD.

System Settings Affected by Conversion

A VMware virtual machine that Converter Standalone creates contains a copy of the disk state of the source
physical machine, virtual machine, or system image. Some hardware-dependent drivers and sometimes the
mapped drive letters might not be preserved.

The following source computer settings remain unchanged:

n

Operating system configuration (computer name, security ID, user accounts, profiles, preferences, and so
on)

n

Applications and data files

n

Volume serial number for each disk partition

VMware, Inc. 15

VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide

Because the target and the source virtual machines or system images have the same identities (name, SID, and
so on), running them on the same network might result in conflicts. To redeploy the source virtual machine or
system image, make sure 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 whether you can run a Virtual PC virtual machine as a
VMware virtual machine without first decommissioning the original Virtual PC machine, you must first resolve
the duplicate ID problem. You can resolve this problem by customizing the virtual machines in the
Conversion or the Configuration wizard.

Changes to Virtual Hardware

After conversion, most applications function correctly on the VMware virtual machine because their
configuration and data files have the same location as on the source virtual machine. However, applications
might not work if they depend on specific characteristics of the underlying hardware, such as the serial number
or the device manufacturer.

Table 1-2 contains hardware changes that might occur after virtual machine migration.

Table 1-2. Hardware Changes After Virtual Machine Migration

Hardware Behavior

CPU model and serial numbers Might change after migration if they are activated. They correspond to the physical

computer hosting the VMware virtual machine.

Ethernet adapters Might change (AMD PCNet or VMXnet) and have a different MAC address. The

IP address of each interface must be individually reconfigured.

Graphics cards Might change after migration (VMware SVGA card).

Disks and partitions The number of disks and partitions might change if you rearrange volumes during

the cloning process. Each disk device might have a different model and different
manufacturer strings.

Primary disk controllers Might differ from the source machine.

Applications might not work if they depend on devices that are not available within a virtual machine.

16 VMware, Inc.

System Requirements 2

You must consider the compatibilities and the interoperabilities among the systems on which and with which
the Converter Standalone components work.

This chapter includes the following topics:

n

“Supported Operating Systems,” on page 17

n

“Supported Firmware Interfaces,” on page 18

n

“Supported Source Types,” on page 19

n

“Supported Destination Types,” on page 20

n

“Supported Source Disk Types,” on page 21

n

“Supported Destination Disk Types,” on page 22

n

“Support for IPv6 in Converter Standalone,” on page 22

n

“Installation Space Requirements,” on page 23

n

“Screen Resolution Requirements,” on page 23

n

“Configuring Permissions for vCenter Users,” on page 23

n

“TCP/IP and UDP Port Requirements for Conversion,” on page 24

n

“Requirements for Remote Hot Cloning of Windows Operating Systems,” on page 25

Supported Operating Systems

You can install Converter Standalone components only on Windows operating systems.
Converter Standalone supports Windows and Linux operating systems as sources for powered-on-machine
conversions and virtual-machine conversions. You cannot reconfigure Linux distributions.

Table 2-1. Supported Operating Systems

Converter

Standalone
Supported Operating
Systems

Windows XP
Professional (32-bit and
64-bit) SP3

Windows Server 2003 R2
(32-bit and 64-bit) SP2

Windows Vista (32-bit
and 64-bit) SP2

VMware, Inc. 17

Server

Support

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Converter
Standalone
Client
Support

Converter
Standalone
Agent Support

Source for
Powered On
Machine
Conversions

Source for
Virtual
Machine
Conversions

Configuration
Source

VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide

Table 2-1. Supported Operating Systems (Continued)

Supported Operating
Systems

Converter

Standalone

Server

Support

Converter
Standalone
Client
Support

Converter
Standalone
Agent Support

Source for
Powered On
Machine
Conversions

Source for
Virtual
Machine
Conversions

Configuration
Source

Windows Server 2008
(32-bit and 64-bit) SP2

Windows Server 2008 R2
(64-bit)

Windows 7 (32-bit and
64-bit)

Windows 8 (32-bit and
64-bit)

Windows Server 2012
(64-bit)

Red Hat Enterprise
Linux 3.x (32-bit and 64­bit)

Red Hat Enterprise
Linux 4.x (32-bit and 64­bit)

Red Hat Enterprise
Linux 5.x (32-bit and 64­bit)

Red Hat Enterprise
Linux 6.x (32-bit and 64­bit)

SUSE Linux Enterprise
Server 9.x (32-bit and 64­bit)

SUSE Linux Enterprise
Server 10.x (32-bit and
64-bit)

SUSE Linux Enterprise
Server 11.x (32-bit and
64-bit)

Ubuntu 10.x (32-bit and
64-bit)

Ubuntu 11.x (32-bit and
64-bit)

Ubuntu 12.04 (32-bit and
64-bit)

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

No No No Yes Yes No

No No No Yes Yes No

No No No Yes Yes No

No No No Yes Yes No

No No No Yes Yes No

No No No Yes Yes No

No No No Yes Yes No

No No No Yes Yes No

No No No Yes Yes No

No No No Yes Yes No

Supported Firmware Interfaces

With Converter Standalone you can perform conversions from BIOS and UEFI sources.

Converter Standalone preserves the firmware interface during the conversion. You cannot convert BIOS
sources to UEFI destinations and the reverse.

For UEFI sources, the supported destination types are Workstation 8.0 and later, ESXi 5.0 and later, and
vCenter Server 5.0 and later.

18 VMware, Inc.

Chapter 2 System Requirements

Table 2-2. Supported Sources Based on Operating System and Firmware Interface

Operating System BIOS 32-Bit UEFI 64-Bit UEFI

Windows XP

Yes No No

Professional SP3

Windows Server 2003

Yes No No

R2 SP2

Windows Vista SP2 Yes No Yes

Windows Server 2008

Yes No Yes

SP2

Windows Server 2008R2Yes No Yes

Windows 7 Yes No Yes

Windows 8 Yes No Yes

Windows Server 2012 Yes No Yes

Red Hat Enterprise

Yes No No

Linux 3.x

Red Hat Enterprise

Yes No No

Linux 4.x

Red Hat Enterprise

Yes No No

Linux 5.x

Red Hat Enterprise

Yes No Yes

Linux 6.x

SUSE Linux Enterprise

Yes No No

Server 9.x

SUSE Linux Enterprise

Yes No No

Server 10.x

SUSE Linux Enterprise

Yes No No

Server 11.x

Ubuntu 10.x Yes No No

Ubuntu 11.x Yes No Yes

Ubuntu 12.04 Yes No Yes

Supported Source Types

With Converter Standalone, you can convert remote powered on machines, powered off VMware virtual
machines, Hyper-V Server virtual machines, and other third-party virtual machines and system images.

Table 2-3. Supported Sources

Source Type Sources

Powered on machines

VMware vCenter virtual
machines

VMware, Inc. 19

n

Remote Windows physical machines

n

Remote Linux physical machines

n

Local Windows physical machines

n

Windows virtual machines running on Hyper-V Server

n

Powered on VMware virtual machines

n

Powered on Hyper-V Server 2012 virtual machines

Powered off virtual machines managed by the following servers:

n

vCenter Server 4.0, 4.1, 5.0, and 5.1

n

ESX 4.0 and 4.1

n

ESXi 4.0, 4.1, 5.0, and 5.1

VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide

Table 2-3. Supported Sources (Continued)

Source Type Sources

VMware virtual machines Powered off hosted virtual machines running on the following VMware products:

Hyper-V Server virtual
machines

Third-party virtual machines or
system images

n

VMware Workstation 7.x, 8.x, and 9.0

n

VMware Fusion 3.x, 4.x, and 5.0

n

VMware Player 3.x, 4.x, and 5.0

For Hyper-V Server versions distributed with Windows Server 2008 R2, powered off
virtual machines with the following guest operating systems:

n

Windows Server 2003 (x86 and x64), SP1, SP2, and R2

n

Windows Server 2008 (x86 and x64) SP2 and R2 SP2

n

Windows 7 (except Home editions)

n

Windows Vista SP1 and SP2 (except Home editions)

n

Windows XP Professional SP2, SP3, and x64 SP2

n

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 SP1 and SP2

n

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11

n

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.2, 5.3, and 5.4 (x86 and x64)

For other Hyper-V Server sources, perform the procedure for powered on physical
machines.

n

Acronis True Image Echo 9.1 and 9.5, and Acronis True Image Home 10 and 11
(.tib).

n

Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery (formerly LiveState Recovery) 6.5, 7.0, 8.0,
and 8.5, and LiveState Recovery 3.0 and 6.0 (.sv2i format only).

n

Norton Ghost version 10.0, 12.0, and 14.0 (.sv2i format only).

n

Parallels Desktop 2.5, 3.0, and 4.0 (.pvs and .hdd). Compressed disks are not
supported.

n

Parallels Workstation 2.x (.pvs). Compressed disks are not supported. Parallels
Virtuozzo Containers are not supported.

n

StorageCraft ShadowProtect Desktop, ShadowProtect Server, ShadowProtect Small
Business Server (SBS), ShadowProtect IT Edition, versions 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.1, and 3.2
(.spf).

n

The Microsoft VHD format for the following sources:

n

Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 and Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 (.vmc)

n

Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 and 2005 R2 (.vmc)

Sources that run Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 can be converted to ESX 4.0 or later destinations.

Supported Destination Types

With Converter Standalone, you can create virtual machines compatible with VMware hosted and managed
products.

Table 2-4. Supported Destinations

Destination Type Supported Versions

VMware vCenter virtual machines Managed destinations

n

ESX 4.0 and 4.1

n

ESXi 4.0, 4.1, 5.0, and 5.1

n

vCenter Server 4.0, 4.1, 5.0, and 5.1

VMware hosted virtual machines Hosted destinations

n

VMware Workstation 7.x, 8.x, and 9.0

n

VMware Fusion 3.x, 4.x, and 5.0

n

VMware Player 3.x, 4x, and 5.0

For UEFI sources, the supported destination types are Workstation 8.0 and later, ESXi 5.0 and later, and
vCenter Server 5.0 and later.

20 VMware, Inc.

Supported Source Disk Types

Converter Standalone supports conversions from master boot record (MBR) and GUID partition table (GPT)
disks with some limitations that depend on the selected data cloning mode.

NOTE Converter Standalone preserves the partitioning scheme during the conversion. You cannot convert an
MBR source disk to a GPT destination disk and the reverse.

Converter Standalone supports all types of basic and dynamic disks for disk-based conversions with the
exception of GPT/MBR hybrid disks.

Table 2-5. Supported and Nonsupported Source Volumes and Disks

Source Supported Volumes and Disks Nonsupported Volumes and Disks

Virtual machine

Powered on machine

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

Basic volumes

All types of dynamic volumes

Master boot record (MBR) disks

GUID partition table (GPT) disks

All types of source volumes that
the operating system recognizes

GUID partition table (GPT) disks

Master boot record (MBR) disks

Chapter 2 System Requirements

n

RAID

n

GPT/MBR hybrid disks

n

RAID

n

GPT/MBR hybrid disks

VMware, Inc. 21

VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide

Supported Destination Disk Types

Depending on the destination you select, several destination disk types are available.

Table 2-6. Destination Disk Types

Destination Available Disk Types

VMware vSphere virtual machine

VMware Workstation or other VMware virtual machine

Thick

Thin

Pre­allocated

Not pre­allocated

2GB Split
pre­allocated

2GB Split not
pre­allocated

Copies the entire source disk size to the
destination, regardless of its used and
free space.

For managed destinations that support
thin provisioning through GUI, creates
an expanding disk on the destination.
For example, if the source disk size is
10GB, but only 3GB is used, the created
destination disk is 3GB but can expand
to 10GB.

Copies the entire source disk size to the
destination, regardless of its used and
free space.

Creates an expanding disk on the
destination. For example, if the source
disk size is 20GB, but only 5GB is used,
the created destination disk is 5GB but
can expand to 20GB. Take this expansion
into account when you calculate the free
disk space on the destination datastore.

Splits the source disk into 2GB sections
on the destination.

Creates 2GB sections on the destination
that include only the real used space on
the source disk. As the destination disk
grows, new 2GB sections are created to
accommodate the new data until the size
reaches that of the original source disk.

To support destination virtual disks on FAT file systems, divide the source data into 2GB files.

Support for IPv6 in Converter Standalone

Converter Standalone supports both IPv4 and IPv6 Internet protocols with several limitations.

Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6 or IPng) is the successor to Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4), which is the
currently used protocol for assigning IP addresses to computers on the Internet. IPv6 was adopted to overcome
the expected exhaustion of IPv4 addresses that might be caused by the constantly increasing number of
computers on the Internet.

While IPv4 uses 32bit addresses, IPv6 uses 128bit. IPv6 addresses can have different formats or notations.

n

1040:0:0:0:0:0:0:1

n

1040::1

n

21DA:00D3:0010:2F3B:02AA:00FF:FE28:9C5A

n

[2001:0db8:85a3:08d3:1319:8a2e:0370:7344]:443

22 VMware, Inc.

Converter Standalone supports all IPv6 notations for all components of the system.

n

Converter Standalone installer

n

Converter Standalone client

n

Converter Standalone agent

n

All destinations supported in Converter Standalone

Along with the higher security level and much larger address space, IPv6 brings about some compatibility
tasks that have not been resolved yet. For example, IPv4-only nodes cannot communicate directly with IPv6
nodes and need additional routing. This makes the end-to-end support of mixed IPv4 and IPv6 environments
precarious.

To reduce this complexity, Converter Standalone supports only pure IPv6 or IPv4 environments, where the
protection source, the protection destination, and the Converter Standalone server and agent must run the
same version of IP.

NOTE You cannot use IPv6 to customize the guest operating systems of virtual machines.

Installation Space Requirements

During installation, you can select the Converter Standalone components that you want to install. All
components require different amounts of free disk space to install.

Chapter 2 System Requirements

Table 2-7 shows the disk space required to install Converter Standalone and its components.

Table 2-7. Installation Space Requirements

Installation Component Disk Space Required

Installation file 100MB 100MB

vCenter Converter client 25MB 25MB

vCenter Converter server 120MB 300MB

vCenter Converter agent 25MB 100MB

Screen Resolution Requirements

To display wizards properly, Converter Standalone requires a screen resolution of at least 1024x768 pixels.

Configuring Permissions for vCenter Users

To convert virtual machines to vCenter Server machines with Converter Standalone, you must have certain
vCenter Server permissions set at the datacenter level.

To start using Converter Standalone, you need to set a number of minimum privileges at the datacenter level.

n

Datastore.Allocate space

n

Datastore.Browse datastore

Disk Space Requirement for Decompressed
Files

n

Host.Local operations.Create virtual machine

n

Host.Local operations.Delete virtual machine

n

Host.Local operations.Reconfigure virtual machine

n

Network.Assign network (required only if you plan to connect the destination virtual machine to a
network)

VMware, Inc. 23

VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide

n

Resource.Assign virtual machine to resource pool

n

Virtual machine.Configuration

n

Virtual machine.Interaction.Power On (required only if you choose to power on the destination virtual
machine after conversion)

n

Virtual machine.Inventory

n

Virtual machine.Provisioning.Allow disk access

n

Virtual machine.Provisioning.Allow read-only disk access

Converting Linux and powered on Windows machines might require a number of additional
vCenter Server privileges.

n

Virtual machine.Interaction.Configure CD media (required only if you need to boot a converted Linux
virtual machine to install media after the conversion)

n

Virtual machine.Snapshot management.Create snapshot (required only if you want to synchronize
changes between the source and destination Windows virtual machine)

n

Virtual machine.Snapshot management.Remove Snapshot (required only if you want to synchronize
changes between the source and destination Windows virtual machine)

For more information about setting permissions, see the vSphere Datacenter Administration Guide.

TCP/IP and UDP Port Requirements for Conversion

To enable conversion, the Converter Standalone server and client must be able to send data to each other, to
remote physical machines, and to vCenter Server. Also, the source and destination hosts must receive data
from each other. Designated ports are reserved for this communication.

If any of these ports is blocked, the corresponding conversion task fails.

Ports Used When Converting a Powered On Physical Machine Running Windows

Table 2-8 contains a list of the ports that must be open during the conversion of physical machine sources

running Windows.

Table 2-8. Ports Required During Windows P2V

Communication

Communication Paths

Converter Standalone server to
powered on source machine

Converter Standalone server to
vCenter Server

Converter Standalone client to
vCenter Server

Converter Standalone server to the
destination ESX/ESXi

Powered on source machine to
ESX/ESXi

Ports Notes

TCP - 445, 139,
9089

UDP - 137, 138

TCP - 443 Required only if the conversion destination is a vCenter Server.

TCP - 443 Required only if the Converter Standalone server and client

TCP - 902

TCP - 443, 902 If the conversion destination is vCenter Server, only port 902 is

If the source computer uses NetBIOS, port 445 is not required. If
NetBIOS is not being used, ports 137, 138, and 139 are not
required. When in doubt, make sure that none of the ports are
blocked.

NOTE Unless you have installed Converter Standalone server or
agent on the source computer, the account used for
authentication to the source computer must have a password,
network file sharing must be enabled on the source computer,
and Simple File Sharing must not be used.

components are on different machines.

required.

24 VMware, Inc.

Chapter 2 System Requirements

Ports Used When Converting a Powered On Physical Machine Running Linux

Table 2-9 contains a list of the ports that must be open during the conversion of physical machine sources

running Linux.

Table 2-9. Ports Required During Linux P2V

Communication Paths TCP Ports Notes

Converter Standalone server to powered
on source machine

Converter Standalone client to
Converter Standalone server

Converter Standalone server to
vCenter Server

Converter Standalone server to
ESX/ESXi

Converter Standalone server to helper
virtual machine

Helper virtual machine to powered on
source machine

22 Used to establish an SSH connection between the

Converter Standalone server and the source machine.

