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14 Replies Last post: Dec 22, 2006 5:25 AM by roeschu  

Problems Converting IDE to SCSI posted: Dec 21, 2006 12:45 AM

Click to view roeschu's profile Novice
roeschu
25 posts since
Nov 16, 2006
Hi

I need to import a vmware server disk into esx 3.0.1. Unfortuntatly the virtual disk was created as IDE and importing via vmkfstools works only for scsi.

I've found the Knowledge Base entry:

http://kb.vmware.com/vmtnkb/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&externalId=1881&sliceId=SAL_Public&dialogID=373282&stateId=0%200%20371338&doctag=Author,%20KB%20Article

I've done it this way, but i cant boot the virtual machine anymore after conversion (i've tried lsilogic and buslogic)...got a kernel panic inside the guest during boot up (Ubuntu guest).

Could it be that the KB Document doesn't work vor Vmware server images? (in Product Versions there is only the old GSX listed..)...

For more information see my descriptor files here:

**************************************
Before Conversion (as ide disk):

# Disk DescriptorFile
version=1
CID=6dc7e32f
parentCID=ffffffff
createType="twoGbMaxExtentSparse"

# Extent description
RW 4192256 SPARSE "Reticulum-s001.vmdk"
RW 4192256 SPARSE "Reticulum-s002.vmdk"
RW 4192256 SPARSE "Reticulum-s003.vmdk"
RW 4192256 SPARSE "Reticulum-s004.vmdk"
RW 4192256 SPARSE "Reticulum-s005.vmdk"
RW 4192256 SPARSE "Reticulum-s006.vmdk"
RW 4192256 SPARSE "Reticulum-s007.vmdk"
RW 4192256 SPARSE "Reticulum-s008.vmdk"
RW 16384 SPARSE "Reticulum-s009.vmdk"

# The Disk Data Base
#DDB

ddb.virtualHWVersion = "4"
ddb.geometry.cylinders = "16383"
ddb.geometry.heads = "16"
ddb.geometry.sectors = "63"
ddb.adapterType = "ide"
ddb.toolsVersion = "5190"
**************************************


**************************************
After Conversion (scsi buslogic)

# Disk DescriptorFile
version=1
CID=1d43756c
parentCID=ffffffff
createType="twoGbMaxExtentSparse"

# Extent description
RW 4192256 SPARSE "Reticulum-s001.vmdk"
RW 4192256 SPARSE "Reticulum-s002.vmdk"
RW 4192256 SPARSE "Reticulum-s003.vmdk"
RW 4192256 SPARSE "Reticulum-s004.vmdk"
RW 4192256 SPARSE "Reticulum-s005.vmdk"
RW 4192256 SPARSE "Reticulum-s006.vmdk"
RW 4192256 SPARSE "Reticulum-s007.vmdk"
RW 4192256 SPARSE "Reticulum-s008.vmdk"
RW 16384 SPARSE "Reticulum-s009.vmdk"

# The Disk Data Base
#DDB

ddb.toolsVersion = "5190"
ddb.adapterType = "buslogic"
ddb.geometry.sectors = "63"
ddb.geometry.heads = "255"
ddb.geometry.cylinders = "2088"
ddb.virtualHWVersion = "4"
**************************************

note that the guest is booting again without problems if i switch back to ide..

greets + thx

Re: Problems Converting IDE to SCSI

1. Dec 21, 2006 12:53 AM in response to: roeschu
Click to view acr's profile Virtuoso
acr
3,012 posts since
Nov 17, 2005
Not to sure this is a solution for you, but we had similar issue when going in and out of workstaion, before we started to use the Converter..

But in thoses instances we only needed to create a new .vmx file

http://sanbarrow.com/vmxbuilder.html

Re: Problems Converting IDE to SCSI

2. Dec 21, 2006 8:33 AM in response to: acr
Click to view roeschu's profile Novice
roeschu
25 posts since
Nov 16, 2006
i've created a new machine (new vmx file) with the converted disk...unfortunatly still "kernel panic"...

so this does not solve my problem, i still got a kernel panic inside the linux guest..

thanks anyway

Message was edited by:
roeschu

Re: Problems Converting IDE to SCSI

3. Dec 21, 2006 9:04 AM in response to: roeschu
Click to view pangchen's profile Virtuoso VMware Employees
pangchen
2,059 posts since
Nov 15, 2004
Try Converter. It will convert your IDE VM to SCSI VM for ESX Server.

http://www.vmware.com/products/beta/converter/

Re: Problems Converting IDE to SCSI

4. Dec 21, 2006 9:16 AM in response to: pangchen
Click to view acr's profile Virtuoso
acr
3,012 posts since
Nov 17, 2005
Used it many times, nice bit of kit..!

