Having a hard time converting

[geodash74]

First off, I am new to ESX and ESXi and it was drpped on my plate so I am trying to figure out the best way to do this so forgive my "noobness"

This is what i am trying to accomplish -

I am migrating a Physical SBS2003 sever to ESXi because the hardware it lives on is failing. I have vCenter Server seetup on a machine and have ESXi managed under it. I am trying to migrate the SBS server to ESXi managed by vCenter server.

I have tried a coupe different ways to migrate -

I used the warm copy using converter, it resulted in BSOD boot loops

I used the cold copy booting with the converter CD - it reulted in errors on bootup of not recognizing the disk

One of my colleagues had the old VMWare P2V utility which i have used. I now have 3 vmdk files and a vmx file sitting there waiting to be put on the server. I have not ran any utilities to convert the drives to be recognized by ESXi.

What should I do next? I do not know how to import them onto the ESXi server or convert them to boot correct with the IDE/SCSI drivers etc. I have copied them to a datastore on the ESXi server via Veeam FastSCP so they are sitting on the datastore on the ESXi server. I want to make sure I do this correctly so that it doesnt BSOD loop again.

Thank you!

[continuum]

bluescreens 7B are harmless and can be expected

as soon as you post your vmx-file we can tell you what to do
we also need to know which vmdk format you have now

starting the VM usually does not hurt if it results in a bluescreen - that can be fixed

[geodash74]

It was in a constant BSOD loop. Everytime it booted it would BSOD and reboot BSOD...and so on

The vmdk files were created using the old version of the p2v converter - see attached pic - After created I copied them to the ESXi server on the datastore using FastSCP

This is my VMX file -

config.version = "8"
virtualHW.version  = "4"
memsize = "3840"
MemAllowAutoScaleDown = "FALSE"
MemTrimRate = "-1"
displayName = "ServerName"
guestOS = "winNetBusiness"
numvcpus = "2"
tools.remindInstall = "TRUE"
floppy0.present = "TRUE"
floppy0.fileName = "A:"
usb.present = "TRUE"
scsi0:0.present = "TRUE"
scsi0:0.fileName = "ServerName.vmdk"
scsi0:1.present = "TRUE"
scsi0:1.fileName = "ServerName (2).vmdk"
scsi0:2.present = "TRUE"
scsi0:2.fileName = "ServerName (3).vmdk"
ide0:0.present = "TRUE"
ide0:0.autodetect = "TRUE"
ide0:0.filename = "auto detect"
ide0:0.deviceType = "atapi-cdrom"
ide0:1.present = "TRUE"
ide0:1.autodetect = "TRUE"
ide0:1.filename = "auto detect"
ide0:1.deviceType = "atapi-cdrom"
scsi0.present = "TRUE"
scsi0.virtualDev = "buslogic"
buslogic.noDriver = "FALSE"

[geodash74]

I added the machine to the inventory on the server via the vmx file and tried to boot it up - this is the error.

Please see attached Pic

[continuum]

I need to know the vmdk format you have now - post details - a filelisting
and attach the vmware.log

[geodash74]

This is the log from the conversion - I dont know what other infformation to give you. Is there somewhere with more logs?

[continuum]

please read my notes on how to find out the vmdk type here

http://sanbarrow.com/vmdk-basics.html#identifytype

[bulletprooffool]

Importing vmdks to ESX format is easily done using VMKFSTools.

http://www.get-virtual.info/2011/01/28/importing-a-vm-from-vm-workstation-to-esx-esxi/

If you are running any clustering or similar on the host, you'll also want to eagerzero the disks (again vmkfstools)

[geodash74]

I have now migrated the server using the live converter tool. The system starts to boot but does a Blue Screen boot loop. I assume I have to change the boot.ini file or soemthing for the bottup. How do i do this?

[continuum]

if the VM bluescreens the boot.ini is ok

let me guess: you used Converter 4.3 and did NOT order the buslogic controller ?
then this is expected behaviour

post vmx again - or tell us which scsi-controller was assigned this time

[geodash74]