443 Required only if the Converter Standalone server and client

components are on different machines.

443 Required only if the conversion destination is a vCenter Server.

443, 902,
903

443

22 Used to establish an SSH connection between the helper virtual

If the conversion destination is a vCenter Server, only ports 902
and 903 are required.

machine and the source machine. By default, the IP address of the
helper virtual machine is assigned by DHCP. If no DHCP server
is available on the destination network, you must manually assign
the target virtual machine an IP address.

Ports Used When Converting Virtual Machine Sources

Table 2-10 contains a list of the ports that must be open during the conversion of virtual machines.

Table 2-10. Ports Required During V2V

Communication

Communication Paths

Converter Standalone server to
Fileshare path

Converter Standalone client to
Converter Standalone server

Converter Standalone server to
vCenter Server

Converter Standalone server to
ESX/ESXi

Ports Notes

TCP - 445, 139

UPD - 137, 138

TCP - 443 Required only if the Converter Standalone server and client

TCP - 443 Required only if the conversion destination is a

TCP - 443, 902 If the conversion destination is a vCenter Server, only port 902

Required only for standalone virtual machine sources or
destinations. If the computer hosting the source or destination
path uses NetBIOS, port 445 is not required. If NetBIOS is not
being used, ports 137, 138, and 139 are not required. When in
doubt, make sure that none of the ports are blocked.

components are on different machines.

vCenter Server.

is required.

Requirements for Remote Hot Cloning of Windows Operating Systems

To avoid problems related to permissions and network access, ensure that simple file sharing is turned off and
that Windows Firewall does not block file and printer sharing. Also, to access file and printer sharing ports,
you might need to change the scope of the IP addresses that the firewall allows.

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.

VMware, Inc. 25

VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide

You must allow incoming file share connections in the following cases:

n

When you use the machine to host standalone images

n

When you use the machine as a standalone destination

n

When you remotely hot clone the machine

To enable customization of the guest operating system, install Sysprep files on the machine where Converter
Standalone server runs.

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 on the left, select Local Policies > Security Options.

3 In the policies list on 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, search the Microsoft TechNet Web site.

For information about setting file and printer sharing on other Windows systems, see the documentation for
your system.

Turn Off Simple File Sharing on Windows XP Professional

To control permissions for individual users, you must turn off simple file sharing on the source machine.

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 that are part of a workgroup, the simple file sharing UI is
turned on by default. Windows XP Professional operating systems that are part of a domain use only the classic
file sharing and security interface.

Procedure

1 On the source machine, select Start > Settings > Control Panel > Folder Options.

2 Click the View tab and deselect Use Simple File Sharing (Recommended).

Simple file sharing is turned off.

What to do next

For more information about turning simple file sharing on or off, see the Microsoft TechNet Web site.

Prepare the Guest Operating System for Customization

To customize the guest operating system of a virtual machine that runs Windows Server 2003 or Windows XP,
you must save the Sysprep files to the specified locations on the machine where Converter Standalone server
runs.

If Sysprep files are missing from the server machine, the Customize Guest OS option is not accessible in the
Converter Standalone wizards.

26 VMware, Inc.

Chapter 2 System Requirements

Prerequisites

Make sure you have obtained the Sysprep files that correspond to the source operating system. You can
download the Sysprep files from the Microsoft Download Center.

Procedure

u

Save the Sysprep files that correspond to the source operating system on the machine where
Converter Standalone server runs.

If you have downloaded a .cab file, you need to extract its contents. If you have downloaded an .exe file,
double-click the downloaded file to start the Sysprep installation.

Operating System Action

Windows Server 2003 (32bit)

Windows Server 2003 (64bit)

Windows XP (32bit)

Windows XP (64bit)

Save the Sysprep files in %ALLUSERSPROFILE
%\Application Data\VMware\VMware vCenter Converter
Standalone\sysprep\svr2003

Save the Sysprep files in %ALLUSERSPROFILE
%\Application Data\VMware\VMware vCenter Converter
Standalone\sysprep\svr2003-64

Save the Sysprep files in %ALLUSERSPROFILE
%\Application Data\VMware\VMware vCenter Converter
Standalone\sysprep\xp

Save the Sysprep files in %ALLUSERSPROFILE
%\Application Data\VMware\VMware vCenter Converter
Standalone\sysprep\xp-64

What to do next

You can now customize Windows Server 2003 (32bit and 64bit) and Windows XP (32bit and 64bit) guest
operating systems by using the Conversion or the Configuration wizard.

VMware, Inc. 27

VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide

28 VMware, Inc.

Conversion Limitations 3

When you are aware of the conversion limitations of Converter Standalone, you might be able to avoid
conversion and post-conversion problems, and handle them more easily.

This chapter includes the following topics:

n

“Conversion Limitations for Powered On Machines,” on page 29

n

“Conversion Limitations for VMware Virtual Machines,” on page 29

n

“Conversion Limitations for Third-Party Virtual Machines or System Images,” on page 30

n

“Limitations Related to Creating Snapshots of Windows Sources,” on page 30

Conversion Limitations for Powered On Machines

When you convert a powered on machine, some conversion features might not be available for certain source
operating systems.

Table 3-1. Limitations for Powered On Machine Conversion

Source Operating System Limitations

Windows XP and later

Linux

n

When you convert UEFI sources, Converter Standalone does not copy any UEFI
variables to the destination.

n

Synchronization is supported only for volume-based cloning at the block level.

n

Scheduling synchronization is supported only for managed destinations that are ESX

4.0 or later.

n

Only volume-based cloning at the file level is supported.

n

Only managed destinations are supported.

n

Converting multiboot virtual machines is supported only if GRUB is installed as the
boot loader. LILO is not supported.

n

When you convert UEFI sources, Converter Standalone copies only the current UEFI
boot entry option to the destination.

Conversion Limitations for VMware Virtual Machines

Certain limitations exist when you convert a VMware virtual machine.

You must power off source virtual machines before you convert them. You can convert running virtual
machines if you follow the procedure for converting powered on machines.

For volume-based conversions of virtual machine sources that run Windows 8 or Windows Server 2012,
Converter Standalone does not preserve storage pools on the destination.

For volume-based conversions of UEFI sources, Converter Standalone does not preserve the UEFI settings.
The UEFI settings are preserved during disk-based conversions.

VMware, Inc.

29

VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide

When you convert a virtual machine with snapshots, the snapshots are not transferred to the destination virtual
machine.

Certain limitations are applicable when you convert Linux virtual machine sources.

n

Only disk-based cloning is supported for Linux guest operating systems.

n

Configuration or customization is not supported for Linux guest operating systems.

n

Installing VMware Tools is not supported on Linux guest operating systems.

Conversion Limitations for Third-Party Virtual Machines or System Images

Converter Standalone can convert third-party virtual machines, system images, ShadowProtect images, and
BackupExec System Recovery images. These conversions have limitations.

Third-Party Virtual Machines and System Images

Third-party virtual machines and system images have the following limitations.

n

Virtual machines created with 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 destination VMware platform (for example, Workstation 8.x or 9.0).
For a list of supported operating systems, see the Guest Operating System Installation Guide.

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 these systems as configuration
sources.

n

Parallels Virtuozzo containers are not supported.

ShadowProtect and Backup Exec System Recovery

ShadowProtect and Backup Exec System Recovery have the following limitations.

n

Dynamic disks are not supported.

n

All images for the backup of a machine must be in a single folder. The source folder must not contain
images that are not part of the backup.

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 partitions 1 through 3.

n

For incremental images, up to 16 incremental backups are supported.

n

ShadowProtect images of systems with logical drives are not supported if the logical drive is also a system
or active volume.

Limitations Related to Creating Snapshots of Windows Sources

Converter Standalone uses VSS snapshots to save the state of source volumes during hot cloning of physical
and virtual machines that run Windows. VSS snapshots are also used to synchronize the destination virtual
machine with the source machine after the initial conversion. Some of the VSS-related issues are inherited in
Converter Standalone and can prevent the proper completion of your conversion tasks.

Read the limitations listed in Table 3-2 before you initiate a conversion task.

If your conversion task fails with an VSS-related error message, you can check the table for possible reasons
and workarounds.

30 VMware, Inc.

Chapter 3 Conversion Limitations

Table 3-2. VSS Snapshotting Limitations

VSS Limitations Error Messages Workarounds

For all operating systems that
support volume-based cloning,
you need at least one NTFS
volume for VSS to work.

VSS under Windows Server 2008
does not support FAT and FAT32.

VSS under Windows Server 2008
does not support unformatted or
unrecognized volumes.

If the space in the VSS snapshot
storage area is not enough for VSS
to create a snapshot, the
conversion fails.

Importing powered-on Hyper-V
sources fails if the following two
VSS services are not started or are
not operating properly on the
source machine:

n

Microsoft Software Shadow
Copy Provider Service

n

Volume Shadow Copy
Service

Failed to create VSS snapshot of source
volume. Error code :2147754764
(0x8004230C)

Failed to create VSS snapshot of source
volume. Error code:
2147754783(0x8004231F)

Failed to create VSS snapshot of source
volume. Error code: 2147754758
(0x80042306)

There is no workaround for this
limitation.

Deselect all FAT and FAT32
volumes on the View/Edit
Options page of the
vCenter Converter wizards.

n

Format all unformatted or
unrecognized volumes and
try the conversion again.

n

Deselect all unformatted or
unrecognized volumes while
setting up the conversion task
in the Data to copy pane of the
View/Edit Options page.

Clean up the source volumes,
especially the system volume and
all NTFS volumes, and try to
convert the source again.

1 Set the starting mode for

Microsoft Software Shadow
Copy Provider Service and
Volume Shadow Copy
Service to Automatic.

2 Restart the source machine

and try cloning it again.

VMware, Inc. 31

VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide

32 VMware, Inc.

Installing and Uninstalling Converter

Standalone 4

You can install Converter Standalone on a physical or a virtual machine. You can also modify or repair a
Converter Standalone installation.

The Local setup installs the Converter Standalone server, Converter Standalone agent, and Converter
Standalone client for local use.

NOTE Local installation of Converter Standalone complies with the following security restrictions:

n

After the initial setup, the use of an administrator account requires physical access to the product.

n

You can manage Converter Standalone only from the machine where it is installed.

During the client-server installation, you can select the Converter Standalone components that you want to
install on your system.

When you install the Converter Standalone server and Remote access, the local machine becomes a server for
conversions, which you can manage remotely. When you install the Converter Standalone server and the
Converter Standalone client, you can use the local machine to access remote Converter Standalone servers or
create conversion jobs locally.

If you install only Converter Standalone client, you can connect to a remote Converter Standalone server. You
can then use the remote machine to convert hosted virtual machines, managed virtual machines, or remote
physical machines.

This chapter includes the following topics:

n

“Perform a Local Installation on Windows,” on page 33

n

“Perform a Client-Server Installation in Windows,” on page 34

n

“Perform a Command-Line Installation in Windows,” on page 36

n

“Command-Line Options for Windows Installation,” on page 36

n

“Modify Converter Standalone in Windows,” on page 37

n

“Repair Converter Standalone in Windows,” on page 38

n

“Uninstall Converter Standalone in Windows,” on page 39

n

“Connect to a Remote Converter Standalone Server,” on page 39

Perform a Local Installation on Windows

You can install Converter Standalone on a physical or a virtual machine. The local setup installs the Converter
Standalone server, Converter Standalone agent, and Converter Standalone client for local use.

If you install Converter Standalone in local mode, you can create and manage conversion tasks only from the
machine on which you installed the application.

VMware, Inc.

33

VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide

Prerequisites

Verify that your system meets the Converter Standalone system requirements.

Verify that you have Administrator privileges.

If you have Converter 3.0.x installed and your machine runs Windows Vista, uninstall Converter 3.0.x manually
before you install Converter Standalone 5.1.

If you have an earlier version of Converter Standalone agent on the system, uninstall Converter Standalone
agent.

Procedure

1 Download the latest version of Converter Standalone from the VMware Web site.

2 In the folder that contains the installer file you downloaded, double-click the VMware-converter-5.x.x-

<xxxxx>.exe file, where <xxxxx> is the number of the build.

3 In the Choose Setup Language dialog box, select the language for the install process and click OK.

4 Follow the prompts till the End-User License Agreement page appears.

5 Select I accept the terms in the License agreement and click Next.

6 On the Destination Folder page, select the location to install Converter Standalone and click Next.

The default location is C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware vCenter Converter Standalone.

7 On the Setup Type page, select Local installation and click Next.

8 On the Ready to Install page, click Install.

9 (Optional) On the Installation Completed page, deselect Run VMware vCenter Converter Standalone

Client now if you want to start the application later.

10 On the Installation Completed page, click Finish.

A prompt might ask you to restart your system.

Converter Standalone is installed on the local machine and is ready for use.

What to do next

You can use Converter Standalone to convert physical or virtual machine sources to virtual machine
destinations.

Perform a Client-Server Installation in Windows

Perform a client-server installation so that you can create and manage conversion tasks remotely.

During the client-server installation, you can select the Converter Standalone components that you want to
install on your system.

Prerequisites

Verify that your system meets the Converter Standalone system requirements.

Verify that you have Administrator privileges.

If you have Converter 3.0.x installed and your machine runs Windows Vista, uninstall Converter 3.0.x manually
before you install Converter Standalone 5.1.

If you have an earlier version of Converter Standalone agent on the system, uninstall Converter Standalone
agent.

34 VMware, Inc.

Chapter 4 Installing and Uninstalling Converter Standalone

Procedure

1 Download the latest version of Converter Standalone from the VMware Web site.

2 In the folder that contains the installer file you downloaded, double-click the VMware-converter-5.x.x-

<xxxxx>.exe file, where <xxxxx> is the number of the build.

3 In the Choose Setup Language dialog box, select the language for the install process and click OK.

4 Follow the prompts till the End-User License Agreement page appears.

5 Select I accept the terms in the License agreement and click Next.

6 On the Destination Folder page, select the location to install Converter Standalone and click Next.

The default location is C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware vCenter Converter Standalone.

7 On the Setup Type page, select Client-Server installation (advanced) and click Next.

8 On the Custom Setup page, select the components that you want to install and click Next.

Option Description

Converter server

Remote access

Converter agent

Converter client

Converter Standalone server manages the conversion tasks. It handles the
communication between the Converter Standalone clients and Converter
Standalone agents. You cannot install Converter server alone. You must
install Converter Standalone server together with Remote access or with the
Converter Standalone client, or with both.

If you install Remote access, local and multiple remote Converter Standalone
clients can connect to the local Converter Standalone server. With Remote
access, you can create and manage conversion tasks remotely. For remote
access, you must perform a client-server installation.

Install Converter Standalone agent so that the local machine can be a source
machine for conversions.

If you install only Converter Standalone client, you can connect to a remote
Converter Standalone server. You can then use the remote machine to
convert hosted virtual machines, managed virtual machines, or remote
physical machines.

When you install the Converter Standalone server and Remote access, the local machine becomes a server
for conversions, which you can manage remotely. When you install the Converter Standalone server and
the Converter Standalone client, you can use the local machine to access remote Converter Standalone
servers or create conversion jobs locally.

9 (Optional) If you decided to install Remote access or Converter Standalone agent, modify the Web service

ports on the Port Settings page.

n

Type the HTTPS port service number.

n

Type the HTTP port service number.

n

Type the Agent port service number.

10 On the Ready to Install page, click Install.

11 (Optional) If you installed the Converter Standalone client, deselect Run Converter Standalone Client

now to complete the installation without starting the application at this time.

12 On the Installation Completed page, click Finish.

A prompt might ask you to restart your system.

The selected Converter Standalone components are installed on the local machine and are ready for use.

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VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide

What to do next

You can use Converter Standalone to convert physical or virtual machine sources to virtual machine
destinations.

Perform a Command-Line Installation in Windows

You can install Converter Standalone from the MS-DOS command prompt or by writing a Windows batch file
(.bat) to automate the installation process.

Prerequisites

Verify that your system meets the Converter Standalone system requirements.

Verify that you have Administrator privileges.

If you have Converter 3.0.x installed and your machine runs Windows Vista, uninstall Converter 3.0.x manually
before you install Converter Standalone 5.1.

If you have an earlier version of Converter Standalone agent on the system, uninstall Converter Standalone
agent.

Procedure

1 Download the latest version of Converter Standalone from the VMware Web site.

2 Open an MS-DOS command prompt window.

3 At the command line, navigate to the local directory to which you downloaded the installer.

4 To install Converter Standalone silently with the log file written to the temp directory, enter:

VMware-converter-5.x.x-<build>.exe /s /v"/qn ADDLOCAL=ALL /l*v %TEMP%\vmconvservermsi.log"

where VMware-converter-5.x.x-<build>.exe is the full installer filename.

For more command-line options, see “Command-Line Options for Windows Installation,” on page 36.

What to do next

You can use Converter Standalone to convert physical or virtual machine sources to virtual machine
destinations.

Command-Line Options for Windows Installation

You can use the command-line installation options when you install Converter Standalone from the MS-DOS
command prompt in Windows or by writing a Windows batch file (.bat).

For a list of options to perform command-line installation, see Table 4-1.

Table 4-1. Command-Line Options

Option Action

/s

/v"

params

"

/qn

/qb

/qf

/l*v

Logfile

/x

ADDLOCAL="ALL"

Does not display the Windows Installer version check.

Passes parameters to the msiexec.exe file.

Runs the msi command in silent mode.

Runs the msi command in basic mode.

Runs the msi command in full mode.

Records login information in the file provided in Logfile.

Uninstalls VMware vCenter Converter Standalone.

Installs full package. The parameter is case-sensitive.

36 VMware, Inc.

Table 4-1. Command-Line Options (Continued)

Option Action

PROPERTY=

VMCE_HTTP_PORT

VMCE_HTTPS_PORT

VMCE_AGENT_PORT

property value

Sets the value of a property to property value.

