Copying Virtual Machines Help

[dieseltrain]

I am trying to copy 5 virtual machines(includes 2 domain controllers) in a working lab environment to another new server/host I have setup on a different vlan.  I started off by clicking browse the datastore on the original server with esxi and copied each folder for each virtual machines to a external hard drive, then I copied those same backed up virtual machines to the next servers datastore.  I then added each virtual machine to the inventory by right clicking the .vmx file on each virtual machine folder.  I powered on the machines and they cannot ping each other, but the issue I'm running into is the 2 domain controllers are not talking to each other either, I can log into each domain controller invidually only.  As an example, domain controller1(winner.com), i can log onto the domain, and domain controller 2(second.winer.com) I can log onto that domain also.  So bottom line all 5 virtual machines cannot ping each other.   Am I missing a step?  Any suggestions would be helpful.

[a_p_]

When you powered on the copied VM's for the first time you should have received a question about whether the VM was copied or moved!? How did you answer this question? In case you selected "I copied it", ESXi generated new UUID's and MAC addresses for the VMs and you have to reconfigure the network within the guest OS. Can you confirm you did this and/or the IP settings are still how they should be? Are there any warnings/errors in the Windows event logs?

André

[dieseltrain]

Thanks for replying.  I selected copy, if i remember correctly.  I was trying to keep the same ip address, settings from the original.  Can I not keep the same ip addresses?

[a_p_]

If you want to keep all the settings you have to select "I moved it". With selecting "I copied it" VMware assumes that the original VM is still available (e.g. on the network) and generates a new UUID and MAC address to keep them unique for all VMs.

However, even with new MAC addresses, you should be able to make this work again by reconfiguring the virtual machines' network settings.

André

[dieseltrain]

i was thinking last night, i never added the nic cards from the new server for each vm, could this also be he cause of the vm not being able to talk to each other?  thanks.

[a_p_]

... i never added the nic cards from the new server for each vm, ...

I'm not sure I understand this!? Do you say the VMs are not connected to a virtual machine port group? Can you please explain how the network is currently configured (Host as well as virtual machines!?

André

[dieseltrain]

When moving copied virtual machine folder to a new servers datastore and adding it to the inventory, it is customary to add the nics from the new server to the the virtual machines?

answer to your question:

under the host, configuration tap,network, so i created a group for management network vswitch0

and vswitch 1 for my vlan.  other than that I have not added any nics or made any changes.

[a_p_]

Attaching virtual machines to a network is done by assigning their virtual NICs to a port group. If you copy/move VMs to another host which does not have the exact, same port group name available, then you need to re-assign an existing port group to the VM.

André

[dieseltrain]

i'll try that, creating a virtual nic tommorow when i have access to my lab, i'll let you know if it works.

[a_p_]

There should be no need to create a virtual NIC. Just double-check whether it is connected to the correct port group.

André

[dieseltrain]

as you knowI had the port group on one nic and management network on the 2nd nic under the host->configurations->Network, so for each virtual machine I added he hardware nic for the server for every virtual machine, and removed the old nic from the other server, then everything worked.