Can VM Converter Standalone successfully convert a running vm on a standalone ESX 2.5.5 server directly to a standalone ESX 4.1 server?

[DennieTidwell]

Based on VMConverter Documentation - http://www.vmware.com/pdf/convsa_43_guide.pdf

Pages 22 thru 26 - supported source and destinations

Can VM Converter Standalone v 4.3 successfully convert a running vm on a standalone ESX 2.5.5 server directly to a standalone ESX 4.1 server? It appears it can in guide. Is this correct?

VM Converter Standalone cannot convert a powered off vm on a standalone ESX 2.5.5 server directly to ESX 4.1 server per guide unless the ESX 2.5.5 server is managed by vCenter 2.5. Is this correct?

Please confirm. There is some contention on this subject with peers.

All points will be awarded.

Thanks.

[GlennGD · Accepted solution]

According to the documentation you can hot covert an ESX 2.5.X if you are managing that ESX server with Virtual Center 2.5 or higher.

[DennieTidwell]

Thank you for your response. It will be considered for points.

My situation is:

ESX 2.5.5 standalone is source  -   ESX 4.1 standalone is planned destination  -  No vCenter available

Required: move 3 windows guests from source to destination

Can I perform this via VMConverter 4.3? What are gotchas? Live and powered off options?

???

All points will be awarded.

[nsolop]

Hello,

VMware Converter can convert your virtual servers that runs on the old ESX. Think about your VMs like physical servers and forget that they are virtual machines.

A few things:

Shutdown every service you can on the vms so if there is a change in the data during the convertion you don't need to re-sync the VMs

Upgrade VMware Tools on the new ESX Host so you can take advantage of the new features

Hope this helps.

Regards/Saludos

Por favor no olvides calificar las respuestas que te resultaron de ayuda o fueron correctas

Please, don't forget the awarding points for "helpful" and/or "correct" answers.

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Nicolás Solop

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[ChandanNuckched]

Hi,

I would suggest that you get vCenter Trial (60 days), install on a windows box or get the vCenter for Linux from http://communities.vmware.com/community/beta/vcserver_linux and do the move/convert.

Let me know what you think please.

Cheers!

[DennieTidwell]

The attempt to use Converter 4 to do a live VM conversion on ESX 2.5 to achieve a storage LUN migration failed with a error. I resorted to using vmkfstools to achieve the storage LUN migration.

FYI - thxs to all - points awarded.