Sets the HTTP port. The default is 80. Remote machines
connect to the server through this port to download the
Converter Standalone client.

Set the HTTPS port. The default is 443. Remote Converter
Standalone clients connect to this port on the server and
submit conversion tasks.

Sets an Agent port. The default is 9089. Remote Converter
Standalone servers connect to this port to convert this
machine.

Modify Converter Standalone in Windows

To change the installed Converter Standalone agent or the communication ports for the Converter Standalone
components, you must modify the Converter Standalone installaton.

Prerequisites

Verify that you have Administrator privileges.

Chapter 4 Installing and Uninstalling Converter Standalone

Close the Converter Standalone application before you start the installer wizard.

Procedure

1 To start the Converter Standalone installer, perform one of the following actions:

n

Go to the folder that contains the installer file and double-click the VMware-converter-5.x.x-

<xxxxx>.exe file, where <xxxxx> is the number of the build. Check the number of the build to see if it

matches the build you installed.

n

Select Add or Remove Programs from Control Panel, select Converter Standalone from the list, and
click Change.

2 On the Welcome page of the installer wizard, click Next.

3 On the Program Maintenance page, select Modify and click Next.

4 On the Custom Setup page, select the components that you want to install and click Next.

Option Description

Converter server

Remote access

Converter Standalone server manages the conversion tasks. It handles the
communication between the Converter Standalone clients and Converter
Standalone agents. You cannot install Converter server alone. You must
install Converter Standalone server together with Remote access or with the
Converter Standalone client, or with both.

If you install Remote access, local and multiple remote Converter Standalone
clients can connect to the local Converter Standalone server. With Remote
access, you can create and manage conversion tasks remotely. For remote
access, you must perform a client-server installation.

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VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide

Option Description

Converter agent

Converter client

When you install the Converter Standalone server and Remote access, the local machine becomes a server
for conversions, which you can manage remotely. When you install the Converter Standalone server and
the Converter Standalone client, you can use the local machine to access remote Converter Standalone
servers or create conversion jobs locally.

5 (Optional) If you decided to install Remote access or Converter Standalone agent, modify the Web service

ports on the Port Settings page.

n

Type the HTTPS port service number.

n

Type the HTTP port service number.

n

Type the Agent port service number.

6 On the Ready to Modify page, click Install.

7 (Optional) If you installed the Converter Standalone client, deselect Run Converter Standalone Client

now to complete the installation without starting the application at this time.

Install Converter Standalone agent so that the local machine can be a source
machine for conversions.

If you install only Converter Standalone client, you can connect to a remote
Converter Standalone server. You can then use the remote machine to
convert hosted virtual machines, managed virtual machines, or remote
physical machines.

8 On the Installation Completed page, click Finish.

A prompt might ask you to restart your system.

The selected Converter Standalone components are installed on the local machine and are ready for use.

What to do next

You can use Converter Standalone to convert physical or virtual machine sources to virtual machine
destinations.

Repair Converter Standalone in Windows

You can repair the Converter Standalone installation to check for and reinstall the Converter Standalone client
or Converter Standalone agent.

Prerequisites

Verify that you have Administrator privileges.

Close the Converter Standalone application before you start the installer wizard.

Procedure

1 To start the Converter Standalone installer, perform one of the following actions:

n

Go to the folder that contains the installer file and double-click the VMware-converter-5.x.x-

<xxxxx>.exe file, where <xxxxx> is the number of the build. Check the number of the build to see if it

matches the build you installed.

n

Select Add or Remove Programs from Control Panel, select Converter Standalone from the list, and
click Change.

2 On the Welcome page of the installer wizard, click Next.

3 On the Program Maintenance page, select Repair and click Next.

38 VMware, Inc.

4 On the Ready to Repair page, click Install.

5 On the Installation Completed page, click Finish.

A prompt might ask you to restart your system.

What to do next

You can use Converter Standalone to convert physical or virtual machine sources to virtual machine
destinations.

Uninstall Converter Standalone in Windows

You can uninstall Converter Standalone by using the Microsoft Windows Add or Remove Programs utility
from the Control Panel or by using the VMware vCenter Converter Standalone installer wizard.

Prerequisites

Verify that you have Administrator privileges.

Close the Converter Standalone application before you start the installer wizard.

Procedure

1 To start the Converter Standalone installer, perform one of the following actions:

Chapter 4 Installing and Uninstalling Converter Standalone

n

Go to the folder that contains the installer file and double-click the VMware-converter-5.x.x-

<xxxxx>.exe file, where <xxxxx> is the number of the build. Check the number of the build to see if it

matches the build you installed.

n

Select Add or Remove Programs from Control Panel, select Converter Standalone from the list, and
click Change.

2 On the Welcome page of the installer wizard, click Next.

3 On the Program Maintenance page, select Remove and click Next.

4 On the Ready to Remove page, click Remove.

5 On the Installation Completed page, click Finish.

A prompt might ask you to restart your system.

Connect to a Remote Converter Standalone Server

You can use the Converter Standalone client to connect to a Converter Standalone server installed on a remote
machine.

Prerequisites

Ensure that the Converter Standalone server and agent are installed on the remote machine.

Procedure

1 Start Converter Standalone.

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VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide

2 Follow the procedure that is applicable for your installation type.

Option Action

Local installation

Client-server installation with
remote access

What to do next

You can now use the remote Converter Standalone server to set up and manage conversion tasks.

a Select Administration > Connect to another server.

b On the Converter Standalone login page, select Enter the IP address or

host name of the Converter Standalone server.

c Provide the IP address and Administrator credentials, and click Login.

a On the Converter Standalone login page, select Enter the IP address or

host name of the Converter Standalone server.

b Provide the IP address and Administrator credentials, and click Login.

40 VMware, Inc.

Convert a Physical or Virtual Machine 5

You can create a conversion job to convert a physical or virtual machine to a variety of destinations. You can
convert physical machines, VMware virtual machines, third-party backup images and virtual machines, and
Hyper-V Server virtual machines into VMware standalone virtual machines or virtual machines that
vCenter Server manages.

The approach you take for creating the conversion job is determined by the type of source and the type of
destination that you select.

Source type

Destination type

Procedure

1 Start the Wizard for a Conversion on page 42

The Conversion wizard guides you through the steps of creating a conversion job.

2 Select a Source Machine to Convert on page 42

You can select from several source options for the type of machine to convert.

A powered on physical or virtual machine, a vSphere virtual machine running
on an ESX/ESXi host, a standalone virtual machine, or a third-party backup
image.

Standalone virtual machines include VMware virtual machines, and third­party virtual machines and backup images, such as VMware Workstation,
Acronis True Image, Microsoft Virtual PC, Symantec Backup Exec
Server Recovery (formerly known as LiveState Recovery), LiveState Recovery,
StorageCraft, Parallels Desktop for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS, Parallels
Workstation, and Norton Ghost (only .sv2i) images.

For a complete list of supported source types and product versions, see

“Supported Source Types,” on page 19.

ESX/ESXi host, ESX/ESXi host that vCenter Server manages, or a VMware
standalone virtual machine.

For a complete list of supported destination types and product versions, see

“Supported Destination Types,” on page 20.

VMware, Inc.

3 Select a Destination for the New Virtual Machine on page 48

When you set up a conversion job, you must select a destination for the new virtual machine.

4 Configure the Hardware of the Destination Virtual Machine on page 51

You can configure the virtual hardware resources that the destination virtual machine uses.

5 Configure the Software on the Destination Virtual Machine on page 63

You can configure the guest operating system so that it is ready to operate in a virtual environment.

41

VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide

6 Configure the Conversion Job on page 69

You can configure the conversion process and select the behavior of the source and destination machine
during and after conversion. You can change the status of the source and destination services only when
the source machine is running a Windows operating system.

7 Review the Summary and Submit the Conversion Job on page 74

On the Summary page, you can view a summary of the conversion job before you add it to the job list.

Start the Wizard for a Conversion

The Conversion wizard guides you through the steps of creating a conversion job.

Procedure

1 Start the Converter Standalone application.

2 Click Convert machine in the application menu.

The Conversion wizard opens on the Source System page.

What to do next

You can now select the source machine type to convert.

Select a Source Machine to Convert

You can select from several source options for the type of machine to convert.

Prerequisites

Before you select a source machine to convert, verify that it is listed in the list of supported source types. See

“Supported Source Types,” on page 19.

n

Select a Powered On Windows Machine to Convert on page 43

You can select a running (powered on) Windows machine to convert. The source machine can be physical
or virtual.

n

Select a Powered On Linux Machine to Convert on page 44

You can select a powered on Linux machine to convert. The source machine can be a physical or virtual
machine.

n

Select an ESX/ESXi or vCenter Server Virtual Machine to Convert on page 44

You can convert a powered off virtual machine that is located on an ESX/ESXi host, or on an ESX/ESXi
host managed by vCenter Server.

n

Select a VMware Hosted Virtual Machine to Convert on page 46

You can convert a virtual machine created or used in a VMware hosted product, such as VMware
Workstation, VMware Player, and VMware Fusion.

n

Select a Backup Image or a Third-Party Virtual Machine to Convert on page 46

You can select a backup image or a third-party virtual machine as the conversion source.

n

Select a Hyper-V Server Virtual Machine to Convert on page 47

You can convert virtual machines that Hyper-V Server manages.

42 VMware, Inc.

Chapter 5 Convert a Physical or Virtual Machine

Select a Powered On Windows Machine to Convert

You can select a running (powered on) Windows machine to convert. The source machine can be physical or
virtual.

Prerequisites

Before you continue, you must prepare the source Windows machine for conversion.

n

Make sure that the Windows version installed on the powered on machine is supported. For a list of
supported operating systems, see “Supported Operating Systems,” on page 17.

n

Make sure that the Converter Standalone server machine has network access to the Windows source
machine.

n

Turn off firewall applications running on the source machine.

n

Disable simple file sharing on the source Windows machine.

n

Make sure that no other conversion job is using the source you select.

n

Remove any VMware Converter 3.x installations manually from the source machine.

n

If you plan to convert a powered on machine by using IPv6, ensure that Converter Standalone server is
installed on the operating system.

n

If you plan to convert a powered on machine by using IPv6, ensure that the operating system is Windows
Vista or later.

Procedure

1 On the Source System page of the Conversion wizard, select Powered-on machine from the Select source

type drop-down menu.

2 Select an option that corresponds to your source machine location.

Source Location Action

Local

Remote

Click This local machine.

For local machines, the authorization is set to the current user and cannot be
changed. If remote access is enabled during Converter Standalone
installation, the local machine is treated as a remote physical machine.

a Click A remote machine.

b Provide the IP address or name of the machine and administrator

credentials.

c Select the operating system type from the OS Family drop-down menu.

3 (Optional) Click View source details to see hardware and software information about the source machine.

4 Click Next.

If Converter Standalone agent is not already installed on the source machine, a dialog box prompts you
to confirm the installation and select an uninstallation method for Converter Standalone agent.

5 (Optional) Select the uninstallation procedure for Converter Standalone agent and click Yes.

Converter Standalone agent is installed on the source machine.

Converter Standalone agent prepares the source machine for conversion.

What to do next

On the Destination System page, you can select the destination type for the new virtual machine.

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VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide

Select a Powered On Linux Machine to Convert

You can select a powered on Linux machine to convert. The source machine can be a physical or virtual
machine.

You can convert powered on machines that run Linux only if GRUB is installed as the boot loader on the source.
LILO boot loader is not supported.

Prerequisites

Before you continue, you must prepare the source machine for conversion.

n

Enable SSH on the source Linux machine.

n

Make sure that you use the root account to convert a Linux powered on machine.

n

Make sure that the Converter Standalone server machine has network access to the Linux source machine.

n

Make sure that no other conversion job is using the source you select.

n

To be able to convert multiboot virtual machines, make sure to install GRUB as the boot loader. LILO is
not supported.

Procedure

1 On the Source System page of the Conversion wizard, select Powered-on machine from the Select source

type drop-down menu.

2 Provide the IP address or DNS name and root credentials for the Linux machine you want to convert.

3 From the OS Family drop-down menu, select Linux.

4 Click Next.

Converter Standalone connects to the powered on Linux machine and prepares it for conversion.

What to do next

On the Destination System page, you can select the destination type for the new virtual machine.

Select an ESX/ ESXi or vCenter Server Virtual Machine to Convert

You can convert a powered off virtual machine that is located on an ESX/ESXi host, or on an ESX/ESXi host
managed by vCenter Server.

You cannot convert a running or suspended virtual machine by using this procedure. For powered on virtual
machines, use the procedures for powered on source machines.

If you connect to a vCenter Server that is part of an environment that contains multiple vCenter Server
instances, Converter Standalone displays only ESX hosts managed directly by the currently connected
vCenter Server.

Prerequisites

If the source machine that you want to convert resides on a VMware DRS cluster that vCenter Server manages,
set VMware DRS Power Management (DPM) to manual so that DPM does not power off the ESX hosts used
by Converter Standalone. When the conversion process completes, restore DPM to its original settings. For
information about how to change DPM settings, see the Resource Management Guide.

Power off the source machine before the conversion.

44 VMware, Inc.

Chapter 5 Convert a Physical or Virtual Machine

Procedure

1 On the Source System page of the Conversion wizard, select VMware Infrastructure virtual machine

from the Select source type drop-down menu.

2 Provide the IP address or host name and credentials for authentication with the ESX host or the

vCenter Server, and click Next.

The Source Machine page appears, displaying the host name or IP address and the inventory of the ESX host
or the vCenter Server.

What to do next

On the Source Machine page of the Conversion wizard, you can browse the virtual infrastructure inventory
and select the virtual machine to convert.

Specify the vCenter Server Virtual Machine to Convert

If you choose to convert a virtual machine managed by a vCenter Server or ESX host, you must browse the
inventory to locate the source virtual machine.

Prerequisites

On the Source System page of the Conversion wizard, select VMware Infrastructure virtual machine as the
conversion source and click Next to proceed to the Source Machine page.

Procedure

1 (Optional) If you are connected to a vCenter Server, select a virtual machine view from the Specify

machine with drop-down menu.

Option Description

Hosts and Clusters

VMs and Templates

The Inventory tree pane provides a view of hosts, clusters, resource pools,
and vApps. If you select a host managed by a cluster, you see the full list of
virtual machines and templates in the virtual machine list view. If you select
a standalone host or a cluster, you see only the virtual machines that are not
deployed in the resource pools of that host or cluster.

The Inventory tree pane provides a view of datacenters and virtual machine
folders.

2 (Optional) If you are connected to a vCenter Server, select an object from the Inventory tree pane.

Option Description

Hosts and Clusters

VMs and Templates

Select cluster, ESX host, resource pool, or vApp.

Select datacenter or virtual machine folder.

3 From the virtual machines list, select the virtual machine you want to convert.

NOTE You cannot select a virtual machine from an ESX host that is powered off, connected to another
vCenter Server, or in maintenace mode.

4 (Optional) To refresh the inventory, click Refresh.

5 (Optional) To view more details about a machine, select it and click View source details.

6 Click Next to proceed to the Destination System page.

What to do next

On the Destination System page, you can select the destination type for the new virtual machine.

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VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide

Select a VMware Hosted Virtual Machine to Convert

You can convert a virtual machine created or used in a VMware hosted product, such as VMware Workstation,
VMware Player, and VMware Fusion.

Prerequisites

Verify that your source machine is a supported VMware Desktop products virtual machine. For more
information, see “Supported Source Types,” on page 19.

If you plan to use a network path to locate the source, verify that the machine where Converter Standalone
server runs has access to that network path.

Power off the source machine before the conversion.

Procedure

1 On the Source System page of the Conversion wizard, select VMware Workstation or other VMware

virtual machine from the Select source type drop-down menu.

2 Locate the virtual machine source.

n

If you are connected to a remote Converter Standalone server, provide a network path to the source
virtual machine file (.vmx) in the Virtual machine file text box. For
example, \\server\virtual_machines\virtual_machine.vmx.

n

If you are connected to a local Converter Standalone server, provide a network path or a local path
to the .vmx file.

By default, only VMware virtual machine *.vmx files are displayed.

3 If you are connected to a remote Converter Standalone server, type user credentials for accessing the source

virtual machine.

You do not have to provide user credentials if you are connected to a local Converter Standalone server.
In such cases, Converter Standalone uses the Windows credentials to connect to the source machine.

4 (Optional) To view more information about the selected source, click View source details.

5 Click Next to proceed to the Destination System page.

What to do next

On the Destination System page, you can select the destination type for the new virtual machine.

Select a Backup Image or a Third-Party Virtual Machine to Convert

You can select a backup image or a third-party virtual machine as the conversion source.

Prerequisites

Verify that your machine is a supported backup image or third-party virtual machine here “Supported Source

Types,” on page 19.

If you plan to use a network path to locate the source, verify that the machine where Converter Standalone
server runs has access to that network path.

Power off the source machine before the conversion.

Procedure

1 On the Source System page, select Backup image or third-party virtual machine from the Select source

type drop-down menu.

46 VMware, Inc.

Chapter 5 Convert a Physical or Virtual Machine

2 Locate the source backup image or virtual machine file.

n

If you are connected to a remote Converter Standalone server, provide a valid network path to the
source backup image or virtual machine file in the Virtual machine file text box. For
example, \\server\backup_images\backup_image.pvs.

n

If you are connected to a local Converter Standalone server, provide a network path or a local path
to the source backup image or virtual machine file.

3 If you are connected to a remote Converter Standalone server, type user credentials for accessing the source

virtual machine.

You do not have to provide user credentials if you are connected to a local Converter Standalone server.
In such cases, Converter Standalone uses the Windows credentials to connect to the source machine.

4 (Optional) To view more information about the selected source, click View source details.