Re: Problems Converting IDE to SCSI

5. Dec 21, 2006 9:26 AM in response to: acr
Click to view roeschu's profile Novice
roeschu
25 posts since
Nov 16, 2006
yes...unfortunatly Vmware Converter works only on Vmware Server installed on Windows Plattform....Vmware Server is here installed on Ubuntu...

anyway i guess i made a "thinking mistake": The Kernel Panic inside the linux guest must happen because the mountpoints in /etc/fstab are still pointing to /dev/hda ..... if i change convert adapter type to virtual scsi i should also change this entries to /dev/sda...so i guess the problem is this...

greets

Re: Problems Converting IDE to SCSI

6. Dec 21, 2006 9:36 AM in response to: roeschu
Click to view pangchen's profile Virtuoso VMware Employees
pangchen
2,059 posts since
Nov 15, 2004
Yes, Converter installs and runs on Windows. You can also try VM Importer 2.0 which will also import your VM. Both applications runs on Windows but you point to the location of your VM files over a network share and then to your ESX Server host.

Bottom line, if you have any Windows machine in your network you can run it from there, not necessary to have VMware Server on Windows.

Converter or Importer will take a copy of the vmdk and make the necessary changes from IDE to SCSI inside the Guest.

If you're trying to do this manually, I imagine you would need to copy the contents of your IDE disk to a SCSI disk, then attach your vmdk in ESX Server to a working VM and go inside to update the storage drivers.

Re: Problems Converting IDE to SCSI

7. Dec 21, 2006 9:58 AM in response to: roeschu
Click to view ulli's profile Enthusiast
ulli
37 posts since
Dec 1, 2004
A simple way to do it that I mostly use is to create a SCSI disk for this VM on the VMware Server, boot it from a ISO-image of a Ghost (or Acronis or whatever imaging product) boot-CD and copy the disk over.

Maybe not most efficient but robust and safe.

Message was edited by:
ulli

Re: Problems Converting IDE to SCSI

8. Dec 21, 2006 10:21 AM in response to: ulli
Click to view roeschu's profile Novice
roeschu
25 posts since
Nov 16, 2006
mmh...will have a look at the Converter and Importer from Vmware tomorrow...and if it will not work will try with a Ghost image...

thx for inputs

Re: Problems Converting IDE to SCSI

9. Dec 21, 2006 11:34 AM in response to: roeschu
Click to view acr's profile Virtuoso
acr
3,012 posts since
Nov 17, 2005
We use it when taking Workstation VM's into ESX etc..

Works well..

Re: Problems Converting IDE to SCSI

10. Dec 21, 2006 3:26 PM in response to: ulli
Click to view ErMaC's profile Expert
ErMaC
300 posts since
Mar 29, 2006
Just ghosting it will not work, you need to make some sort of change to the OS you're copying to tell it that it needs to start looking for an LSI/BusLogic Controller. This is what VMWare converter is supposed to do (although I wasn't aware it could do this for Linux VMs, only Windows).

Re: Problems Converting IDE to SCSI

11. Dec 21, 2006 3:37 PM in response to: ErMaC
Click to view pangchen's profile Virtuoso VMware Employees
pangchen
2,059 posts since
Nov 15, 2004
Good point. I must correct my earlier statement "Converter or Importer will take a copy of the vmdk and make the necessary changes from IDE to SCSI inside the Guest." I meant that for only Windows.

Converter will convert the vmdk format from Server to ESX Server, but if you created the vmdk using a virtual IDE controller instead of SCSI Converter will fix this only for Windows machines a la the Configure step. For Linux I'm afraid you'll have to go into the VM and manually make changes inside the virtual disk to get it to recognize SCSI.

Re: Problems Converting IDE to SCSI

12. Dec 21, 2006 5:17 PM in response to: pangchen
Click to view pangchen's profile Virtuoso VMware Employees
pangchen
2,059 posts since
Nov 15, 2004
I think KB 1881 might help you.

http://www.vmware.com/support/kb/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1881

Converting a GSX Server Virtual IDE Disk to a Virtual SCSI Disk

Re: Problems Converting IDE to SCSI

13. Dec 22, 2006 3:15 AM in response to: ErMaC
Click to view acr's profile Virtuoso
acr
3,012 posts since
Nov 17, 2005
Correct Only for Windows VMs..

Re: Problems Converting IDE to SCSI

14. Dec 22, 2006 5:25 AM in response to: acr
Click to view roeschu's profile Novice
roeschu
25 posts since
Nov 16, 2006
Thx a lot for all the input...the problem is solved ...in the end it was logical...:

I've had to boot from a knoppix cd, mount the scsi device and change the entries in /etc/fstab and in /boot/grub/menu.lst from IDE values like hda1 to scsi values like sda1...

so it was more an linux aspect than a vmware aspect. The converting from ide to scsi with Vmware was not the problem....so it was a basic OS "thing"...

thx + greets

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