Required preparation for virtualizing a Win2003 business server?

[blackpuma]

I'm looking at converting a physical Windows 2003 Server that supports a business with Exchange, SharePoint, web server, etc. Pretty standards stuff.

My target is a stand-alone virtual machine.

Question #1:

I tried running Converter on a laptop, and it worked great. What I'm wondering is whether I have to shut down Exchange, SharePoint, etc. before running Converter, or does Converter take services like that into account?

Question #2:

When I converted the laptop, the perceived hardware change was big enough that Windows required the copy to be re-activated. This may have happened because the laptop was an ancient P-III that I pulled out of the storage room. I'm wondering if that's typical for converted VMs that end up running on host machines with similar hardware to the original physical machine.

Thanks!

[Craig_Baltzer]

You should be fine leaving services running as long as they have VSS support (such as Exchange, SQL Server, etc.). has the reference to Converter doing a VSS snapshot prior to conversion which is what you need to keep Exchange/SQL happy.

I've found that doing a P2V migration always trips Windows activation for products using retail license keys; those using VL keys (pre Vista/Windows Server 2008) don't use activation so its a non-issue. Also be cautious of OEM supplied copies of Windows Server products as in some vendors cases those are tied to physical hardware and won't reactivate in a VM (the license for some OEM versions forbids you from moving it to another server and that's enforced somehow in activation).