5 Click Next to proceed to the Destination System page.

What to do next

On the Destination System page, you can select the destination type for the new virtual machine.

Select a Hyper-V Server Virtual Machine to Convert

You can convert virtual machines that Hyper-V Server manages.

IMPORTANT This operation is applicable to Hyper-V Server versions distributed with Windows Server 2008
R2. For other Hyper-V Server sources, perform the procedure for powered on physical machines.

Prerequisites

Power off the source Hyper-V virtual machine.

Procedure

1 On the Source System page, select Hyper-V Server from the Select source type drop-down menu.

2 Provide the IP address or DNS name and administrative credentials to authenticate with the Hyper-V

Server and click Next.

If Converter Standalone agent is not already installed on the Hyper-V Server, a dialog box appears. In it,
you confirm the installation of Converter Standalone agent.

3 (Optional) Select an uninstallation procedure for Converter Standalone agent and click Yes.

Converter Standalone agent is installed on the source Hyper-V Server.

What to do next

On the Source Machine page, browse the Hyper-V Server inventory to locate the source virtual machine to
convert.

Select the Hyper-V Server Virtual Machine to Convert

If you choose to convert a virtual machine managed by a Hyper-V Server, you must browse the inventory to
locate the source virtual machine.

IMPORTANT This operation is applicable to Hyper-V Server versions distributed with Windows Server 2008
R2. For other Hyper-V Server sources, perform the procedure for powered on physical machines.

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VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide

Prerequisites

On the Source System page, select Hyper-V Server as the source type and navigate to the Source Machine
page.

Procedure

1 On the Source Machine page, select the virtual machine you want to convert.

You can search for virtual machines in the inventory by typing one or more letters of their names in the

Search for name with text box. You can clear your search by clicking Clear.

NOTE You can select only powered off virtual machines. To convert a running machine, on the Source

System page select Powered-on machine as the source type. To convert a suspended machine, power it
off and convert it as a Hyper-V Server virtual machine, or power it on and convert it as a powered on
source.

2 (Optional) To refresh the inventory, click Refresh.

3 (Optional) To view more details about the virtual machine to convert, click View source details.

4 Click Next to proceed to the Destination System page.

The Converter Standalone agent prepares the Hyper-V source machine for conversion.

What to do next

On the Destination System page, you can select the destination type for the new virtual machine.

Select a Destination for the New Virtual Machine

When you set up a conversion job, you must select a destination for the new virtual machine.

When you use a VMware DRS cluster as the destination, you must set VMware DRS Power Management
(DPM) to manual. This setting ensures that DPM does not power off the ESX hosts that
Converter Standalone uses. When the conversion process completes, restore DPM to its original settings. For
information about how to change DPM settings, see the vSphere Resource Management Guide.

NOTE For conversions of powered on source machines that run Linux, the only supported destination is a
vSphere destination.

Select a Managed Destination

You can convert a virtual machine to use with ESX/ESXi or with an ESX/ESXi host that vCenter Server manages.

Procedure

1 On the Destination System page, select VMware Infrastructure virtual machine from the Select

destination type drop-down menu.

2 Provide the IP address or host name and credentials for authentication with the ESX host or the vCenter

Server.

3 Click Next to proceed to the Destination Virtual Machine page.

What to do next

On the Destination Virtual Machine page, you can specify the name of the destination virtual machine and
select the folder in which it should reside.

48 VMware, Inc.

Chapter 5 Convert a Physical or Virtual Machine

Name the Destination Virtual Machine and Select a Folder

For vSphere destinations, you can select the destination folder and rename the destination virtual machine.

If you connect to an ESX host directly, you can view only the list of virtual machines. Therefore, you cannot
select a destination folder.

Prerequisites

On the Destination System page of the Conversion wizard, select VMware Infrastructure virtual machine as
the destination type.

Procedure

1 On the Destination Virtual Machine page, select the datacenter to accommodate the destination virtual

machine.

If you use folders in your virtual environment to manage groups of virtual machines, you can select a
folder to accommodate the destination virtual machine.

2 In the Name text box, enter a name for the destination virtual machine.

By default, Converter Standalone assigns the source machine name in this text box.

NOTE Search the list of virtual machines in the datacenter or folder you selected to ensure that the name
you assign to the destination virtual machine does not exist. Virtual machines are filtered as you type. You
can clear your search by clicking Clear.

3 (Optional) To refresh the inventory, click Refresh.

4 Click Next to proceed to the Destination Location page.

What to do next

On the Destination Location page, you can modify the destination environment for the new virtual machine.
This includes selecting a host, resource pool, or cluster to accommodate the destination virtual machine,
selecting the Datastore to hold the files of the destination virtual machine, and selecting the virtual hardware
version to install on the destination virtual machine.

Customize the Location of the Destination Virtual Machine

For vSphere destinations, you can select an ESX/ESXi host, a resource pool, or a cluster. You can also select a
datastore and the virtual hardware version to be installed on the destination.

Prerequisites

On the Destination Virtual Machine page, name the destination virtual machine. If the destination is a
vCenter Server, select the destination folder.

Procedure

1 On the Destination Location page of the Conversion wizard, select a datacenter object from the inventory

to accommodate the destination virtual machine.

n

Select an ESX/ESXi host.

n

Select a resource pool.

n

Select a cluster.

On the selected cluster, if DRS is not running in the automated mode, you can select an ESX/ESXi host
that belongs to the selected cluster from the Host drop-down menu.

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2 (Optional) From the Datastore drop-down menu, select the datastore to hold the destination virtual

machine files.

3 (Optional) From the Virtual machine version drop-down menu, select the virtual hardware version for

the destination virtual machine.

Option Description

Version 4

Version 7

Version 8

Version 9

The Virtual machine version drop-down menu lists only the virtual hardware versions that are
compatible with the destination location.

4 Click Next to proceed to the Options page.

What to do next

On the Options page, you can set up the parameters of the conversion task. These settings include data layout,
network settings, and guest operating system customization.

Select if the destination host is running ESX 3.x.

Select if the destination host is running ESX/ESXi4.x or later.

Select if the destination host is running ESX/ESXi 5.x or later.

Select if the destination host is running ESX/ESXi 5.1 or later.

Select a Hosted Destination

You can convert a virtual machine for use with VMware Workstation, VMware Fusion, VMware Server, or
VMware Player.

Prerequisites

If you plan to use a network path to locate the destination, verify that you have access to that network path.

Procedure

1 On the Destination System page, select VMware Workstation or other VMware virtual machine from

the Select destination type drop-down menu.

2 Select the destination VMware hosted product from the Select VMware product drop-down menu.

3 Provide a name for the destination virtual machine in the Name text box.

4 Specify the location to store the destination virtual machine files.

n

If you are connected to a remote Converter Standalone server, provide a network path to the
destination directory. For example, \\server\virtual_machines\.

n

If you are connected to a local Converter Standalone server, provide a network path or a local path
to the destination directory.

5 (Optional) If the destination directory is password-protected, provide valid user credentials.

You do not have to provide user credentials if the destination location is on the local storage of the machine
where Converter Standalone server runs.

6 Click Next to proceed to the Options page.

What to do next

On the Options page, you can set up the parameters of the conversion task. These settings include data layout,
network settings, and guest operating system customization.

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Chapter 5 Convert a Physical or Virtual Machine

Configure the Hardware of the Destination Virtual Machine

You can configure the virtual hardware resources that the destination virtual machine uses.

n

Organize the Data to Copy on the Destination Machine on page 51

Your selected source and destination determine the available data cloning options. For the conversion
job, you can copy all disks to the destination or select the volumes to be copied or to be excluded. For
destinations with multiple datastores, you can select the data location on specific datastores in your
virtual environment.

n

Edit the Number of Processor Sockets and Cores on page 60

You can change the number of virtual sockets and the number of processor cores per socket that the
destination virtual machine uses.

n

Allocate Memory for the Destination Virtual Machine on page 61

You can change the amount of memory allocated to the destination virtual machine.

n

Select a Disk Controller for the Destination Virtual Machine on page 62

You can select a disk controller type for the destination virtual disks.

n

Configure the Network Settings of the Destination Virtual Machine on page 62

You can change the number of network adapters and select the network that the destination virtual
machine uses. You can also set network adapters to connect to the network when the destination virtual
machine powers on.

n

Configure the Network for the Helper Virtual Machine on page 63

When you convert a powered on Linux machine, Converter Standalone creates a Helper virtual machine
on the destination. The Helper virtual machine needs network access to the source machine to clone the
source files. Default conversion settings enforce automatic acquisition of an IPv4 address and a DNS
server for the Helper virtual machine, but you can set up this network connection manually.

Organize the Data to Copy on the Destination Machine

Your selected source and destination determine the available data cloning options. For the conversion job, you
can copy all disks to the destination or select the volumes to be copied or to be excluded. For destinations with
multiple datastores, you can select the data location on specific datastores in your virtual environment.

IMPORTANT Converter Standalone cannot detect any source volumes and file systems that are located on
physical disks larger than 2TB.

Prerequisites

On the Options page of the Conversion wizard, click Data to copy in the options list.

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VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide

Procedure

u

In the Data to copy pane, select a copy mode from the Data copy type drop-down menu.

Option Description

Copy all disks and maintain layout

Select volumes to copy

Linked clone

Depending on the destination you select, several destination disk types are available. To support
destination virtual disks on FAT file systems, divide the source data into 2GB files. For detailed information
about destination virtual disks types, see “Supported Destination Disk Types,” on page 22.

Resize a Volume

Results in disk-based cloning. You can preserve the source disk layout in the
destination virtual machine. This option is not available for physical machine
sources.

Results in volume-based cloning. Volume-based cloning is performed at file
or block level. You can select the volumes to be copied to the destination
virtual machine. You can also resize and reorganize the volume layout. This
option is available for powered on source machines that run Windows and
Linux, and for all other supported sources that run Windows.

A linked clone allows you to create a VMware virtual machine that shares
the virtual disk of the source machine or system image. This option is
available for hosted sources and hosted destinatons.

To manage disk space on the destination datastore, you can resize the disk volumes before you begin the
conversion.

Prerequisites

On the Options page of the Conversion wizard, click Data to copy in the options list.

Procedure

1 From the Data copy type drop-down menu, select Select volumes to copy.

2 In the Destination size column, select an option to specify the size of a destination volume.

Option Description

Maintain size

Min size

Type size in GB

Type size in MB

Maintains the original source volume size.

Copies only the used space of the source volume.

Allows you to type a custom size in GB for the destination volume. The value
cannot be smaller than the used space on the source volume, but can be larger
than the total size of the source volume. The maximum allowed disk size for
the destination is 999GB.

Allows you to type a custom size in MB for the destination volume. The value
cannot be smaller than the used space on the source volume, but can be larger
than the total size of the source volume. The maximum allowed disk size for
the destination is 999GB.

3 Save your settings.

Option Description

Select another option from the
options list

Click Next

Saves your settings and displays the pane for the selected option.

Saves your settings and displays the next page of the Conversion wizard.

n

The Customizations page is displayed if you select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

n

The Summary page is displayed if you do not select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

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Chapter 5 Convert a Physical or Virtual Machine

Change a Volume Cluster Size

To enhance performance and storage space, you can change the volume cluster size before the conversion.
Modifying the cluster size changes the cloning mode from block level to file level.

Prerequisites

On the Options page of the Conversion wizard, click Data to copy in the options list.

Ensure that the source is a Windows machine.

Procedure

1 From the Data copy type drop-down menu, select Select volumes to copy.

2 Click Advanced and select the Destination layout tab.

3 Select the volume for which you want to change the cluster size.

4 In the Cluster size column, select an option to specify the cluster size of the destination volume.

Option Description

Default cluster size

Keep source cluster size

Select a predefined size

In the Copy type column, you can verify that the cloning operation type is set to file level.

Applies a default cluster size to the destination volume.

Preserves the cluster size of the original source volume.

Allows you to select a cluster size for the destination volume from a list of
supported values.

5 Save your settings.

Option Description

Select another option from the
options list

Click Next

Saves your settings and displays the pane for the selected option.

Saves your settings and displays the next page of the Conversion wizard.

n

The Customizations page is displayed if you select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

n

The Summary page is displayed if you do not select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

Exclude a Source Volume from the Conversion Process

You can choose not to copy a volume from the source machine to the destination virtual machine. During the
conversion process, Converter Standalone ignores the deselected volumes and copies only the volumes that
are selected.

The source virtual machine must have more than one volume to be able to deselect existing volumes.

You cannot delete the system volume from the destination virtual machine. For example, if C: is the volume
that contains the Windows operating system installation, you cannot remove it from the destination virtual
machine.

Prerequisites

On the Options page of the Conversion wizard, click Data to copy in the options list.

Procedure

1 From the Data copy type drop-down menu, select Select volumes to copy.

2 Deselect the volumes that you do not want to copy to the destination virtual machine.

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VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide

3 Save your settings.

Option Description

Select another option from the
options list

Click Next

The deselected volumes are ignored during the conversion process and do not appear on the destination virtual
machine.

Move a Volume to a Different Virtual Disk

You can add virtual disks to the destination virtual machine and move source volumes in the new disks.

The number of virtual disks you can create depends on the number of volumes that exist on the source virtual
machine. For example, if you have only one volume on the source virtual machine, you cannot add a virtual
disk to the destination virtual machine.

You cannot move the system volume where the guest operating system is installed. For example, if your
Windows operating system is installed on C:, you cannot move the C: volume.

Saves your settings and displays the pane for the selected option.

Saves your settings and displays the next page of the Conversion wizard.

n

The Customizations page is displayed if you select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

n

The Summary page is displayed if you do not select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

Prerequisites

On the Options page of the Conversion wizard, click Data to copy in the options list.

Procedure

1 From the Data copy type drop-down menu, select Select volumes to copy.

2 Click Advanced and select the Destination layout tab.

3 Select a volume from the list and click Add disk.

A new virtual disk appears in the Destination layout column.

4 Select a source volume and use the Move up or Move down buttons to accommodate the volume in the

new virtual disk.

The partitioning scheme of the first source volume that you move will determine the type of the new
virtual disk on the destination virtual machine.

If you leave the virtual disk empty, Converter Standalone does not create the virtual disk on the destination
virtual machine.

The selected source volume is copied to a new virtual disk on the destination virutal machine.

Select the Destination Datastore for a Source Volume

You can store a disk volume in a datastore different from the one that accommodates the virtual machine
configuration file (.vmx).

You can select the destination datastore for a volume only for managed destinations with more than one
datastore.

Prerequisites

On the Options page of the Conversion wizard, click Data to copy in the options list.

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Chapter 5 Convert a Physical or Virtual Machine

Procedure

1 From the Data copy type drop-down menu, select Select volumes to copy.

2 Click Advanced and select the Destination layout tab.

3 Select a volume from the list and click Add disk.

A new virtual disk appears in the Destination layout column.

4 Select a source volume and use the Move up or Move down buttons to accommodate the volume in the

new virtual disk.

The partitioning scheme of the first source volume that you move will determine the type of the new
virtual disk on the destination virtual machine.

If you leave the virtual disk empty, Converter Standalone does not create the virtual disk on the destination
virtual machine.

5 Highlight the new virtual disk and select a different datastore from the Destination datastore drop-down

menu.

6 Save your settings.

Option Description

Select another option from the
options list

Click Next

Saves your settings and displays the pane for the selected option.

Saves your settings and displays the next page of the Conversion wizard.

n

The Customizations page is displayed if you select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

n

The Summary page is displayed if you do not select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

The virtual disk file (.vmdk) that contains the volume is stored in the selected datastore.

Add a Virtual Disk

You can add a virtual disk to the destination virtual machine.

The number of virtual disks depends on the number of volumes that exist on the source virtual machine. For
example, if you have only one volume on the source virtual machine, you cannot add a virtual disk to the
destination virtual machine.

Prerequisites

You must have more than one volumes on the source machine to be able to add an additional virtual disk.

On the Options page of the Conversion wizard, click Data to copy in the options list.

Procedure

1 From the Data copy type drop-down menu, select Select volumes to copy.

2 Click Advanced and select the Destination layout tab.

3 Select a volume from the list and click Add disk.

A virtual disk is added to the destination disk layout.

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VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide

4 Select a source volume and use the Move up or Move down buttons to accommodate the volume in the

new virtual disk.

The partitioning scheme of the first source volume that you move will determine the type of the new
virtual disk on the destination virtual machine.

If you leave the virtual disk empty, Converter Standalone does not create the virtual disk on the destination
virtual machine.

5 Save your settings.

Option Description

Select another option from the
options list

Click Next

The new virtual disk is created on the destination datastore.

Set Up a Virtual Disk as a Logical-Volume Group Container

Saves your settings and displays the pane for the selected option.

Saves your settings and displays the next page of the Conversion wizard.

n

The Customizations page is displayed if you select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

n

The Summary page is displayed if you do not select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

To preserve the LVM structure when converting a Linux source, you can set up a virtual disk as a logical­volume container. Converter Standalone allows you to preserve and modify the source LVM structure.

You can manage logical volumes and logical-volume groups in the same way as basic volumes and disks.

Logical-volume groups are listed together with virtual disks and are marked with a different icon.

You cannot move active and system volumes in a logical-volume group.

Prerequisites

Ensure that the source is a Linux machine and supports LVM.

Only LVM2 is supported.

Procedure

1 From the Data copy type drop-down menu, select Select volumes to copy.

2 Click Advanced and select the Destination layout tab.

3 Select a disk and click To LVG.

Move a Disk to a Different Datastore

You can use disk-based cloning to select a different datastore for a destination virtual disk.

Prerequisites

On the Options page of the Conversion wizard, click Data to copy in the options list.

You can change the destination datastore for a disk only for managed destinations with more than one
datastore.

Procedure

1 From the Data copy type drop-down menu, select Copy all disks and maintain layout.

2 Click the name of the virtual disk to relocate and select a different datastore from the Destination

datastore drop-down menu.

