Convert a vCenter VM to Vmware Workstation

[heIIvis]

Hi,

One of our user have a test VM into our vCenter infrastructure. We wat to take off this VM of our production and send it to his VMware workstation. I can do this easily with converter, but the user want to keep all his Snapshots! And I don't see any options for this in the converter..

Thanks.

[Troy_Clavell · Accepted solution]

you can try to browse the datastore and hightlight the VM's folder name and choose "download a file from the datastore to your local machine".  From there open workstation and file open... browse to the vmx.

[heIIvis]

Yes I tought about this solution but does the files will be cmpatible with Workstation?

I'm downloading them right now...I will let you know.

[pauljawood]

Hi,

As stated you just need to download the folder from the storage to a new location. The you then 'Open' a virtual machine in Workstation and everything should work fine.

[continuum]

Workstation can of course run everything that ESX can - but the other way round it does not work.
So if you add more snapshots while using WS you may get propblems when moving the VM back to the older ESX platform

[heIIvis]

I don't need to go back to ESX. The download is running, will seee after it.

[a_p_]

I'd really like to get your feedback after downloading the snapshots. With the latest versions of ESX(i) the snapshot files were inflated to their full size when downloading them using the datastore browser.

Which ESX(i) version (build number) do you have installed?

André

[heIIvis]

I'm using ESX 4.0.0 build 261974

I'm downloading them using Veeam backup Fast SCP to simplify the download of the whole folder.

I'm halfway now so I will post the result when it will be done.

[heIIvis]

Ok the download is done and I can start the Vm with no problem. Now the only thing is that the network connection isn't working, so I will re-install the tools and the hardware, but it seems to be a good solution.

Thanks.

[continuum]

no need to re-install the tools - post the vmx-file - a small adjustment will fix this

[heIIvis]

Here is the vmx

[continuum]

right now you have

ethernet0.present = "true"
ethernet0.allowGuestConnectionControl = "false"
ethernet0.networkName = "VLAN PED"
ethernet0.addressType = "vpx"
ethernet0.generatedAddress = "00:50:56:b4:53:3e"

change that to

ethernet0.connectionType = "bridged"
ethernet0.generatedAddress = "00:50:56:b4:53:3e"
ethernet0.addressType = "generated"
ethernet0.present = "true"
ethernet0.allowGuestConnectionControl = "false"
ethernet0.startConnected = "true"
ethernet0.virtualDev = "vlance"

and I think it will work

[heIIvis]

Everything seems to be ok.

Thanks.