UNKNOWN_METHOD_FAULT while converting Windows Server 2003 to ESXi

[sant0sk1]

I have a Windows Server 2003 virtual machine (vmware server 1.0.4) which I am trying to convert to a Dell Poweredge 2950 running ESXi and using local storage. I have converted other virtual machine's using this setup successfully.

The conversion has failed twice between 30-40% completion with the following error:

Task failed: P2VError UNKNOWN_METHOD_FAULT(vim.fault.NotAuthenticated)

The vm in question has 3 virtual disks. 12GB, 20GB, and 48GB. The failure comes after the first 2 disks are successfully cloned.

I am using vmware converter version 3.0.3 build 89816.

I'll gladly provide more information if it is helpful. Thanks for helping!

[IamTHEvilONE]

Can you provide the full Vmware-converter log as an attachment to this thread?

Also, how much free space is on the ESXi host?

EvilOne

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[sant0sk1]

Log is attached.

The ESXi host has 1.08TB of local storage, of which 777GB are free.

Another noteworthy observance. As I stated, this server has multiple virtual SCSI disks (3). I can reproduce the same error consistently with another Windows Server 2003 vmware server virtual machine that has multiple virtual disks (5). I have successfully converted every other virtual machine in my server pool including a Windows Server 2003 machine which has multiple virtual disks (2).

[heikki_m]

I get the same error when converting certain VMWare Server virtual machines to ESXi using VMWare Converter. Most of the conversion succeed but a few Windows and Linux VMs fail always with this error after a couple of hours converting.

I got a feeling that this happens with bigger VMs that have more actual data to be copied. A couple first disks are converted ok, after which it always fails.

Also my management network is painfully slow (described the problem in another thread here)

[heikki_m]

Same here also for multiple disks.

Two disk VMs convert fine - some three disk VMs convert fine, some don't - three or more disks -> doesn't work.

[sant0sk1]

Ok, this seems to be affecting more people than just me. Anybody have a solution or workaround?

I'm thinking possibly migrate the problem virtual machines sans a few disks and then move or copy those disks over separately. Is there a way to migrate JUST a virtual disk from vmware server to ESXi sans an attached virtual machine?

[sant0sk1]

To help out others in my same spot, I have found a solution to this problem:

When setting up the conversion, don't use "convert all disks and leave current size", use "select volumes..." and leave all volumes selected and the default options checked. This technique worked flawlessly for me on both servers that were failing with the discussed error.

The solution was found on another thread in a comment by Phil=4096. You can read that thread here