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Chapter 5 Convert a Physical or Virtual Machine

3 Save your settings.

Option Description

Select another option from the
options list

Click Next

Saves your settings and displays the pane for the selected option.

Saves your settings and displays the next page of the Conversion wizard.

n

The Customizations page is displayed if you select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

n

The Summary page is displayed if you do not select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

The virtual disk file (.vmdk) is stored in the selected datastore.

Create an Expandable Disk on a Managed Destination

To save space on the destination datastore, you can copy only the existing data from a source virtual disk and
create an expandable disk on the destination. Later, as you use the destination virtual machine and write new
data, the destination virtual disk grows.

You can create expandable disks on managed destinations that support thin provisioning through their GUI.

You can create an expandable disk by using volume-based or disk-based cloning.

Prerequisites

On the Options page of the Conversion wizard, click Data to copy in the options list.

Procedure

n

Use disk-based cloning to create an expandable disk.

a From the Data copy type drop-down menu, select Copy all disks and maintain layout.

b Click a virtual disk and select Thin from the Type drop-down menu.

c To apply your settings, select another option from the options list or click Next.

n

Use volume-based cloning to create an expandable disk.

a From the Data copy type drop-down menu, select Select volumes to copy and click Advanced.

b Select the Destination layout tab, click a virtual disk, and select Thin from the Type drop-down

menu.

c To apply your settings, select another option from the options list or click Next.

Converter Standalone copies only the existing data to the destination datastore. The empty disk space from
the virtual disk is not copied to the datastore. As you use the destination virtual machine and write new data
to the disk, the size of the destination disk grows.

Create an Expandable Disk on a Hosted Destination

To save space on the destination, you can copy only the existing data from a source virtual disk. Later, as you
use the destination virtual machine and write new data, the destination virtual disk grows.

You can create an expandable disk by using volume-based or disk-based cloning.

Prerequisites

You must select a hosted destination, such as VMware Workstation, to use the Not pre-allocated disk option.

On the Options page of the Conversion wizard, click Data to copy in the options list.

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VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide

Procedure

n

Use disk-based cloning to create an expandable disk.

a From the Data copy type drop-down menu, select Copy all disks and maintain layout.

b From the Type drop-down menu, select Not pre-allocated.

c To apply your settings, select another option from the options list or click Next.

n

Use volume-based cloning to create an expandable disk.

a From the Data copy type drop-down menu, select Select volumes to copy and click Advanced.

b Select the Destination layout tab, select a virtual disk, and select Not pre-allocated from the Type

drop-down menu.

c To apply your settings, select another option from the options list or click Next.

Converter Standalone copies only the existing data to the destination datastore. The empty disk space from
the virtual disk is not copied to the datastore. As you use the destination virtual machine and write new data
to the disk, the size of the destination disk grows.

Exclude a Source Disk from the Conversion Process

You can select a disk from the source machine and delete it from the disk layout of the destination virtual
machine.

Prerequisites

The source machine must have more than one hard disk.

On the Options page of the Conversion wizard, click Data to copy in the options list.

Procedure

1 From the Data copy type drop-down menu, select Select volumes to copy.

2 Delete the disk.

Option Description

Preserve the volumes associated
with the disk

Delete the volumes associated with
the disk

a Click Advanced and select the Destination layout tab.

b Move the volumes from the disk that you want to delete to another

virtual disks.

c Highlight the empty disk and click Remove disk.

a Click Advanced and select the Source volumes tab.

b Deselect the volumes associated with the disk that you want to delete.

3 Save your settings.

Option Description

Select another option from the
options list

Click Next

Saves your settings and displays the pane for the selected option.

Saves your settings and displays the next page of the Conversion wizard.

n

The Customizations page is displayed if you select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

n

The Summary page is displayed if you do not select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

Converter Standalone creates .vmdk files in the destination datastore only for the virtual disks you decided to
preserve.

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Chapter 5 Convert a Physical or Virtual Machine

Copy All Disks to the Destination

To preserve the source disks on the destination virtual machine, you can copy all disks to the destination.

Disk-based cloning is not available for powered on machine sources.

Prerequisites

On the Options page of the Conversion wizard, click Data to copy in the options list.

Procedure

1 From the Data copy type drop-down menu, select Copy all disks and maintain layout.

2 (Optional) If the destination datastore is low on disk space, click a virtual disk and select a different

datastore from the Destination datastore drop-down menu.

NOTE You must have access to more than one datastore to move a disk to a different datastore.

3 Save your settings.

Option Description

Select another option from the
options list

Click Next

Saves your settings and displays the pane for the selected option.

Saves your settings and displays the next page of the Conversion wizard.

n

The Customizations page is displayed if you select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

n

The Summary page is displayed if you do not select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

Converter Standalone copies the disks to the selected datastores and preserves the source disk layout.

Create an Optimized Partition Layout

By default, Converter Standalone optimizes the disk partitions alignment. Optimizing the partition alignment
improves the performance of the destination virtual machine.

Prerequisites

On the Options page of the Conversion wizard, click Data to copy in the options list.

Procedure

1 From the Data copy type drop-down menu, select Select volumes to copy.

2 Select the Create optimized partition layout check box.

3 Save your settings.

Option Description

Select another option from the
options list

Click Next

Creating an optimized partition layout aligns the partitions on a 1MB boundary for Windows sources and on
a 64KB boundary for Linux sources.

Saves your settings and displays the pane for the selected option.

Saves your settings and displays the next page of the Conversion wizard.

n

The Customizations page is displayed if you select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

n

The Summary page is displayed if you do not select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

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Create a Linked Clone

A linked clone is a VMware virtual machine that shares the virtual disk of the source virtual machine or system
image. Linked clones are useful for checking the compatibility of non-VMware images, such as .sv2i
and .vmc files.

You can create linked clones only when you convert a virtual machine or other image source to a hosted
destination.

You cannot create linked clones from Parallels source images.

You cannot create a linked clone if the source image is password-protected.

CAUTION Linked clones converted from Virtual PC and Virtual Server machines, and from LiveState images
are corrupted if the source is modified or powered on after the conversion.

Prerequisites

Turn off the source virtual machine.

To verify that your source type is a supported third-party source, see “Supported Source Types,” on page 19.

Procedure

1 On the Destination System page, select VMware Workstation or other VMware virtual machine as a

destination and clickNext.

2 On the Options page, click Data to copy in the left pane.

3 In the Data copy type drop-down menu, select Linked clone.

4 Save your settings.

Option Description

Select another option from the
options list

Click Next

Saves your settings and displays the pane for the selected option.

Saves your settings and displays the next page of the Conversion wizard.

n

The Customizations page is displayed if you select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

n

The Summary page is displayed if you do not select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

You have set up a conversion job to create a linked clone.

Edit the Number of Processor Sockets and Cores

You can change the number of virtual sockets and the number of processor cores per socket that the destination
virtual machine uses.

Prerequisites

Make sure the destination host and the guest operating system support the number of processor cores you
assign to the destination virtual machine.

NOTE You can change the number of processors cores per socket only on ESXi or vCenter Server 5.0 and later.

On the Options page of the Conversion wizard, click Devices in the options list.

Procedure

1 Click the Other tab.

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Chapter 5 Convert a Physical or Virtual Machine

2 From the Number of virtual sockets drop-down menu on the CPU Settings panel, select the number of

virtual sockets for the destination virtual machine.

3 From the Number of cores per socket drop-down menu on the CPU Settings panel, select the number of

cores per socket for the destination virtual machine.

4 Save your settings.

Option Description

Select another option from the
options list

Click Next

Saves your settings and displays the pane for the selected option.

Saves your settings and displays the next page of the Conversion wizard.

n

The Customizations page is displayed if you select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

n

The Summary page is displayed if you do not select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

The destination virtual machine is configured with the number of virtual processor sockets and cores that you
selected. If Converter Standalone shows a message that the destination hardware does not support the number
of cores you selected, you must select a supported number of sockets and cores.

Allocate Memory for the Destination Virtual Machine

You can change the amount of memory allocated to the destination virtual machine.

By default, Converter Standalone recognizes the amount of memory on the source machine and allocates it to
the destination virtual machine.

Prerequisites

On the Options page of the Conversion wizard, click Devices in the options list.

Procedure

1 Click the Memory tab.

2 In the Memory panel, use the slider or the spin-box to specify the amount of memory for the destination

virtual machine.

3 Save your settings.

Option Description

Select another option from the
options list

Click Next

Saves your settings and displays the pane for the selected option.

Saves your settings and displays the next page of the Conversion wizard.

n

The Customizations page is displayed if you select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

n

The Summary page is displayed if you do not select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

Converter Standalone validates the amount of memory. A warning appears if you set the memory amount to
more than the maximum supported or to less than the required minimum.

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Select a Disk Controller for the Destination Virtual Machine

You can select a disk controller type for the destination virtual disks.

Prerequisites

On the Options page of the Conversion wizard, click Devices in the options list.

Procedure

1 Click the Other tab.

2 From the Disk controller drop-down menu, select a disk controller for the destination virtual disk.

Option Description

SCSI Bus Logic

IDE

SCSI LSI Logic

SCSI LSI Logic SAS

Preserve source

3 Save your settings.

Use SCSI virtual disks in the destination virtual machine.

Use IDE virtual disks in the destination virtual machine.

Use LSI Logic SCSI virtual disks in the destination virtual machine.

Use LSI Logic SCSI (SAS) virtual disks in the destination virtual machine.

Use the same types of disk controllers as those installed on the source
machine. If they are not supported on the destination virtual machine,
replace them with supported ones.

NOTE When converting Linux virtual machines on ESX and vCenter Server
earlier than 4.1, the system might not retrieve the full list of supported
controllers.

Option Description

Select another option from the
options list

Click Next

Saves your settings and displays the pane for the selected option.

Saves your settings and displays the next page of the Conversion wizard.

n

The Customizations page is displayed if you select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

n

The Summary page is displayed if you do not select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

Configure the Network Settings of the Destination Virtual Machine

You can change the number of network adapters and select the network that the destination virtual machine
uses. You can also set network adapters to connect to the network when the destination virtual machine powers
on.

NOTE You cannot use IPv6 to customize the guest operating systems of virtual machines.

Prerequisites

On the Options page of the Conversion wizard, select Networks from the options list.

Procedure

1 From the Network adapters to connect drop-down menu, select the number of network adapters to be

used by the destination virtual machine.

2 Use the Network drop-down menu to select the network that the adapter connects to.

3 To connect an adapter when you power on the destination virtual machine, select the Connect at power-

on check box.

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Chapter 5 Convert a Physical or Virtual Machine

4 Save your settings.

Option Description

Select another option from the
options list

Click Next

Saves your settings and displays the pane for the selected option.

Saves your settings and displays the next page of the Conversion wizard.

n

The Customizations page is displayed if you select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

n

The Summary page is displayed if you do not select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

Configure the Network for the Helper Virtual Machine

When you convert a powered on Linux machine, Converter Standalone creates a Helper virtual machine on
the destination. The Helper virtual machine needs network access to the source machine to clone the source
files. Default conversion settings enforce automatic acquisition of an IPv4 address and a DNS server for the
Helper virtual machine, but you can set up this network connection manually.

Procedure

1 On the Options page of the Conversion wizard, click Helper VM network.

2 (Optional) To assign a static IPv4 address to the Helper virtual machine, select Use the following IP

address and specify the IPv4 address, subnet mask, and default gateway.

Be sure that the IP address you specify for the Helper virtual machine is not already in use on the network.

3 (Optional) Select Use the following DNS server address and type the preferred DNS server address to

configure the DNS server address manually.

Optionally, you can type an alternative DNS server address as well.

4 Save your settings.

Option Description

Select another option from the
options list

Click Next

Saves your settings and displays the pane for the selected option.

Saves your settings and displays the next page of the Conversion wizard.

n

The Customizations page is displayed if you select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

n

The Summary page is displayed if you do not select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

Converter Standalone uses the IP address and DNS server you specify to copy data from the source Linux
machine to the Helper virtual machine during conversion.

Configure the Software on the Destination Virtual Machine

You can configure the guest operating system so that it is ready to operate in a virtual environment.

Software configuration includes a number of settings.

n

Customize the Windows Guest Operating System on page 64

You can customize guest operating systems running Windows XP or later so that the virtual machine is
prepared to work immediately in the destination environment.

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n

Install VMware Tools on the Destination Virtual Machine on page 67

When converting Windows source machines, you can install VMware Tools to improve graphics
performance of the guest operating system. Other enhancements include automatic grab and release of
the mouse pointer, copy and paste operations between guest and host, and improved mouse
performance.

n

Remove System Restore Checkpoints on page 68

When you convert source machines running Windows XP or later, you can remove System Restore
checkpoints so that the conversion process is faster.

Customize the Windows Guest Operating System

You can customize guest operating systems running Windows XP or later so that the virtual machine is
prepared to work immediately in the destination environment.

Prerequisites

Save the Sysprep files to %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\VMware\VMware vCenter Converter

Standalone\sysprep on the machine that runs Converter Standalone server. For more details about the Sysprep

files location for different operating systems, see “Save Sysprep Files,” on page 75.

On the Options page of the Conversion wizard, click Advanced options, click the Post-conversion tab, and
select Customize guest preferences for the virtual machine. Click Next to view and adjust the available
customization options.

n

Customize the Identity of the Destination Virtual Machine on page 64

To configure the identity of the destination virtual machine for the destination network, personalize it
by editing its name, owner, and organization name, and by generating a new security ID.

n

Enter the Windows License Information on page 65

Ensure that you provide licensing information for all destination virtual machines running guest
operating systems as necessary. Because of third-party licensing policies, you might not be able to transfer
the license from the source machine and you might need to provide a new valid license for the destination
virtual machine.

n

Set the Time Zone for the Destination Virtual Machine on page 66

You can set the time zone if you are converting a virtual machine to use in a different time zone.

n

Configure the Network Adapters on page 66

You can configure the network settings of the virtual machine to work with the network configuration
of the destination environment.

n

Assign a Workgroup or Domain Details on page 67

You can set up the workgroup and the domain in which the destination virtual machine belongs.

Customize the Identity of the Destination Virtual Machine

To configure the identity of the destination virtual machine for the destination network, personalize it by
editing its name, owner, and organization name, and by generating a new security ID.

Prerequisites

On the Options page of the Conversion wizard, click Advanced options, click the Post-conversion tab, and
select Customize guest preferences for the virtual machine. Click Next to view and adjust the available
customization options.

Procedure

1 On the Customizations page, select Computer information from the options list.

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Chapter 5 Convert a Physical or Virtual Machine

2 Customize the guest operating system identity.

a In the Computer Name text box, type a computer name to identify the virtual machine on the network.

Valid characters include A-Z, a-z, 0-9, and the hyphen (-). The underscore (_) is nonstandard, but
Converter Standalone permits it. The recommended length for most languages is 15 characters or less.
Computer names cannot consist only of numerals.

b In the Owner Name text box, type the name of the owner of the virtual machine.

Valid characters include A-Z, a-z, 0-9, and the hyphen (-). The underscore (_) is nonstandard, but
Converter Standalone permits it. The owner name cannot have more than 63 characters or consist
only of numerals.

c In the Organization text box, type an organization name.

Valid characters include all printable characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9, symbols, and space). The limit is 63
characters.

3 (Optional) To create a new security identifier, select Generate New Security ID (SID).

By default, the Generate New Security ID (SID) check box is selected for source systems that run Windows
Vista or later and cannot be deselected.

The identifiers of the destination virtual machine are assigned according to your settings.

What to do next

You can select another option to set or click Next to view a summary of the conversion job. If the Next button
is inactive, check the Current settings list for other settings that need your attention on this page.

Enter the Windows License Information

Ensure that you provide licensing information for all destination virtual machines running guest operating
systems as necessary. Because of third-party licensing policies, you might not be able to transfer the license
from the source machine and you might need to provide a new valid license for the destination virtual machine.

Prerequisites

On the Options page of the Conversion wizard, click Advanced options, click the Post-conversion tab, and
select Customize guest preferences for the virtual machine. Click Next to view and adjust the available
customization options.

Procedure

1 On the Customizations page, select Windows license from the options list.

2 In the Product ID text box, type the licensing information for the destination virtual machine.

3 (Optional) If the guest operating system is Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server 2008, select Include

server license information.

4 Select a Server license mode option.

Option Description

Per seat

Per server

For individual user licenses.

For a concurrent user license. When you select this option, you need to type
a value in the Maximum connections text box.

The Windows license information is saved to the destination virtual machine after the conversion.

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What to do next

You can select another option to set or click Next to view a summary of the conversion job. If the Next button
is inactive, check the Current settings list for other settings that need your attention on this page.

Set the Time Zone for the Destination Virtual Machine

You can set the time zone if you are converting a virtual machine to use in a different time zone.

Prerequisites

On the Options page of the Conversion wizard, click Advanced options, click the Post-conversion tab, and
select Customize guest preferences for the virtual machine. Click Next to view and adjust the available
customization options.

Procedure

1 On the Customizations page, select Time zone from the options list.

2 Select the target time zone from the Time zone drop-down menu.

The time zone is set on the destination virtual machine after the conversion.

What to do next

You can select another option to set or click Next to view a summary of the conversion job. If the Next button
is inactive, check the Current settings list for other settings that need your attention on this page.

Configure the Network Adapters

You can configure the network settings of the virtual machine to work with the network configuration of the
destination environment.

The option for configuring network adapters is available for all supported destinations.

NOTE You cannot use IPv6 to customize the guest operating systems of virtual machines.

Prerequisites

On the Options page of the Conversion wizard, click Advanced options, click the Post-conversion tab, and
select Customize guest preferences for the virtual machine. Click Next to view and adjust the available
customization options.

