P2V Windows Cluster

[bananaden]

Hi, I am planning to P2V my clustered 2003 servers which is currently using MSA storage to a server which will be using EVA storage. I am unclear whether this will be possible as there were extra partitions need to be created in order to mount the storage for clustering use. Any recommendations and guidance in this?

[AndreTheGiant]

First you need to know HOW to setup the VMs and the disk for MSCS: read the Setup for Microsoft Cluster Service Guide

This guide explain the 3 kind of configuration (cluster in a box, cluster across box, and cluster physical-virtual) and how the share disks must be configurated.

If the cluster is in the same SAN of ESXs you can do P2V in 2 step:

• first step (cluster physical-virtual)
  P2V of the passive node (to convert ONLY the system disk)
  then you turn off the phycal node and add to the VM the cluster disk as RDM
  and then power on the node

• second step (cluster across boxes)
  move the resource to the virtual node
  than P2V of the remaing physical node
  turn off the physical node
  add the cluster disk as RDM to the new VM
  and then power on the second virtual node.

Andre

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[happyhammer]

you could always just build a fresh VM and add this to the cluster and evict the physical node rather than performing a P2V