export vm - retain MAC/ethernet0.generatedAddress

[DavidTanh]

Is there any way to export a VM, and retain the ethernet adapter MAC address (ethernet0.generatedAddress)?

I've tried export: I only see OVA/OVF, and I don't get the MAC address,

and I've tried the VMware vCentre Standalone Converter: it seems that always converts the MAC address to a new value.

On a related question, how do you get ESXI to consolidate a delta to a vmdk? Presumably it does that if you export or convert, but (see above), if I do that the MAC address changes.

[arturka]

DavidTanh wrote:

Is there any way to export a VM, and retain the ethernet adapter MAC address (ethernet0.generatedAddress)?

I've tried export: I only see OVA/OVF, and I don't get the MAC address,

and I've tried the VMware vCentre Standalone Converter: it seems that always converts the MAC address to a new value.

Hi

It's normal, always you will get new MAC, doesn't matter which tool you will use to export it but.....

There are two workarounds:

1. if you have E1000 vNIC on your VM you can specified custom MAC address on OS level, write down your current MAC address, export VM, import on target server try to setup MAC address manually in E1000 driver on OS level.
2. if you have different vNIC driver - you can specified MAC address manualy in vNIC (on virtual hardware level), Edit VM hardware, choose network adapter and specified MAC address manualy but MAC address range has to be between 00:50:56:00:00:00 and 00:50:56:3f:ff:ff

On a related question, how do you get ESXI to consolidate a delta to a vmdk? Presumably it does that if you export or convert, but (see above), if I do that the MAC address changes.

I'm not sure if I catch your question but delta files are snapshots, connect to vCenter or ESX host using vSphere client, right click on VM, Snapshot and Snapshot manager - do you see snapshots there ? if you have enough space you can delete then one by one starting for the oldest one.

Cheers
Artur

Please, don't forget the awarding points for "helpful" and/or "correct" answers.

[arturka]

1. if you have E1000 vNIC on your VM you can specified custom MAC address on OS level, write down your current MAC address, export VM, import on target server try to setup MAC address manually in E1000 driver on OS level.

one remark to point 1 which I forgot to mention, if you have security settings, MacAddres changes and Forget Transmitt set to Reject on vSwitch or PortGroup, your machine will not be able to connect to LAN

Cheers
Artur

Please, don't forget the awarding points for "helpful" and/or "correct" answers.

[DavidTanh]

Thanks for the suggestion about the MAC,

Regarding the delta, I've got a vmdk (which is a configuration file for the virtual disk), a -flat.vmdk, (which is the data for the virtual disk), and a -delta.vmdk, which is the changes made to the virtual disk. I've also got snapshots, but I don't think that is important -- I just want to consolidate the delta into the virtual disk.

regards

(david)

[arturka · Accepted solution]

DavidTanh wrote:

Thanks for the suggestion about the MAC,

Regarding the delta, I've got a vmdk (which is a configuration file for the virtual disk), a -flat.vmdk, (which is the data for the virtual disk), and a -delta.vmdk, which is the changes made to the virtual disk. I've also got snapshots, but I don't think that is important -- I just want to consolidate the delta into the virtual disk.

regards

(david)

Hi

Well, believe me, it is very important to delete snapshots if you do not need them anymore, you may go to big trouble if delta files would grow to much, -delta.vmdk is a snapshot files, if you delete snapshot those files will be deleted as well

Cheers
Artur

Please, don't forget the awarding points for "helpful" and/or "correct" answers.

[DavidTanh]

Ok, thank you

I'm going to delete the snapshots and try export/convert again, to see if I get anything different -- so far, I can boot off a raw copy of the vm, but not off anything that has been exported or converted.

(david)