Procedure

1 On the Customizations page, select Network interface settings from the options list.

2 Select a network adapter and click Customize to configure its properties.

a On the General tab, type the IPv4 address and DNS server address.

b On the DNS tab, configure the DNS connections by adding DNS suffixes.

c Type a DNS suffix and click Add.

You can add more than one DNS suffix.

d If you have provided multiple DNS suffixes, use Move up and Move down to set the order in which

the guest operating system uses the connections.

e On the WINS tab, type the primary and secondary WINS IP address in the text box.

When powered on, the destination virtual machine uses the network settings that you configured.

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Chapter 5 Convert a Physical or Virtual Machine

What to do next

You can select another option to set or click Next to view a summary of the conversion job. If the Next button
is inactive, check the Current settings list for other settings that need your attention on this page.

Assign a Workgroup or Domain Details

You can set up the workgroup and the domain in which the destination virtual machine belongs.

Prerequisites

On the Options page of the Conversion wizard, click Advanced options, click the Post-conversion tab, and
select Customize guest preferences for the virtual machine. Click Next to view and adjust the available
customization options.

Procedure

1 On the Customizations page, select Workgroup/Domain from the options list.

2 Select how the virtual machine participates in the destination network.

Option Description

Workgroup

Windows server domain

The text box must have a value. Valid characters include A-Z, a-z, 0-9, space,
and the hyphen (-). The maximum length is 15 characters.

The text box must have a value. Valid characters include A-Z, a-z, 0-9, space,
period, and the hyphen (-). The maximum length is 64 characters. User
credentials are required.

The destination virtual machine connects to the specified workgroup and domain server.

What to do next

You can select another option to set or click Next to view a summary of the conversion job. If the Next button
is inactive, check the Current settings list for other settings that need your attention on this page.

Install VMware Tools on the Destination Virtual Machine

When converting Windows source machines, you can install VMware Tools to improve graphics performance
of the guest operating system. Other enhancements include automatic grab and release of the mouse pointer,
copy and paste operations between guest and host, and improved mouse performance.

Prerequisites

On the Options page of the Conversion wizard, click Advanced options in the options list.

Procedure

1 Click the Post-conversion tab.

2 In the Post-conversion processing section, select the Install VMware Tools on the destination virtual

machine check box.

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3 Save your settings.

Option Description

Select another option from the
options list

Click Next

Converter Standalone installs VMware Tools on the destination machine when the destination machine is
powered on for the first time after the conversion job.

Remove System Restore Checkpoints

When you convert source machines running Windows XP or later, you can remove System Restore checkpoints
so that the conversion process is faster.

System Restore is enabled on Windows Vista and Windows XP systems by default. For Windows Vista, if you
are performing volume-based file-level cloning, System Restore checkpoints are removed automatically from
the destination virtual machine, regardless of whether the Remove System Restore checkpoints on
destination check box is selected or deselected. If you are performing disk-based cloning or volume-based
block-level cloning, deselecting the check box instructs Converter Standalone to keep the System Restore
checkpoints in the destination virtual machine.

Saves your settings and displays the pane for the selected option.

Saves your settings and displays the next page of the Conversion wizard.

n

The Customizations page is displayed if you select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

n

The Summary page is displayed if you do not select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

Removing System Restore checkpoints prevents the target machine from reverting to a preconversion state.
In the target virtual machine, restoring a checkpoint that was created before you cloned the source machine
can damage the system and prevent the destination virtual machine from starting up.

Prerequisites

On the Options page of the Conversion wizard, click Advanced options in the options list.

Procedure

1 Click the Post-conversion tab.

2 In the Post-conversion processing section, select the Remove System Restore checkpoints on

destination check box.

3 Save your settings.

Option Description

Select another option from the
options list

Click Next

Saves your settings and displays the pane for the selected option.

Saves your settings and displays the next page of the Conversion wizard.

n

The Customizations page is displayed if you select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

n

The Summary page is displayed if you do not select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

68 VMware, Inc.

Configure the Conversion Job

You can configure the conversion process and select the behavior of the source and destination machine during
and after conversion. You can change the status of the source and destination services only when the source
machine is running a Windows operating system.

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Set the Startup Mode for Destination Services on page 69

To minimize downtime for a Windows service, you can select the service and set the service startup mode
to automatic, manual, or disabled.

n

Stop Services Running on the Source Machine on page 70

You can make sure that you do not lose data from services running on the source machine. You can select
the services that you want to stop before Converter Standalone synchronizes the data between the source
and destination machine. As a result, the services do not generate data while source and destination
machines are synchronized.

n

Synchronize the Destination Machine with Changes Made to the Source Machine on page 71

When you convert a powered on Windows machine, Converter Standalone copies data from the source
machine to the destination machine while the source machine is still running and generating changes.
This process is the first transfer of data. You can transfer data for the second time by copying only the
changes made during the first transfer of data. This process is called synchronization.

Chapter 5 Convert a Physical or Virtual Machine

n

Power Off the Source Machine After Conversion on page 72

If your source machine is running services that you want to start on the destination virtual machine after
conversion, you can power off the source machine to avoid interference between source and destination
services.

n

Power On the Destination Virtual Machine After Conversion on page 72

You can minimize the downtime of important services by powering on the destination virtual machine
immediately after the conversion is complete.

n

Limit the Amount of Resources Used by the Conversion Job on page 73

A conversion job competes for computing resources with other processes. To limit the impact of the
conversion job on other workloads, you can throttle the job. If you do not throttle conversion jobs, they
are carried out with normal priority and depending on the available computing resources during
conversion.

n

Uninstall Converter Standalone Agent from the Source Machine on page 73

When setting up a conversion job for a powered on Windows source or a Hyper-V Server virtual machine,
you can choose how you want to remove the Converter Standalone agent from the source after the
conversion. If the Converter Standalone agent is installed by the Converter Standalone server, it is
uninstalled automatically. Otherwise, you must uninstall it manually.

Set the Startup Mode for Destination Services

To minimize downtime for a Windows service, you can select the service and set the service startup mode to
automatic, manual, or disabled.

You can change the settings for the destination services only when you convert source machines that run
Windows.

Prerequisites

On the Options page of the Conversion wizard, click Services in the options list.

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Procedure

1 If you are converting a powered on source machine, click the Destination services tab.

If the source machine is powered off, the Services pane displays no tabs. You can modify only the starting
mode of destination services.

2 On the services list, select the startup mode for each service.

Option Description

Automatic

Manual

Disabled

3 Save your settings.

Option Description

Select another option from the
options list

Click Next

The service starts automatically after the destination machine is powered on.

The service does not start after the destination machine is powered on, but
you can start it manually.

The service is disabled and does not start after the destination machine is
powered on.

Saves your settings and displays the pane for the selected option.

Saves your settings and displays the next page of the Conversion wizard.

n

The Customizations page is displayed if you select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

n

The Summary page is displayed if you do not select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

Stop Services Running on the Source Machine

You can make sure that you do not lose data from services running on the source machine. You can select the
services that you want to stop before Converter Standalone synchronizes the data between the source and
destination machine. As a result, the services do not generate data while source and destination machines are
synchronized.

You can stop services on the source only when you convert a powered on Windows machine.

Prerequisites

On the Options page of the Conversion wizard, click Services in the options list.

Procedure

1 Click the Source services tab.

2 To stop a service on the source machine before synchronization, highlight a service and select the Stop

check box to the right.

3 Save your settings.

Option Description

Select another option from the
options list

Click Next

Saves your settings and displays the pane for the selected option.

Saves your settings and displays the next page of the Conversion wizard.

n

The Customizations page is displayed if you select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

n

The Summary page is displayed if you do not select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

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Chapter 5 Convert a Physical or Virtual Machine

Converter Standalone stops the selected source services before it synchronizes the destination machine with
the source machine.

Synchronize the Destination Machine with Changes Made to the Source Machine

When you convert a powered on Windows machine, Converter Standalone copies data from the source
machine to the destination machine while the source machine is still running and generating changes. This
process is the first transfer of data. You can transfer data for the second time by copying only the changes made
during the first transfer of data. This process is called synchronization.

Synchronization is available only for Windows XP or later source operating systems.

If you resize FAT volumes or shrink NTFS volumes, or change the cluster size on the destination volume, you
cannot use the synchronization option.

You cannot add or remove volumes on the source machine between two cloning tasks of a synchronizable job
because it might cause conversion to fail.

Prerequisites

Stop various source services to make sure they do not generate additional changes during the synchronization,
as that might lead to data loss.

On the Options page of the Conversion wizard, click Advanced options in the options list.

Procedure

1 Click the Synchronize tab.

2 Select Synchronize changes.

3 Specify when you want to perform the synchronization.

Option Description

Select the Run immediately after
cloning check box

Select the Schedule check box

Synchronization is performed immediately after the cloning is complete.

Synchronization is perfomed at the scheduled time and date. Use the Run
at text box to specify the start date and time for the synchronization.

4 Select Perform final synchronization if you do not plan to make further synchronizations between the

source and the destination.

5 Save your settings.

Option Description

Select another option from the
options list

Click Next

Saves your settings and displays the pane for the selected option.

Saves your settings and displays the next page of the Conversion wizard.

n

The Customizations page is displayed if you select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

n

The Summary page is displayed if you do not select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

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Power Off the Source Machine After Conversion

If your source machine is running services that you want to start on the destination virtual machine after
conversion, you can power off the source machine to avoid interference between source and destination
services.

Prerequisites

On the Options page of the Conversion wizard, click Advanced options in the options list.

Procedure

1 Click the Post-conversion tab.

2 In the Post-conversion power state panel, select Power off source machine.

This option appears in the Post-conversion power state panel only if the conversion source is a remote
powered on machine.

3 Save your settings.

Option Description

Select another option from the
options list

Click Next

Saves your settings and displays the pane for the selected option.

Saves your settings and displays the next page of the Conversion wizard.

n

The Customizations page is displayed if you select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

n

The Summary page is displayed if you do not select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

Converter Standalone powers off the source machine after the conversion is complete.

Power On the Destination Virtual Machine After Conversion

You can minimize the downtime of important services by powering on the destination virtual machine
immediately after the conversion is complete.

Prerequisites

On the Options page of the Conversion wizard, click Advanced options in the options list.

Procedure

1 Click the Post-conversion tab.

2 In the Post-conversion power state panel, select Power on destination machine.

3 Save your settings.

Option Description

Select another option from the
options list

Click Next

Saves your settings and displays the pane for the selected option.

Saves your settings and displays the next page of the Conversion wizard.

n

The Customizations page is displayed if you select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

n

The Summary page is displayed if you do not select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

After the conversion, Converter Standalone powers on the destination machine.

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Chapter 5 Convert a Physical or Virtual Machine

Limit the Amount of Resources Used by the Conversion Job

A conversion job competes for computing resources with other processes. To limit the impact of the conversion
job on other workloads, you can throttle the job. If you do not throttle conversion jobs, they are carried out
with normal priority and depending on the available computing resources during conversion.

A powered on source machine runs its own conversion job. You can limit the impact of the conversion job on
other workloads running on the powered on machine.

For source machines that are not powered on, you can limit the resources used on the machine where Converter
Standalone server is installed.

Throttling controls the CPU and network resources that the conversion process uses. You cannot throttle disk
I/O from the Converter Standalone interface, but can throttle it indirectly by throttling the network bandwidth.

NOTE You cannot throttle conversion jobs for powered on source machines that run Linux.

Procedure

1 On the Options page, select Throttling from the options list.

2 From the CPU throttling drop-down menu, select the priority of the conversion task.

Option Description

None

Light

Medium

The priority of the current conversion task is set to normal.

The priority of the current conversion task is reduced slightly below normal.

The priority of the current conversion task is set to lowest.

NOTE Converter Standalone reduces the thread priorities of conversion tasks to control the CPU resources
they consume.

3 (Optional) Select Network bandwidth throttling and specify the maximum network bandwidth at which

Converter Standalone performs the conversion jobs.

4 Save your settings.

Option Description

Select another option from the
options list

Click Next

Saves your settings and displays the pane for the selected option.

Saves your settings and displays the next page of the Conversion wizard.

n

The Customizations page is displayed if you select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

n

The Summary page is displayed if you do not select Customize guest
preferences for the virtual machine in the Advanced options pane.

Uninstall Converter Standalone Agent from the Source Machine

When setting up a conversion job for a powered on Windows source or a Hyper-V Server virtual machine, you
can choose how you want to remove the Converter Standalone agent from the source after the conversion. If
the Converter Standalone agent is installed by the Converter Standalone server, it is uninstalled automatically.
Otherwise, you must uninstall it manually.

Use Add or Remove Programs on the source machine to uninstall the Converter Standalone agent.

Procedure

1 In Windows, run Add or Remove Programs.

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VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide

2 In the list of installed programs, locate and click VMware vCenter Converter Standalone Agent.

3 Click Remove.

4 In the confirmation dialog box, click Yes.

Windows installer uninstalls the Converter Standalone agent from the source machine.

Review the Summary and Submit the Conversion Job

On the Summary page, you can view a summary of the conversion job before you add it to the job list.

The summary includes information about the source machine, the destination virtual machine, and destination
customization settings (if any). Converter Standalone performs job validation at this stage.

Prerequisites

You must complete all steps in the Conversion wizard to access the Summary page.

Procedure

1 Review the summary of the job.

2 Click Finish to submit the job.

Converter Standalone validates the job parameters. This might take several minutes. If the validation succeeds,
the conversion job appears in the Job View list in the main application window. You can find information about
the tasks of the job in the Task View. If the validation fails, you must click Back and correct the invalid
parameters as prompted.

74 VMware, Inc.

Configure Virtual Machines 6

You might need to configure a virtual machine after you convert it so that it is ready to start in the destination
virtual environment. You might also need to configure virtual machines if their virtual environment changes
or if you need to improve their performance.

NOTE You can configure only virtual machines that run Windows XP or later. You cannot configure virtual
machines that run operating systems other than Windows.

Unlike the conversion process, which is nondestructive to the source machine, the configuration process affects
the source. When you create a configuration job, your settings are applied to the configuration source machine
and cannot be reverted.

Procedure

1 Save Sysprep Files on page 75

To customize the guest operating system of a virtual machine that runs Windows Server 2003 or Windows
XP, you must save the Sysprep files to the specified locations on the machine where Converter Standalone
server runs.

2 Start the Configuration Wizard on page 76

You can configure VMware desktop virtual machines or virtual machines managed by ESXi hosts or
vCenter Server.

3 Select a Source Machine to Configure on page 76

You can select a powered off VMware virtual machine as the source for a configuration task.

4 Select the Options to Configure on page 79

When you create a configuration job, you can select the steps of the configuration process that you want
to run.

5 Review and Submit the Configuration Job on page 83

After you review your settings on the Summary page of the Configuration wizard, you can go back and
change a setting or submit the job.

Save Sysprep Files

To customize the guest operating system of a virtual machine that runs Windows Server 2003 or Windows XP,
you must save the Sysprep files to the specified locations on the machine where Converter Standalone server
runs.

Prerequisites

Make sure you have obtained the Sysprep files that correspond to the source operating system. You can
download the Sysprep files from the Microsoft Download Center.

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VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide

Procedure

u

Save the Sysprep files that correspond to the source operating system on the machine where
Converter Standalone server runs.

If you have downloaded a .cab file, you need to extract its contents. If you have downloaded an .exe file,
double-click the downloaded file to start the Sysprep installation.

Operating System Action

Windows Server 2003 (32bit)

Windows Server 2003 (64bit)

Windows XP (32bit)

Windows XP (64bit)

Save the Sysprep files in %ALLUSERSPROFILE
%\Application Data\VMware\VMware vCenter Converter
Standalone\sysprep\svr2003

Save the Sysprep files in %ALLUSERSPROFILE
%\Application Data\VMware\VMware vCenter Converter
Standalone\sysprep\svr2003-64

Save the Sysprep files in %ALLUSERSPROFILE
%\Application Data\VMware\VMware vCenter Converter
Standalone\sysprep\xp

Save the Sysprep files in %ALLUSERSPROFILE
%\Application Data\VMware\VMware vCenter Converter
Standalone\sysprep\xp-64

You can now customize Windows Server 2003 (32bit and 64bit) and Windows XP (32bit and 64bit) guest
operating systems by using the Conversion or the Configuration wizard.

What to do next

You can now use the Configuration wizard to customize Windows guest operating systems.

Start the Configuration Wizard

You can configure VMware desktop virtual machines or virtual machines managed by ESXi hosts or
vCenter Server.

A physical machine cannot be a configuration source.

You can configure only powered off virtual machines.

Procedure

1 Start the VMware vCenter Converter Standalone application.

2 Click Configure machine in the application menu.

The Configuration wizard opens.

What to do next

Select the source machine to configure.

Select a Source Machine to Configure

You can select a powered off VMware virtual machine as the source for a configuration task.

Prerequisites

On the Source System page of the Configuration wizard, select a source type from the drop-down menu.

What to do next

On the Options page of the Configuration wizard, you can select the required configuration options.

76 VMware, Inc.

Chapter 6 Configure Virtual Machines

Select a vSphere Virtual Machine to Configure

You can configure vSphere virtual machines. A vSphere virtual machine is a virtual machine that runs on an
ESX host or on an ESX host managed by vCenter Server.

Prerequisites

Power off the source machine before the configuration.

In the main application window of Converter Standalone, click Configure machine to open the
Configuration wizard.

Procedure

1 On the Source System page of the Configuration wizard, select VMware Infrastructure virtual machine

from the Select source type drop-down menu.

2 Provide the IP address or host name and credentials for authentication with the ESX host or the

vCenter Server, and click Next.

The Source Machine page appears, displaying the host name or IP address and the inventory of the ESX host
or the vCenter Server.

What to do next

On the Source Machine page of the Configuration wizard you can browse the virtual infrastructure inventory
and select the virtual machine to configure.

