Copying Virtual Machine from External Drive to SAN

[haverer]

Hi,

I am looking for advice on the best way to copy a Virtual Machine and its files from a USB External Drive onto an ESX Datastore (The Datastore is a LUN on the SAN which is attached to the ESX Server).

I was going to log onto a PC on the same VLan, attach the USB Drive to this PC then load vSphere Client, browse to the Datastore and then choose 'Upload Folders'. Is this the recommended option? I remember reading somewhere before about formatting the USB Drive at FAT32 then mounting it onto the ESX Server?

Thanks.

[piaroa · Accepted solution]

Forget about mounting the USB to the ESX host.Just use vSphere client to upload your files, or enable SSH access to your host and use SCP (WinSCP or FastSCP are excellent options) to transfer your files to your datastores.

If this post has been helpful/solved your issue, please mark the thread and award points as you see fit. Thanks!

[marcelo_soares]

I would recommend the Datastore Browser way. Mounting USB devices on ESX may be sometimes hard, not to say impossible. Also, copying with linux commands (cp, mv, etc.) may not have the desired result.

Marcelo Soares

VMWare Certified Professional 310/410

Virtualization Tech Master

Globant Argentina

Consider awarding points for "helpful" and/or "correct" answers.

[AWo]

You have some options:

1. Veeam FastSCP: http://www.veeam.com/vmware-esxi-fastscp.html for simply copying the files.

2. Was that already a ESX guest? You may have to convert it. In this case you can use the free VMware Converter Standalone: http://downloads.vmware.com/d/info/datacenter_downloads/vmware_vcenter_converter_standalone/4_0

3. or the Converter which is integrated into vCenter.

However, if you have copied the guest with FastSCP or any other copy tool you still can convert the virtual disks with a command line tool (vmkfstools) but you may have to create a new virtual hardware around that disks.

AWo

VCP 3 & 4

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[haverer]

Thanks Guys, I will use the Datastore Browser method and if that is too slow I will try the SCP method.

This VM is 40Gb HDD (with no disks attached as yet), however I have noticed the following file exists:

CLU1-1_1-rdmp.vmdk

This file is 73Gb!! I have no idea what it is?

[haverer]

A quick Google search says its a Raw Device Mapping to the Lun. I didn't think I had any RDM with this VM, will go back and check!

[schepp]

Its a file that is created for a Raw device you mapped to the VM. It's shown the size of the raw device but it only needs a few bytes on the datastore.

[haverer]

Brilliant. Phew, thought I was copying over the whole 73Gb RDM.

Thanks again, brilliant help as usual.

[haverer]

Currently copying the files over. It's now copying the flat.vmdk file (40Gb) which Im assuming is the HDD File. It's showing as over 1000 minutes remaning! We are on a 100Mb Line here so would have expected a 40Gb File to copy much quicker?

[piaroa]

40 GB should transfer in a little over an hour on a 100mbps link. Bear in mind that those estimates usually "jump ahead" and end being a lot faster than estimated.

Have you checked that you are running in Full duplex mode?

If this post has been helpful/solved your issue, please mark the thread and award points as you see fit. Thanks!