Configure default network on helper server in P2V linux to ESXi

[Baysie82]

Apologies if this has been discussed elsewhere, or if I'm simply being an idiot (or both!) - but I'm having a problem performing a P2V clone of a RedHat 6 EL server and wondered if anyone out there can help me?

The problem I'm experiencing is that once the conversion commences, it simply sits at 1% complete, with log stating:

"Connecting to the Converter helper server on the destination virtual machine."

The helper server has to use a static IP as there are no DHCP servers available.

I believe I can see what is triggering this - when I look in our VM inventory and browse the settings of the newly created VM / helper server, I see that the NIC has not assigned a network to use (see attached pic).  I've tried changing the network label to the correct network, however I don't think this makes any difference by this point as the helper server still doesn't bind to the predefined static IP - as I get no response when I ping it.

Is there any way I can tell VMware converter which network label to use on the helper server NIC?

If not, is there a way in vCenter I can assign a particular network label as the default label?

Or, is there another solution to my problem?

Cheers in advance!!

Robbie

[marcelo_soares]

When you are doing the conversion operation inside Converter, the last section before the end screen is a summary of all your settings, check the last options, they refere to the helper configuration - there you can set a static IP/gateway/DNS for it.

[Baysie82]

Thanks Marcelo.

Unfortunately it would seem that I perhaps didn't explain my predicament very well.  I have already configured the static IP, DNS, Gateway etc. in those options - but how do I get VMware Convertor to tell vSphere which network label to use on the Helper Server?

So in a nutshell; all IP information is configured and is correct when I'm configuring the P2V task in Convertor.  But when I submit the task, Convertor instructs ESXi to build a new VM as the helper server (using all of the static IP infomation I had previously configured), however it doesn't tell it which network the NIC should use (our infrastructure has half a dozen networks configured in our vSphere environment - all for varying purposes, and only one of these can be used for P2V conversions).  If you look at the image attached in my previous post, you will see that no network label is actually assigned to the helper server - so obviously Converter cannot communicate with the Helper Server because the NIC isn't actually connected to any networks.

I've tried going in to the VM settings and changing the NIC to use one of our networks, but it makes no difference - by this point the helper will not bind to the IP assigned to it.

So is there a way Converter can instruct vSphere which network the helper server's NIC should use?

If not, is there any other way around this?  I can't believe I'm the only person who needs to predefine which network the Helper Server must use in ESXi...

Thanks

[marcelo_soares]

On the same screen you use to define the helper IP, you can tell what networks the nics should be attached. Are you using Distributed Switches? Are you sure that physically you can reach the nic where you are pretending to place this VM? Can you test a ping from the source VM to any IP residing on this same nic?

[Baysie82]

Unfortunately I don't see any option to configure which network label the Helper Server's NIC should use in the "helper IP" window - please see the attached image to view what I get in said window.  Unless I'm looking in completely the wrong place, of course... 🙂

Yep, we are indeed using Distributed Switches.

Yep, I can physically reach the ESXi NIC which is attached to the subnet I need to network the Helper Server in.

Yep, I can ping from the physical source server to a VM that is using the network label I would like to use on the Helper Server VM, that resides on the very same ESXi box I'd like to deploy it on.

Any ideas?

Cheers - I appreciate you taking the time to help me with this!

[marcelo_soares]

There were several problems with previous versions of Converter when using dvSwitches. What version are you using? Can you update it?

[Baysie82]

I'm using 4.3.0 Build 292238 - which I think is the latest available at time of writing this 😞

[marcelo_soares]

That's weird... do you by any chance can do the conversion to a standard vswitch (if you have nics available) and after that move the Vm network to the dvSwitch?

[Baysie82]

That's a good idea - I'll discuss it with "the powers that be" to see if it's a viable option, though I suspect it won't be.