Specify the vCenter Server Virtual Machine to Configure

If you choose to configure a virtual machine managed by a vCenter Server or ESX host, you must browse the
inventory to locate the source virtual machine.

Prerequisites

On the Source System page of the Configuration wizard, select VMware Infrastructure virtual machine as the
configuration source and click Next to proceed to the Source Machine page.

Procedure

1 (Optional) If you are connected to a vCenter Server, select a virtual machine view from the Specify

machine with drop-down menu.

Option Description

Hosts and Clusters

VMs and Templates

2 (Optional) If you are connected to a vCenter Server, select an object from the Inventory tree pane.

The Inventory tree pane provides a view of hosts, clusters, resource pools,
and vApps. If you select a host managed by a cluster, you see the full list of
virtual machines and templates in the virtual machine list view. If you select
a standalone host or a cluster, you see only the virtual machines that are not
deployed in the resource pools of that host or cluster.

The Inventory tree pane provides a view of datacenters and virtual machine
folders.

Option Description

Hosts and Clusters

VMs and Templates

Select cluster, ESX host, resource pool, or vApp.

Select datacenter or virtual machine folder.

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3 From the virtual machines list, select the virtual machine you want to configure.

NOTE You cannot select a virtual machine from an ESX host that is powered off, connected to another
vCenter Server, or in maintenace mode.

4 (Optional) To refresh the inventory, click Refresh.

5 (Optional) To view more details about a machine, select it and click View source details.

6 Click Next to proceed to the Options page.

What to do next

On the Options page of the Configuration wizard, you can select the required configuration options.

Select a VMware Desktop Virtual Machine to Configure

You can configure standalone VMware virtual machines created with VMware Workstation, VMware Fusion,
or VMware Player.

Prerequisites

If you plan to use a network path to locate the source, verify that the machine where Converter Standalone
server runs has access to that network path.

In the main application window of Converter Standalone, click Configure machine to open the
Configuration wizard.

Procedure

1 On the Source System page of the Configuration wizard, select VMware Workstation or other VMware

virtual machine.

2 Locate the virtual machine source.

n

If you are connected to a remote Converter Standalone server, provide a network path to the source
virtual machine file (.vmx) in the Virtual machine file text box. For
example, \\server\virtual_machines\virtual_machine.vmx.

n

If you are connected to a local Converter Standalone server, provide a network path or a local path
to the .vmx file.

By default, only VMware virtual machine *.vmx files are displayed.

3 If you are connected to a remote Converter Standalone server, type user credentials for accessing the source

virtual machine.

You do not have to provide user credentials if you are connected to a local Converter Standalone server.
In such cases, Converter Standalone uses the Windows credentials to connect to the source machine.

4 (Optional) To view more information about the selected source, click View source details.

5 Click Next to proceed to the Options page.

What to do next

On the Options page of the Configuration wizard, you can select the required configuration options.

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Select the Options to Configure

When you create a configuration job, you can select the steps of the configuration process that you want to
run.

Procedure

u

On the Options page, select one or more configuration steps to perform and click Next.

Option Description

Install VMware Tools on the
destination virtual machine

Customize guest preferences for the
virtual machine

Remove System Restore
checkpoints on destination

Reconfigure destination virtual
machine

What to do next

Installs VMware Tools to enhance the performance of the destination virtual
machine.

Lets you customize Windows XP and later guest operating systems so that
you can prevent and resolve licensing and networking issues.

Removes System Restore checkpoints from the destination virtual machine.

Modifies the configuration of the virtual machine so that it is prepared to
boot and work properly in the destination virtual environment.

Chapter 6 Configure Virtual Machines

On the basis of the configuration options you selected, you can either customize the guest operating system of
the source virtual machine or view the Summary page of the Configuration wizard.

Install VMware Tools on a Virtual Machine

Install VMware Tools to improve graphics performance for the guest operating system of a configured virtual
machine. Other enhancements include automatic grab and release of the mouse pointer, copying and pasting
between guest and host, improved mouse performance, and so on.

Install VMware Tools on the virtual machine you are configuring.

Procedure

u

On the Options page of the Configuration wizard, select Install VMware Tools on the destination virtual
machine and click Next.

vCenter Converter Standalone installs VMware Tools on the configured virtual machine.

What to do next

You can customize the guest operating system or view the Summary page of the Configuration wizard.

Customize the Windows Guest Operating System

As a part of the configuration job, you can customize virtual machines running Windows XP or later.

Prerequisites

Save the Sysprep files to %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\VMware\VMware vCenter Converter

Standalone\sysprep on the machine that runs Converter Standalone server. For more details about the Sysprep

files location for different operating systems, see “Save Sysprep Files,” on page 75.

On the Options page of the Configuration wizard, select Customize guest preferences for the virtual
machine and click Next to view and modify the available customization options.

n

Customize the Identity of a Virtual Machine on page 80

To configure the identity of a virtual machine on a virtual network, personalize the virtual machine by
editing its name, owner, and organization name, and by generating a new security ID.

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n

Specify the Windows License Information on page 81

Ensure that you provide licensing information for all destination virtual machines running guest
operating systems as necessary. Because of third-party licensing policies, you might not be able to transfer
the license from the source machine and you might need to provide a new valid license for the destination
virtual machine.

n

Set the Time Zone on page 81

You can configure the time zone for a virtual machine.

n

Configure the Network Adapters on page 82

You can change the network settings of a virtual machine to work with the network configuration of the
virtual environment.

n

Assign a Workgroup or Domain Details on page 82

You can configure the workgroup and the domain for a virtual machine.

Customize the Identity of a Virtual Machine

To configure the identity of a virtual machine on a virtual network, personalize the virtual machine by editing
its name, owner, and organization name, and by generating a new security ID.

Prerequisites

On the Options page of the Configuration wizard, select Customize guest preferences for the virtual
machine and click Next to view and modify the available customization options.

Procedure

1 On the Customizations page, select Computer information from the options list.

2 Customize the guest operating system identity.

a In the Computer Name text box, type a computer name to identify the virtual machine on the network.

Valid characters include A-Z, a-z, 0-9, and the hyphen (-). The underscore (_) is nonstandard, but
Converter Standalone permits it. The recommended length for most languages is 15 characters or less.
Computer names cannot consist only of numerals.

b In the Owner Name text box, type the name of the owner of the virtual machine.

Valid characters include A-Z, a-z, 0-9, and the hyphen (-). The underscore (_) is nonstandard, but
Converter Standalone permits it. The owner name cannot have more than 63 characters or consist
only of numerals.

c In the Organization text box, type an organization name.

Valid characters include all printable characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9, symbols, and space). The limit is 63
characters.

3 (Optional) To create a new security identifier, select Generate New Security ID (SID).

By default, the Generate New Security ID (SID) check box is selected for source systems that run Windows
Vista or later and cannot be deselected.

The identifiers of the configured virtual machine are assigned according to your settings.

What to do next

You can select another option to set or click Next to view a summary of the configuration job. If the Next button
is inactive, check the Current settings list for other settings that need your attention on this page.

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Chapter 6 Configure Virtual Machines

Specify the Windows License Information

Ensure that you provide licensing information for all destination virtual machines running guest operating
systems as necessary. Because of third-party licensing policies, you might not be able to transfer the license
from the source machine and you might need to provide a new valid license for the destination virtual machine.

Prerequisites

On the Options page of the Configuration wizard, select Customize guest preferences for the virtual
machine and click Next to view and modify the available customization options.

Procedure

1 On the Customizations page, select Windows license from the options list.

2 In the Product ID text box, type the licensing information for the destination virtual machine.

3 (Optional) If the guest operating system is Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server 2008, select Include

server license information.

4 Select a Server license mode option.

Option Description

Per seat

Per server

For individual user licenses.

For a concurrent user license. When you select this option, you need to type
a value in the Maximum connections text box.

The Windows license information is saved to the configuration source machine when the configuration task
is completed.

What to do next

You can select another option to set or click Next to view a summary of the configuration job. If the Next button
is inactive, check the Current settings list for other settings that need your attention on this page.

Set the Time Zone

You can configure the time zone for a virtual machine.

Prerequisites

On the Options page of the Configuration wizard, select Customize guest preferences for the virtual
machine and click Next to view and modify the available customization options.

Procedure

1 On the Customizations page, select Time zone from the options list.

2 Select the target time zone from the Time zone drop-down menu.

The time zone is set on the destination machine when the configuration job completes.

What to do next

You can select another option to set or click Next to view a summary of the configuration job. If the Next button
is inactive, check the Current settings list for other settings that need your attention on this page.

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Configure the Network Adapters

You can change the network settings of a virtual machine to work with the network configuration of the virtual
environment.

The options for configuring network adapters are available for all supported customization sources.

Prerequisites

On the Options page of the Configuration wizard, select Customize guest preferences for the virtual
machine and click Next to view and modify the available customization options.

Procedure

1 On the Customizations page, select Network interface settings from the options list.

2 Select a network adapter and click Customize to configure its properties.

a On the General tab, type the IPv4 address and DNS server address.

b On the DNS tab, configure the DNS connections by adding DNS suffixes.

c Type a DNS suffix and click Add.

You can add more than one DNS suffix.

d If you have provided multiple DNS suffixes, use Move up and Move down to set the order in which

the guest operating system uses the connections.

e On the WINS tab, type the primary and secondary WINS IP address in the text box.

When powered on, the configured virtual machine uses the network settings that you specified.

What to do next

You can select another option to set or click Next to view a summary of the configuration job. If the Next button
is inactive, check the Current settings list for other settings that need your attention on this page.

Assign a Workgroup or Domain Details

You can configure the workgroup and the domain for a virtual machine.

Prerequisites

On the Options page of the Configuration wizard, select Customize guest preferences for the virtual
machine and click Next to view and modify the available customization options.

Procedure

1 On the Customizations page, select Workgroup/Domain from the options list.

2 Select how the virtual machine participates in the destination network.

Option Description

Workgroup

Windows server domain

The text box must have a value. Valid characters include A-Z, a-z, 0-9, space,
and the hyphen (-). The maximum length is 15 characters.

The text box must have a value. Valid characters include A-Z, a-z, 0-9, space,
period, and the hyphen (-). The maximum length is 64 characters. User
credentials are required.

The configured virtual machine connects to the specified workgroup and domain server.

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Chapter 6 Configure Virtual Machines

What to do next

You can select another option to set or click Next to view a summary of the configuration job. If the Next button
is inactive, check the Current settings list for other settings that need your attention on this page.

Remove System Restore Checkpoints

Remove the System Restore checkpoints of newly imported source machines to prevent them from reverting
to a preconversion state. For other configuration source machines, removing System Restore checkpoints helps
you save disk space by deleting unnecesary data.

Procedure

u

On the Options page of the Configuration wizard, select Remove System Restore checkpoints on the
destination and click Next.

The System Restore checkpoints are deleted from the configuration source machine.

What to do next

You can customize the guest operating system or view the Summary page of the Configuration wizard.

Reconfiguring a Virtual Machine To Boot Properly

If a newly converted virtual machine does not start properly in the destination virtual environment, try
reconfiguring it with Converter Standalone.

Problem

A number of configuration issues might prevent a newly created virtual machine from starting properly. For
example, Converter Standalone might need to disable some legacy drivers to allow the virtual machine to
operate. If the operating system on the source machine is not on the default drive, the boot.ini file or the BCD
might need to be modified so that the destination virtual machine can start.

Solution

u

On the Options page of the Configuration wizard, select Reconfigure destination virtual machine and
click Next.

Converter Standalone reconfigures the destination virtual machine so it can boot in the virtual
environment.

What to do next

You can customize the guest operating system or view the Summary page of the Configuration wizard.

Review and Submit the Configuration Job

After you review your settings on the Summary page of the Configuration wizard, you can go back and change
a setting or submit the job.

Procedure

1 Review the summary of the settings for the source virtual machine.

2 Click Finish to submit the configuration job.

The job appears in the jobs list in the Job View list of the main application window. You can view the progress
of the current task on the Task progress tab in Task View.

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What to do next

To view details about the configuration task, click the Summary tab.

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Manage Conversion and

Configuration Jobs and Tasks 7

Converter Standalone provides a manager for managing conversion and configuration jobs and tasks.

After you create a conversion or configuration job by using the Converter Standalone wizards, you can use the
Task View and the Job View of the Converter Standalone manager to monitor and manage the existing jobs
and their tasks.

Scheduled synchronized conversion jobs can contain multiple tasks.

This chapter includes the following topics:

n

“Manage Jobs in the Job List,” on page 85

n

“Manage Tasks in the Task List,” on page 89

n

“Verify Jobs and Tasks Progress and the Log Files,” on page 91

Manage Jobs in the Job List

The Job View of the Converter Standalone manager provides a list of all jobs that are submitted. You can use
the main application menus to control the way jobs appear in the job list and to edit them.

Prerequisites

You must submit a conversion or configuration job to view it in the job list.

You must be in the Job View of the Converter Standalone manager to access the application menus for job
managing.

n

Add a Job to the Job List on page 86

Converter Standalone allows you to create and run conversion and configuration jobs.

n

View the Running Task of a Job on page 86

You can switch from Job View to Task View to view and edit the currently running task of a job.

n

Deactivate a Job on page 86

You can deactivate an active job without applying any changes to the destination machine.

n

Delete a Job on page 87

You can delete a job and all its tasks.

n

Create a Job by Copying an Existing Job on page 87

You can create a new job by creating a copy of an exisiting job and modifying its settings in the Conversion
or the Configuration wizard. The settings for the original job appear at each step of the wizard so that
you can reuse or change them.

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n

Filter the Jobs in the Jobs List on page 87

You can select the jobs that you want the job list to display by filtering them.

n

Add a Synchronization Task to a Conversion Job on page 88

You can add a synchronization task to an active conversion job and modify the synchronization settings
in the Conversion wizard.

Add a Job to the Job List

Converter Standalone allows you to create and run conversion and configuration jobs.

Procedure

u

On the Summary page of the Conversion or the Configuration wizard, make sure no settings need
adjustment, and click Finish to add a conversion or configuration job.

The job appears at the beginning of the job list in the Job View and its tasks appear in the Task View.

What to do next

In the job list, you can view the job status, which task of the job is currently running, and other details. You
can also delete a job, and perform other job operations.

View the Running Task of a Job

You can switch from Job View to Task View to view and edit the currently running task of a job.

Procedure

1 From the View by drop-down menu on the toolbar, select Jobs.

2 From the job list, select a job.

3 On the main menu, select Job > Go to running task.

The Converter Standalone manager switches to Task View and preselects the currently running task of the job
you selected in Job View. If none of the job's tasks is running, no selection is made.

Deactivate a Job

You can deactivate an active job without applying any changes to the destination machine.

Prerequisites

NOTE You can deactivate a job only if none of its tasks is currently running.

Procedure

1 From the View by drop-down menu on the toolbar, select Jobs.

2 From the job list, select the job you want to deactivate.

3 From the main menu, select Job > Deactivate.

The job state changes to inactive and no changes are applied to the destination.

NOTE An inactive job cannot be reactivated.

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Chapter 7 Manage Conversion and Configuration Jobs and Tasks

Delete a Job

You can delete a job and all its tasks.

Prerequisites

You can delete only deactivated jobs.

Procedure

1 From the View by drop-down menu on the toolbar, select Jobs.

2 From the job list, select the job you want to delete.

3 From the main menu, select Job > Delete.

The job is removed from the job list, and all the tasks of the job are removed from the task list.

Create a Job by Copying an Existing Job

You can create a new job by creating a copy of an exisiting job and modifying its settings in the Conversion or
the Configuration wizard. The settings for the original job appear at each step of the wizard so that you can
reuse or change them.

NOTE You can copy only jobs that were created with the Converter Standalone client.

Procedure

1 From the View by drop-down menu on the toolbar, select Jobs.

2 From the job list, select the job you want to copy.

3 Select Job > Copy As New.

4 Follow the prompts to modify the job settings.

5 Click Finish to add the new job the job list.

Filter the Jobs in the Jobs List

You can select the jobs that you want the job list to display by filtering them.

You can filter jobs by history, status, or multiple criteria.

n

Filter Jobs by History on page 88

You can filter the list so that it displays only the last submitted jobs. By default, the job list displays the
last twenty jobs.

n

Filter Jobs by Status on page 88

You can filter the job list to display jobs based on their status: Active, Inactive, and All. By default, the
job list displays only active jobs. Active jobs include all running, scheduled, and not scheduled jobs.

n

Filter Jobs by Multiple Criteria on page 88

You can combine filtering criteria to filter jobs in the job list.

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Filter Jobs by History

You can filter the list so that it displays only the last submitted jobs. By default, the job list displays the last
twenty jobs.

Procedure

1 From the View by drop-down menu on the toolbar, select Jobs.

2 On the main menu, click View > History Filter and select a level of filtering.

Only jobs that correspond to selected filtering level remain in the job list.

Filter Jobs by Status

You can filter the job list to display jobs based on their status: Active, Inactive, and All. By default, the job list
displays only active jobs. Active jobs include all running, scheduled, and not scheduled jobs.

Procedure

1 From the View by drop-down menu on the toolbar, select Jobs.

2 On the main menu, select View > Filter by.

3 Select a level of display from the drop-down menu.

If you are connected to a remote Converter Standalone server, you can select My own to view only jobs
that you have created.

Filter Jobs by Multiple Criteria

You can combine filtering criteria to filter jobs in the job list.

Procedure

1 From the View by drop-down menu on the toolbar, select Jobs.

2 Use the drop-down menus in the toolbar to select the status and the history criteria.

The two filtering conditions combine to show only jobs that comply with both conditions.

Add a Synchronization Task to a Conversion Job

You can add a synchronization task to an active conversion job and modify the synchronization settings in the
Conversion wizard.

NOTE You can add synchronization tasks only to jobs that were created with the Converter Standalone client.

