VMWare Server 2.x migration to ESXi 4.0

[davidyuz]

Hi All,  I have a VMWARE server 2.0 running on Windows with a few virtual machines on a seperate NTFS partition.   If I want to convert this server to ESXi 4.0, I have to reformat this box and install ESXi 4.0.    The question is that would ESXi 4.0 be able to read NTFS partition as a datastore and able to access to those virtual images created in version 2.0?   I have tried to start up a vm image created from version 2.0 on ESXi 4.0, it won't work.   It seems that I will have to do somekind of convertion as well.

Perhaps, someone might have a better process to accomplish this migration from version 2.0 on Windows to ESXi 4.0 on UNIX.    Please advised... Thanks.

David.

[idle-jam]

NTFS is not readable. you will need to use vmware converter to backup the virtual machine. in another way you can try to install ESXi on USB drive as it would ensure that the server is workable before doing a full format. http://www.techhead.co.uk/installing-vmware-esxi-4-0-on-a-usb-memory-stick-the-official-way

[admin]

Hello

Good afternoon from Canada

Yes, you would need to use Converter to migrate those VMs off your NTFS file system to your ESXi

and the best way to do it is converting it as a Powered-ON machine

Regards

[rick-vanover]

As mentioned above, VMware Converter is in your future. One solution, if you have the space would be to do the following:

(Safest approach)

-Have available a laptop with external storage (USB drive) big enough for all the VMs on the VMware 2.0 Server

-Shut down all VMware Server 2.0 VMs

-Copy all VMware Server 2.0 VMs to USB drive on laptop over a network

-Shut down Windows Server running VMware Server 2.0

-Remove hard drives from  Windows Server running VMware Server 2.0

-Replace Windows Server running VMware Server 2.0 with new hard drives

-Install ESXi 4 on that server, ensure you have a VMFS datastore (presume local disk)

-Run VMware Converter from laptop to pick up VMware Server 2.0 VMs and move to ESXi server

[davidyuz]

Thanks folks who responded to my questions.  Appreciated.

Will review them.

David.

[davidyuz]

By the way, which VMWARE Converter tool you are referring too?  I downloaded the VMWARE Converter to Standalone version.   Pretty it is not the right tool to do this type of convertion.

David.

[rick-vanover]

Yes, the standalone converter use version 4.3 will do the trick!

[davidyuz]

Thanks again.  Will give it a try.

David.

[LucasAlbers]

I spent about 60 hours converting vmware server 2.0 images to esxi 4.0.

You can use converter, which is the easiest.

You can also use vmware workstation to adjust the machine version, and then vmkfstools to convert the disk type.

You would only use the 2nd method if you wished to migrate a windows vm and did not want it to reactivate.

Foreign language versions of windows are more sensitive to reactivation.

The great thing about workstation is you can boot the system in it's old mode, and then boot it in the new version.

It supports running multiple versions of vm's going way back.

The most error prone part is when you have to change your drive controllers.

Remember vm version 7 can run ide controllers, so just leave the controllers alone when you migrate them.

You preferable want to run the OS on the reccomended controller, which for the server os's is the buslogic or lsi scsi/sas controller.