Converting a VMware Server VM to ESX 3.02

[PerryM]

I have a Windows 2003 STD domain controller which is currently running as a VM on Vmware Server 1.02.

I want to move this server to run under my ESX 3.02 environment.

It is currently configured as SCSI with a 9 gig partition, which shows up on the VMware Server system as a 4 gig .vmdk and a 5 gig .REDO file.

I shut down my VM, and copied the VMDK & REDO file to my ESX server, and I ran vmkfstools -i

I then created a new VM inside of the VI3 console, and gave it one NIC, and used the same type of SCSI controller (LSI) and pointed it to the .VMDK which I converted.

I then powered on the VM, and it came up.

The first thing I noticed, when looking at the summary tab for the VM was that it did not keep the same NIC ip address. The NIC picked up an address from my DHCP server. I presume this was because the new NIC was different. Ok, so no big deal.

So now my problem. I cannot log into the VM.

Even though I entered the correct password for the administrator account, I was unable to log into it though. It tells me the password is incorrect. I tried multiple times just to make sure, and even tried using several account, but none worked.

This VM DC is also a global catalog server. I also have two other DC's running as physical machines.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

Perry M

[esiebert7625]

Converting domain controllers is not recommended, it's best to build new VM's and dcpromo them. Can you ping your DC, doe sit have network connectivity? I'm guessing the network settings may not have WINS/DNS set correctly and it cannot contact another DC to login from. Or possibly the bind order of your NIC's is not correct and the Microsoft Client is not installed on that NIC.

Also see this post...

http://www.vmware.com/community/thread.jspa?threadID=19834&messageID=231297

[christianZ]

What I didn't understand is why do you use the REDO file?

Have you tried to login to this vm when it has no network?

[zbenga]

when you boot into the vm do not log into the network, do a local login and should work fine

next time use the vm converter it works a charm

if all else fails make it boot of a iso/cd/floppy and load the linux tool to reset the Administrator password

[JBraes]

Hi,

This is rather a windows issue.

When you want to lo-n to the DC/GC that is not connected to the domain (because the nic has changed), you should put the server in recovery mode 5press F8 during boot) and select recovery.

Then use the recovery password you used during the initial install of the Domain controller. If you forgot this password you shouls use a tool to reset the password.

[PerryM]

Thanks all for the ideas. I guess the best way to handle this is to create a new DC instead of migrating this. I've had problems before with snapshotted DC's not working when I reverted a snapshot.

The reason I copied it manually was because Vmware Converter failed at 99% when I tried to import it. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that it's a DC... I dont know. I didn't bother to look at what the error was.

[esiebert7625]

It might have been OK if it got to 99%, being a DC should not matter to Converter, here are the task/percentages used by Converter...

Task process-bar (Estimated Values)

· Creation of the target VM (0-5%)

· Preparing to Clone the Disk (5-6%)

· Cloning (6-95%)

· Post-cloning (95-97%)

· Customization/Reconfig(97-99%)

· Install Tools/Power On (99-100%)

[sahil_s]

well then, wht API are you using for development for ESX 3.02??

coz the API 1.1 tht can be used for Server 1.0 does not support ESX 3.02