Prerequisites

The conversion job must be active and allow synchronization.

No synchronization task that belongs to this job must be running.

Procedure

1 From the View by drop-down menu on the toolbar, select Jobs.

2 From the job list, select the conversion job to which you want to add a synchronization task.

3 From the main menu, select Job > Synchronize.

4 Follow the prompts to modify the synchronization settings.

5 Click Finish to save changes.

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Manage Tasks in the Task List

The Task View of the Converter Standalone manager provides a list of all tasks that are submitted. You can
use the main application menus to control the way tasks appear in the task list and to edit them.

Prerequisites

You must submit a conversion or configuration job to view its tasks in the task list.

You must be in the Tasks View of the Converter Standalone manager to access the application menus for
managing task.

n

Control the Number of Tasks Running Concurrently on page 89

You can set the number of tasks that can run concurrently to improve the conversion speed. Limiting the
number of concurrent tasks helps you reduce the network resources required for the conversion tasks.
Limiting the number of concurrent tasks also helps to limit the CPU load on the machine where the
Converter Standalone server runs.

n

View the Job to Which a Task Belongs on page 90

You can switch from Task View to Job View to view and edit the job to which a selected task belongs.

n

Cancel a Task on page 90

You can cancel a task that is in the queue or in progress.

Chapter 7 Manage Conversion and Configuration Jobs and Tasks

n

Filter the Tasks in the Task List on page 90

The number of archived tasks can grow to be very large. To minimize clutter in the task list, you can
lower the number of tasks that appear. You can select the tasks that you want the task list to display by
filtering them.

Control the Number of Tasks Running Concurrently

You can set the number of tasks that can run concurrently to improve the conversion speed. Limiting the
number of concurrent tasks helps you reduce the network resources required for the conversion tasks. Limiting
the number of concurrent tasks also helps to limit the CPU load on the machine where the Converter Standalone
server runs.

You can set the number of concurrent tasks to any number from 1 to 12. The default number of concurrent
tasks is set to Maximum.

Procedure

1 On the main menu, select Administration > Maximum Concurrent Tasks.

2 In the Custom spin-box, specify a number.

3 Click OK.

The setting takes effect immediately for all newly added tasks. See “Example: Limiting the Number of

Concurrent Tasks,” on page 89.

Example: Limiting the Number of Concurrent Tasks

Assume that Converter Standalone is running 12 tasks. If you change the number of concurrent tasks to 6, these
12 tasks continue running, but all newly added tasks remain pending in the task list.

When the number of running tasks drops to 5, a new task from the wait list starts.

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View the Job to Which a Task Belongs

You can switch from Task View to Job View to view and edit the job to which a selected task belongs.

Procedure

1 From the View by drop-down menu on the toolbar, select Tasks.

2 From the task list, select a task.

3 On the main menu, select Task > Go to job.

The Converter Standalone manager switches to Job View. The job that contains the task you selected in Task
View is preselected in the list and complies with the current filter of the Job View.

Cancel a Task

You can cancel a task that is in the queue or in progress.

When you cancel a conversion task, the task is removed from the queue. Canceling a configuration task removes
it from the queue and reverts the source machine to its original state. Canceling a task that is not a
synchronization task deactivates the job to which the task belongs.

Canceling a task in progress does not stop it. You cannot restart a canceled task.

Procedure

1 From the View by drop-down menu on the toolbar, select Tasks.

2 From the task list, select the task you want to cancel.

3 Click Cancel.

The task is now out of the queue and the time of cancellation appears in the End Time column.

Filter the Tasks in the Task List

The number of archived tasks can grow to be very large. To minimize clutter in the task list, you can lower the
number of tasks that appear. You can select the tasks that you want the task list to display by filtering them.

You can filter tasks by history, status, or multiple criteria.

n

Filter Tasks by History on page 90

You can use the date on which a task is created to filter the task list.

n

Filter Tasks by Status on page 91

You can change which tasks appear in the task list based on their running status.

n

Filter Tasks by Multiple Criteria on page 91

You can combine filtering criteria to filter tasks in the task list. Tasks that are currently running are
displayed regardless of the filtering criteria you apply.

Filter Tasks by History

You can use the date on which a task is created to filter the task list.

This option does not affect tasks in progress. Tasks in progress always appear in the task list.

Procedure

1 From the View by drop-down menu on the toolbar, select Tasks.

2 On the main menu, click View > History Filter and select a level of filtering.

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Chapter 7 Manage Conversion and Configuration Jobs and Tasks

Only tasks that correspond to the selected filtering level remain in the task list.

Filter Tasks by Status

You can change which tasks appear in the task list based on their running status.

Procedure

1 From the View by drop-down menu on the toolbar, select Tasks.

2 On the main menu, select View > Filter by.

3 Select a level of display from the drop-down menu.

If you are connected to a remote Converter Standalone server, you can select My own to view only tasks
of jobs that you create.

Filter Tasks by Multiple Criteria

You can combine filtering criteria to filter tasks in the task list. Tasks that are currently running are displayed
regardless of the filtering criteria you apply.

Procedure

1 From the View by drop-down menu on the toolbar, select Tasks.

2 Use the drop-down menus to select the status and history criteria.

The two filtering conditions combine to show only tasks that comply with both conditions.

Verify Jobs and Tasks Progress and the Log Files

The Task View and Job View of the Converter Standalone manager allows you to observe the progress and the
state of the listed jobs and tasks.

If certain problems cause a job or task to fail, you can also review information in the log files.

n

View Task Progress on page 91

The Task view and the Details view show the progress of tasks. You can view the estimated time left to
the completion of a conversion task in the End Time column.

n

Export the Log Files for Jobs on page 92

You can review the log files for information about the jobs, or send a copy of log files to VMware technical
support. You can export the log files for all jobs in the job list.

n

Export the Log Files for a Task on page 92

If any problems cause a task to fail, you can review information about the task in the log files or send a
copy of the log files to VMware technical support. You can export the log files for a specific task in the
task list.

n

Back-End and Client Log Files Locations on page 92

Converter Standalone saves log files as it operates.

View Task Progress

The Task view and the Details view show the progress of tasks. You can view the estimated time left to the
completion of a conversion task in the End Time column.

You can obtain a general indication of a task's progress by looking at its row in the task list of the Task view.
You can view the Task progress tab in the Details view for more information.

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Procedure

1 From the View by drop-down menu on the toolbar, select Tasks.

2 Select the row in the task list for the task to view.

The information for that task appears in the Details pane below the tasks list.

3 Click the Task progress tab to view the task status and log highlights.

Export the Log Files for Jobs

You can review the log files for information about the jobs, or send a copy of log files to VMware technical
support. You can export the log files for all jobs in the job list.

Procedure

1 From the View by drop-down menu on the toolbar, select Jobs.

2 Select a job in the job list.

3 On the main menu, select Job > Export Logs.

4 Select a location to which you want to save the files and click Save.

The log files for all jobs in the job list are saved to the selected location.

Export the Log Files for a Task

If any problems cause a task to fail, you can review information about the task in the log files or send a copy
of the log files to VMware technical support. You can export the log files for a specific task in the task list.

Procedure

1 From the View by drop-down menu on the toolbar, select Tasks.

2 Select the task in the task list.

3 In the Details pane, click the Task Progress tab.

4 Click Export Logs.

5 Select a location to which you want to save the files and click Save.

The log files for this task are saved to the selected location.

Back-End and Client Log Files Locations

Converter Standalone saves log files as it operates.

Table 7-1 lists the default locations where log files are saved. You can view the log files or send them to VMware

support, if necessary.

These file locations are also the file locations on the remote machine if you are running a remote hot clone. To
send these log files from a remote machine to VMware support, you must manually compress and send them.

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Table 7-1. Log Files Locations

Log Files File Path

Converter Standalone server and agent log files

Converter Standalone client log files

%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application
Data\VMware\VMware vCenter Converter
Standalone\logs*

%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application
Data\VMware\VMware vCenter Converter
Standalone\Logs*

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Index

A

Acronis True Image, source 19
add a disk 54
adding jobs 86
advanced customization

guest operating system 64
installing VMware Tools 67
removing system restore checkpoints 68

synchronizing source and destination 71
agent 10
allocate memory 61
audience 7

C

changing the number of tasks displayed 90, 91
client 10
cloning

disk based 13

disk-based cloning 14

full clones 14

hot, defined 11

linked clones 14

volume based 13

volume-based cloning 14
cloning modes 13
command-line commands 36
components 10
configuration options 79
configuration, submitting job 83
configure the conversion job 69
configure the hardware

allocate memory 61

configure the Helper VM network 63

configure the network settings 62

edit the number of processors 60

edit the number of processors cores 60

edit the number of processors sockets 60

specify a disk controller 62
configure the hardware of the destination

machine 51
configure the network settings 62
configure the software 63
configuring

domain details 82
guest operating system 79

install VMware tools 79
prepare for booting 83
removing system restore checkpoints 83
selecting a source 76
selecting VMware Fusion source 76
selecting VMware Player source 76
selecting Workstation source 76
sysprep files locations 26
Sysprep files locations 75
time zone 81

workgroup 82
configuring permissions for vCenter users 23
connect to a remote Converter Standalone

server 39
controlling the number of concurrent tasks 89
conversion 88
conversion jobs

submitting 74
viewing summary 74

conversion limitations

configuration limitations 29
Linux guest limitations 29
powered on machine limitations 29
third-party images limitations 29
third-party virtual machines or system

images 30
virtual machines 29
VSS snapshots 30
Windows guest limitations 29

conversion tasks

managing 85
maximum running 89
starting 42

conversion throttling 73
Conversion wizard, starting 42
conversion, viewing job summary 74
Converter Standalone

installing client in Windows 33
installing in Windows 33
installing server and agent in Windows 33
modifying installation in Windows 37
repairing in Windows 38

converting

existing system images 15
existing virtual machines 15

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converting machines 41
converting, powered on machines 71
copy all disks 59
copy disks or volumes

copy all disks 59
create an expandable disk on a hosted

destination 57

create an expandable disk on a managed

destination 57
delete a disk 58
move a disk to a different datastore 56
move a volume to a different datastore 54
move a volume to a different virtual disk 54
resize a volume 52
skip a volume 53

create an expandable disk on a hosted

destination 57

create an expandable disk on a managed

destination 57
customization 26
customize the location 49
customizing

computing resources 73
tasks throttling 73

customizing the guest operating system 64

D

data to copy 51, 59
delete a disk 58
delete job 87
destination

cluster 49
datastore 49
ESX 49
ESX host 20
ESXi 49
vCenter Server 49
virtual hardware version 49
VMware Fusion 20
VMware Player 20
vSphere 49
Workstation 20

destination machine

folder 49
naming 49

power on 72
destination services, startup mode 69
destination setup

computer information 64

DNS 66

domain details 67

guest operating system 64

network adapters 66

SID 64
time zone 66
Windows license 65
WINS 66
workgroup 67

disk

2GB split 22
not pre-allocated 22, 57
thick 22
thin-provisioned 22, 57

disk cloning modes

disk-based cloning, defined 14
full clones, defined 14
linked clones, defined 14

volume-based cloning, defined 14
disk controller 62
disk types 22
disk-based cloning 13, 14, 56, 57, 59
disks, adding 55
dual boot systems 11
duplicate ID 15

E

edit the number of processors 60
errors, viewing in the log files 92
ESX host

destination 20

source 19

support 19
ESX VM, source 44
exporting

to hosted formats 48, 50

to managed formats 48
exporting a single task log file 92
exporting jobs logs 92

F

feedback 7
filtering jobs 88
filtering jobs by history 88
firmware interfaces, support 18
full clones, defined 14

G

glossary 7
go to job 90
go to running task 86
guest operating system configuration

computer information 80

DNS 82

domain 82

network adapters 82

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Index

SID 80
time zone 81
Windows license 81
WINS 82
workgroup 82

guest operating system customization

computer information 64
DNS 66
network adapters 66
SID 64
time zone 66
Windows license 65
WINS 66

workgroup and domain page 67
guest operating system, configuration 79
guest operating system, customization 64
guest operating system, customizing 64
GUID partition table (GPT) disks 21

H

Helper VM 63
hosted destinations

converting to 50

Fusion 50

VMware Server 50

Workstation 50
hosted VM, source 46
hot cloning

defined 11

Linux sources 12

Windows sources 11
hot cloning, synchronization 71
Hyper-V

source 19

specify machine 47
Hyper-V Server VM, source 47

I

importing machines

configure the hardware 51

customize the location 49

select a source machine 42
install VMware Tools 67, 79
installation space requirements 23
installing 33
installing Converter Standalone, in Windows 33

installing VMware vCenter Converter Standalone,

Windows command-line installation 36
introduction 9
IPng support 22
IPv6 support 22

J

job 87
job copy 87
job create 87
job manager, checking tasks progress 91
jobs 88
jobs list 86
jobs, adding 86

L

linked clones 13
linked clones, defined 14
live cloning, See hot cloning
log files, exporting and viewing 92
logical volume 56
logical volume group 56
logs, location 92
LVM 56

M

managing jobs, job view 85
managing tasks

canceling 90
changing the number of tasks displayed 90,

91

checking task progress 91
filtering tasks by history 90
filtering tasks by status 91
multiple-criteria filtering 91

task view 85
master boot record (MBR) disks 21
maximum number of tasks 89
Microsoft Virtual PC, source 19

Microsoft Virtual Server, source 19
modes of cloning 13
modifying 37
move a disk to a different datastore 56
move a volume to a different datastore 54
move a volume to a different virtual disk 54

N

network settings 62, 63
not pre-allocated disks 57

O

online cloning, See hot cloning
operating systems, support 17
optimized partition alignment 59

P

Parallels Desktop, source 19
permissions, configuring for vCenter users 23

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port requirements 24
power off source machine 72
power on destination machine 72
powered on machine conversion limitations 29
powered on machine, source 43, 44
progress viewing 91

R

reconfiguring, starting the wizard 76
remote Converter Standalone server 39
repairing 37

S

screen resolution requirements 23
selecting configuration sources

VMware Desktop VMs 78
VMware Infrastructure VMs 77

selecting sources

ESX virtual machine 44
hosted virtual machine 46
Hyper-V Server VM 47
Linux powered on machine 44
powered on machine 43
third-party VM 46
vCenter Server VM 44

Windows powered on machine 43
server 10
services

on destination 69

on source 70
setting up destination

computer information 64

DNS 66

domain details 67

guest operating system 64

network adapters 66

SID 64

time zone 66

Windows license 65

WINS 66

workgroup 67
setting up SID 80
Simple File Sharing, turning off 26
skip a volume 53
snapshots, limitations 30

source machine

power off 72

uninstall Converter Standalone agent 73
source services, stop 70
specify a disk controller 62
starting

conversion 42

Conversion wizard 42

starting the Reconfiguration wizard 76
stop source services 70
StorageCraft ShadowProtect, source 19
support 7
supported destination types

ESX host 20
vCenter Server 20
virtual appliances 20
VMware Fusion 20
VMware Player 20

Workstation 20
supported firmware interfaces 18
supported operating systems 17
supported source types

Acronis True Image 19

ESX support 19

Hyper-V 19

Microsoft Virtual PC support 19

Microsoft Virtual Server support 19

Parallels Desktop 19

powered-on machines 19

StorageCraft ShadowProtect 19

Symantec LiveState Recovery 19

vCenter Server 19

VirtualCenter support 19

VMware Fusion support 19

VMware virtual machines 19

Workstation support 19

Xen 19
switch to jobs view 86, 90
Symantec LiveState Recovery, source 19
synchronize conversion 88
synchronizing source with destination 71
sysprep 26
system images, converting existing 15
system reconfiguration 10
system requirements

installation space requirements 23

supported destination disk types 22

supported firmware interfaces 18

supported operating systems 17

supported source disk types 21

TCP/IP and UDP port requirements 24

Windows operating systems 25

T

task manager

canceling tasks 90

combined filtering 91

filtering by multiple criteria 91

filtering tasks by history 90

filtering tasks by status 91

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Index

number of concurrent tasks 89

viewing task progress 91
tasks, filtering 90
tasks, managing 89
tasks, submitting configuration 83
TCP/IP and UDP port requirements 24
thin-provisioned destination disks 9
thin-provisioned disk 57
third-party VM, source 46
throttling conversion tasks 73
time zone configuration 81

U

uninstall Converter Standalone agent 73
uninstalling 33
uninstalling VMware vCenter Converter

Standalone, in Windows 39

V

vCenter Converter

migration with 9

tasks 9
vCenter permissions 23
vCenter Server, destination 20
vCenter Server support 19
vCenter Server virtual machines 45
vCenter Server VM, source 44
version support 19
viewing a task's progress 91
viewing conversion job summary 74
viewing the log files 92
virtual disk 54
virtual disk, adding 55
virtual hardware

CPU issues 16

disk device issues 16

Ethernet adapter issues 16

graphics card issues 16
virtual hardware version 49
virtual machines

conversion limitations 29

converting existing 15

destination on same network as source 15
VirtualCenter, destination 20
VMware Fusion

destination 20

source 19

support 19
VMware hosted products support 19
VMware managed products support 19
VMware Player

destination 20

source 19

support 19
VMware Tools 67
VMware vCenter Converter Standalone

command-line installation in Windows 36

installing remote access in Windows 34

uninstalling in Windows 39
volume, supported types 21

volume cluster size 53
volume-based cloning 13, 52–54, 57, 58
volume-based cloning, defined 14
volume, supported types 13
volumes, excluding 53
volumes, moving 55
volumes, resizing 52
VSS snapshots limitations 30

W

Windows, Simple File Sharing 26
Windows virtual machines, configuring 75
Windows XP, turning off Simple File Sharing 26
Windows XP, checking Windows Firewall

blocks 26
worker 10
Workstation

destination 20
source 19
support 19

X

Xen, source 19

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