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steven_dahlin
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

import VM from Virtual Server 1.0.0 to ESX Server 3.5.0

I have been having great difficulty importing a VM from a 1.0.0 Virtual Server into an ESX Server 3.5.0. I finally figured out how to upload the datafiles into the datastore and then right click on the vmx file to add the VM to the list of VMs. However, the VM fails to start up indicating that the location it expects for at least one of the vmdk files is in the original location on the 1.0.0 Virtual Server. I tried using vmkfstools -M to migrate the vmdk (but it accepted only one of the vmdks for this process). I still get the location mismatch problem:

VMware ESX Server cannot find the virtual disk "/xxx/xxx/xxx/xxx/xxx/xxx/Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 Update 4.vmdk". Please verify the path is valid and try again. Cannot open the disk 'vmfs/volumes/xxxxx/xxx/Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 Update 4.vmdk' or one of the snapshot disks it depends on. Reason: The system cannot find the file specified.

The file is present with permissions to read/write.

How does one import between these 2 environments?

Thanks,

Steve

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7 Replies
RParker
Immortal
Immortal

VMX files from VM server are not compatible with ESX. You have to recreate the VM. you have to use vmkfstools -M <vmdk>. This will import the vmdk file and create a new flat-vmdk file, and create a header file.

Then you create a NEW vm point the hard disk to the existing vmdk that you imported. Then everything should be fine.

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steven_dahlin
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

I ran the vmkfstools -M <vmdk> command on the one vmdk file (the others it rejected). However, I still get the same error message.

Steve

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opbz
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

here is what I have done in past that worked.

1: create new VM and place it on datastore do not assign vmdk files

2: copy vmdk file over to this directory lets call it ori,vmdk

4: run vmkfstools -i ori.vmdk new vmdk to create the small vmdk config file and also to recreate vmdk file into big block size.... so make sure you have plenty of space here for this

5: edit settings of vm and assign it this new vmdk...

6: delete original vmdk

this has worked for me everytime sofar...

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steven_dahlin
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

I am a little unclear about step 5. I have looked into editing the settings but cannot find any options for changing the vmdk for a virtual machine. Under Options->General Options the "Virtual Machine Configuration File" points to the vmx and it cannot be changed as is the case with the "Virtual Machine Working Location". I was wondering if you could clarify.

Thanks,

Steve

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opbz
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

sorry guess I should have been a bit more clear.

This option is only available when you are adding a new disk to a VM. You have 3 options create new disk, use existing disk and RDM. Select the use existing disk and then select the newly imported vmdk

hoping this helps

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tacticalcron
Contributor
Contributor

While this above method appears to work - what about a virtual machine that needs to be imported with snapshots? It seems to me we need a technical document describing in detail the steps required to take a VM from Server or Workstation (that is linux hosted in this case) over to VMI based servers. I realize that VM Importer is out, but that only seems to help Windows based hosts.

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opbz
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

ou might be able to export it but to be honest you are in for a really rough time.

Ideally either delete or discar sna

From past experience I seen that snapshotsand the original disks kept date stamps ie snapshots are newer than the disks if there is a mismatch you have problems.. so exporting something with snapshots is bound to be messy...

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