VMware Server files does not work in ESXi server, Why?

[dinnu]

Hi

My client is using VMware Server for running VMs. Opted to go for ESXi server and I tried copying and using the .vmx and .vmdk files creating by VMware server in to the datastore. I tried to add them into the inventory but its not working that way.

Are VMs created using VMware server different from ESXi created VMs? But the file extensions are same.

Any inputs on this statement?

TIA

[AndreTheGiant · Accepted solution]

You must use VMware Converter to import your VM into ESX.

Andre

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[weinstein5]

Different format - as Andre pointed out they need to be converted using VMware Converter or you can export them as an OVF format and then import them into ESXi -

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[devinnate]

I've not had any problems doing this. However, what I've done is:

1. Upload vmdk file (and not the vmx file) into data store for esxi, typically into the base dir (/)

2. Create a new machine in esxi without a hard disk - the vmdk file is the hard disk image, the vmx file is the vmware config file - basically you want the hard disk, but NOT the previous config.

3. Edit the newly created guest, and configure it to use the existing hard disk - if I recall it'll move it to the directory as the guest.

4. run the guest

This assumes you create your guest with roughly the same settings in esxi as it had before in vmware server, paying particular attention to the ethernet driver (vmware server tends to use e1000 or similar, and we tend to use vmxnet on esxi), and the same scsi driver (tends to be lsi for linux either way). If need be, create the guest in esxi the same as vmware server and then modify the options as you add drivers/vmware-tools to achieve optimal performance.

Hope this helps! (oh, and I'm writing these docs without looking at vmware vi client, so they may not be perfect... if you need more please say so).

This assumes esxi 3.5u4 and vmware server 2.0.1, and I've only tested with RHEL4 and RHEL5 guests.

Thanks,

Devin

[dinnu]

Thanks everyone for the help and inputs.

Dinakar

[grcumm]

Side note on VMware Hardware Versions:

VMware Server 2 uses VMHW v7 by default for many guests but allows you to tweak it when creating the VM (you can also use v4 or v6, IIRC). VMware ESX(i) 3 uses VMHW v4 by default. VMware vSphere 4 (and ESX(i) 4) use VMHW v7 by default.

Recently, I moved a Microsoft Windows XP Pro VM from VMware Server 2 to a VI3 cluster using the VMware Converter cold clone CD. Moving across VMHW versions, especially downwards, is only supported by using Converter. In the process, Converter changed the VM from an IDE HDD to a SCSI HDD, something that would probably require a lot of futzing around without Converter.

I've also used VMware Converter and the cold clone CD to migrate at least another 5 machines in my work environment from physical to virtual but prefer to create new VMs from template, install apps and migrate data as it ensures a cleaner base.