It doesn't work converting a Linux machine and using ESXi 4.1 as destination.

[HAkuma]

Hi, I would like to know how can I convert a physical Linux machine using ESXi 4.1 as destination.

When the process start, the Converter makes a machine in my ESXi 4.1 start it and then... nothing. It should have booted a Debian ISO distro to clone the machine as first step, but after not booting on PXE, the running ESXi destination VM shows a "not operating system found" obviusly and the Converter stucks in 1% forever (or till you cancel it).

This doesn't happen in using the same source machine and configuration but other ESXi destination host with 4.0 version, as it loads without any problem the Debian ISO to make the convertion, but why it doesn't work with ESXi 4.1?

Cheers,

Akuma.

[chjones]

Hi Akuma,

I just came across the same issue. We have a sendmail server on an old Dell Server running Gentoo. We tried to P2V it to our DRS/HA Cluster where all hosts are 4.1. I could see Converter create the target VM then power it on, but it'd power straight back off and be deleted.

The errors in the converter logs showed that it was failing trying to mount the converter ISO to the VM.

Luckily I still have a 4.0 host that I could point the conversion at, and it worked. So then i just had to shut down the VM and migrate to the cluster. However, this obviously isn't a long-term fix and we all have to upgrade to 4.1 at some point.

Version 4.0.1 Build 161434 is the latest build of Converter, and it was released in May. It doesn't appear to support 4.1 for Linux Conversions. I haven't tried a Windows P2V, but I'd assume that will work since it doesn't mount the ISO?

I am going to log a job with VMware on this one and see what they say.

Chris

[flyingscubakev]

Hi,

I'm having almost the same issue. I'm trying to convert a host from a workstation version to an ESXi 4.1 destination and it doesn't work. This did work before I blew away my test ESXi 4.0 server and installed ESXi 4.1 on it. So it does seem that the 4.0.1 build of the converter doesn't work well with ESXi 4.1.

Any results back from VMWare support on this?

[chjones]

Unfortunately my company doesn't want to purchase ESX Licences directly from VMware, but rather through HP, so I have to go to HP for support which is always a pain. In this case they were actually helpful.

The VMware Website has release notes for Converter 4.2, which you can see here: http://www.vmware.com/support/vsphere4/doc/vsp_vcc_42_rel_notes.html

The download for Converter on the VMware website is still only 4.0.1. However, the Converter Plugin that comes with vCenter 4.1 is actually Converter 4.2.

On the vCenter 4.1 DVD, inside the "converter" directory is the installer for Converter. I've tried installing it, but it's just the plugin not the standalone version, so that doesn't help.

Hopefully VMware will release the updated standalone converter soon.