This is the file -

.encoding = "UTF-8"

config.version = "8"

virtualHW.version = "7"

pciBridge0.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge4.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge4.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge4.functions = "8"

pciBridge5.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge5.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge5.functions = "8"

pciBridge6.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge6.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge6.functions = "8"

pciBridge7.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge7.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge7.functions = "8"

vmci0.present = "TRUE"

nvram = "XXsbs.XXpdx.local.nvram"

virtualHW.productCompatibility = "hosted"

powerType.powerOff = "soft"

powerType.powerOn = "hard"

powerType.suspend = "hard"

powerType.reset = "soft"

displayName = "XXsbs.XXpdx.local"

extendedConfigFile = "XXsbs.XXpdx.local.vmxf"

floppy0.present = "TRUE"

numvcpus = "2"

memsize = "3840"

ide0:0.present = "TRUE"

ide0:0.fileName = "XXsbs.XXpdx.local.vmdk"

ide0:1.present = "TRUE"

ide0:1.fileName = "XXsbs.XXpdx.local_1.vmdk"

ide1:0.present = "TRUE"

ide1:0.clientDevice = "TRUE"

ide1:0.deviceType = "cdrom-raw"

ide1:0.startConnected = "FALSE"

ide1:1.present = "TRUE"

ide1:1.clientDevice = "TRUE"

ide1:1.deviceType = "cdrom-raw"

ide1:1.startConnected = "FALSE"

floppy0.startConnected = "FALSE"

floppy0.fileName = ""

floppy0.clientDevice = "TRUE"

ethernet0.present = "TRUE"

ethernet0.wakeOnPcktRcv = "FALSE"

ethernet0.networkName = "VM Network"

ethernet0.addressType = "vpx"

ethernet0.generatedAddress = "00:50:56:b2:00:01"

usb.present = "TRUE"

ehci.present = "TRUE"

guestOS = "winnetstandard"

uuid.bios = "42 32 1f 7e 4f 7c 89 ce-9e 5f 75 ad 59 a6 02 5f"

vc.uuid = "50 32 68 3b 27 c0 90 93-72 8b 38 7d 3b 9f 0c 0a"

sched.cpu.affinity = "all"

sched.mem.affinity = "all"

vmci0.id = "1504051807"

uuid.location = "56 4d 8d 79 96 b2 0d 42-25 53 5c 60 97 52 43 c5"

cleanShutdown = "TRUE"

replay.supported = "FALSE"

sched.swap.derivedName = "/vmfs/volumes/4d7676e6-61ffbcf2-f8c0-001b217f855f/XXsbs.XXpdx.local/XXsbs.XXpdx.local-b81c559f.vswp"

replay.filename = ""

ide0:0.redo = ""

ide0:1.redo = ""

pciBridge0.pciSlotNumber = "17"

pciBridge4.pciSlotNumber = "21"

pciBridge5.pciSlotNumber = "22"

pciBridge6.pciSlotNumber = "23"

pciBridge7.pciSlotNumber = "24"

usb.pciSlotNumber = "32"

ethernet0.pciSlotNumber = "33"

ehci.pciSlotNumber = "34"

vmci0.pciSlotNumber = "35"

vmotion.checkpointFBSize = "4194304"

usb:0.present = "TRUE"

usb:1.present = "TRUE"

hostCPUID.0 = "0000000568747541444d416369746e65"

hostCPUID.1 = "00100f230004080000802009178bfbff"

hostCPUID.80000001 = "00100f2310001623000007ffefd3fbff"

guestCPUID.0 = "0000000568747541444d416369746e65"

guestCPUID.1 = "00100f230000080080802001078bbbff"

guestCPUID.80000001 = "00100f2310001623000001e9ebd3bbff"

userCPUID.0 = "0000000568747541444d416369746e65"

userCPUID.1 = "00100f230004080080802001078bbbff"

userCPUID.80000001 = "00100f2310001623000001e9ebd3bbff"

evcCompatibilityMode = "FALSE"

usb:1.deviceType = "hub"

usb:0.deviceType = "mouse"

[continuum]

you used Converter 4.3 which fails per default when used against 2000, XP and 2003

use Converter 3.0.3 next time - or order buslogic controller

to fix the issue now - remove both vmdks from the VM
and add them again to scsi0:0 and scsi0:1

then start converter again and run the "configure machine" option against the vmx-file

[geodash74]

This is what i do not get - Following your instructions - I removed bith vmdk files from the VM

I add them again and do not get the option for SCSI - only IDE

Please see screenshot

[continuum · Accepted solution]

sorry - I do not know how you usually edit VMs ....

if the GUI does not allow it use a texteditor - remove the VM from inventory so you can edit the vmx-file
then use the one I attached and after edit re-add to inventory

for other users ...

current - non functional settings: - created because Converter 4.3 makes stupid assumptions

ide0:0.present = "TRUE"

ide0:0.fileName = "XXsbs.XXpdx.local.vmdk"

ide0:1.present = "TRUE"

ide0:1.fileName = "XXsbs.XXpdx.local_1.vmdk"

new settings that will work:

scsi0.present = "true"
scsi0.virtualDev = "buslogic"
scsi0:0.fileName = "XXsbs.XXpdx.local.vmdk"
scsi0:0.present = "TRUE"
scsi0:1.fileName = "XXsbs.XXpdx.local_1.vmdk"
scsi0:1.present = "TRUE"