P2V Migration

[rmgbasker]

Hi ,

I am plan to migrate one physical server to new ESXi 4.1 environment using VMware Converter 4.3 but the physical server D:\ drive capacity is around 600GB. could you please advise which method is good for fast migration.

Is there any other option apart from vmware converter.

[4nd7]

Hello,

You can use Converter only for the C: partition and benefit from the features of robocopy while copying the data for the 😧 partition.  This is good also if your initial 😧 partition is not aligned, and you want to copy the data on an aligned partition.

Dan

[AndreTheGiant]

If the 😧 volume is a file server or similar, I agree with the robocopy solution.

Otherwise, if contains few big database files, then you have to go with a conversion or find another way to do the data migration.

Andre

[4nd7]

If you are dealing with databases it depends how much time you can have the databases offline if you want to use robocopy.

Database server or file server, it would be a good idea to try to split the volume if you can. In the future you will work better with smaller disk files then with one large file (you can have them on datastores with different RAID levels, it is easier when you do backup/restores, snapshots will be smaller).

Dan

[TomHowarth · Accepted solution]

vConverter will easily migtrate this machine if you have a decent network pipe.  I have converted much bigger machines that this using the tool.

[rmgbasker]

Most of the application are  installed on D:\ Drive. let me know it's robocopy work for this scenario or shall i go with backup and restore method

[bulletprooffool]

You can use robocopy, just make sure you use the  /mir option, or /copyall, to ensure that your source and destination d: is identical.

where using robocopy gets tricky is that your source and destination host in the case of a PO2V are the same host (sam,e hostname, and generally same IP) - this means you'll have to rename your source machine, or bind the new D to a differenet destination - depending on your installed applications, this could actually cause changes in the data on the D:, making your copy void.

Also, starting the new VM without the 😧 could cause application errors at launch of the new VM as applications running as services from 😧 may try to start - again this can affect the config of apps if they try repair themselves or similar.

I'd say you'd be best advised to first try the conversion using converter.

As an aside, if you do go with robocopy, make sure that you use the latest version, as this now does multi threaded copies:

http://www.get-virtual.info/2011/02/07/quicker-copies-with-robocopy/

[TomHowarth]

Although robocopy will work it is another peice of software in the mix.  vCenter Converter will easily manage this server, plus you have the advantage that you get the whole machine in one sweep