P2V between datacenter

[goolasso]

Hello.

I have 30 intel physical server within the Datacenter A.

I need to virtualize them in 7 new physical server but in the Datacenter B.

I have more or less 3 TB of data. I have a very small WAN between the DCs (2mbps). The distance between DCs is 200km.

What is the best way to P2V them between DCs?

Can I use some non-vmware tools?

Thanks in advance.

[AndreTheGiant]

If you have a NAS compatible with VMware you can copy all VMs files on it and then move across datacenters.

Otherwise make a V2V to workstation (to save on a USB driver or on PC), then make again a V2V to the new datacenter.

Andre

[goolasso]

mmm....

But the source machine are physical I cannot do a V2V...

[ldelloca]

So what is the need for vmware, if you are going p2p?

If you need to convert 30 physical servers into only 7, you need anyway to virtualize some of them in vmware or other virtualized environment.

There other third party tools to do this (such as acronis), but you need to pay for them while vmware converter is free.

Regards,

Luca.

--

Luca Dell'Oca

http://www.vuemuer.it

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[AndreTheGiant]

But the source machine are physical I cannot do a V2V...

Make a P2V to workstation format in order to save to a movable disk.

Of consider to build a temportally host on datacenter A, make a P2V on it and then move to the new datacenter.

Andre

[goolasso]

Is not a P2P but a P2V between 2 DCs with a poor bandwidth between them.

I think that I cannot tranfer 3TB on a 2mbps connection using converter from one DC to the other one....

One solution could be to install some new server on the old DC, P2V and the physically move the new server to the new DC.

Or maybe some better idea like using some tools....

[ldelloca · Accepted solution]

Well, choosing a way basically depends on the size of resultant VMs, and the time you can afford staying offline during convertion/move of the files.

If you need to reduce downtime to the least possible, also consider a tool like PlateSpin Migrate ( http://www.novell.com/products/migrate/), it ha features like Live Transfer or Server Sync that can help to replicate servers and keep them in sync if the migration take too long.

Maybe you can start with a first copy done in offline like Andrea told you, and then sync source and destination via the 2 mbits link once you moved the replica to the destination datacenter.

Regards,

Luca.

--

Luca Dell'Oca

http://www.vuemuer.it

[Assign points to a useful answer is a way to say thanks]

[bulletprooffool]

Just convert to any local store.

Once you have the vmdks etc, you can copy them to any storage using something like FastSCP (or even back them up, ship the tapes and restore them to new storage on the other side)

Once you have the files at the new DC, simply import them.

[goolasso]

Thanks a lot to everyone!