VMware Cloud Community
mbartlett
Contributor
Contributor

Recovering Guest Customization Settings

We recently took our VirtualCenter server to a VM. Everything was good until I went to deploy a new machine from a template today. I realized that the Guest Customization Settings had been left behind. I still have access to the the old hardware and it is still in tact, but I cannot bring it up on the network for obvious reasons. Therefor I cannot login to Virtual Center to export the guest settings. So, does anyone know how I would go about extracting my guest customizations manually? What files are required? Does the VPX_GUEST_CUSTOMIZATION table need to be migrated over? (We did not migrate the database, choosing instead to start from scratch)

Thanks for any help you can offer.

Reply
0 Kudos
6 Replies
Troy_Clavell
Immortal
Immortal

Did you use the same host name and IP address for your new VC Server? If not, you can just bring up the old VC server and export the setttings out.

Reply
0 Kudos
polysulfide
Expert
Expert

Sneakerware!!!!

Just don't plug the server into the LAN when you power it on to export your data. If its a network database just change your IP for a short time. If this was a new install and not a p2v then you should be able to change the name, IP, and domain membership of the old server without any issues. Just unplug your NIC, make the changes, and plug your NIC back in.

If it was useful, give me credit

http://communities.vmware.com/blogs/polysulfide

VI From Concept to Implementation

Reply
0 Kudos
mbartlett
Contributor
Contributor

It is a new build, but it does have the same host name and IP address. I have the server booted up now off network, but I cannot access the VI interface due to no domain controller to authenticate me. I can access the database, but I'm not sure that what I'm looking for is in the database. The VPX_GUEST_CUSTOMIZATION table contains one record for each customization, but it only seems to contain display information and nothing useful.

If I make changes to the NIC and hostname and bring it back online, won't VC still attempt to manage the ESX servers?

Reply
0 Kudos
polysulfide
Expert
Expert

You could use the local administrator account to access VC.

The ESX servers wont re-associate with the old VC unless you re-add them.

If it was useful, give me credit

http://communities.vmware.com/blogs/polysulfide

VI From Concept to Implementation

Reply
0 Kudos
mbartlett
Contributor
Contributor

First I tried logging into VC as local admin and it failed, but I didn't realize why it failed. The VC service terminates immediately after starting. Thinking this was possibly caused by having no network I went on to re-IP and rename the server and bring it back online but off domain. This had the same results, so finally I re-added it to the domain and the service still fails to start. I guess at this point I'm going to end up recreating the customizations the best I can.

Reply
0 Kudos
polysulfide
Expert
Expert

Did you make sure the service wasn't running as a domain account for a user that wasn't available or who has an expired password/disabled accoutn?

If it was useful, give me credit

http://communities.vmware.com/blogs/polysulfide

VI From Concept to Implementation

Reply
0 Kudos