Tidying up VMFS

[Gr2]

Hello

We upgraded a SAP server from win2003 32 bit to win 2008 64bit . (I have 2 more servers to do still)

We are using vSphere 4.1 and have an EMC SAN

I did the following:

1. Removed the VM from the inventory but did not delete the data from the VMFS volume

2. I added a new host and pointed the HDD to the old HDD's (I did not want to loose data on the drives)

3. I installed Win 2008 64bit and everything is working.

4. When I go to the VMFS volume I now have 2 folders for the same server:

za-s-sap3 (old win2003 server - Contains the .vmdk's)

za-s-sap3_1 (new win2008 server - contains the .vmx, .vmxf, .vmsd files etc)

How can I get back to just one folder in the vmfs volume with all the required files in one container

I only want one folder called:

za-s-sap3

Currently za-s-sap3_1 is the correct64 bit VM

Thanks

[ThompsG]

Depending on your licensing of vSphere you could Storage vMotion this VM to another datastore which would consolidate the virtual machine back to one folder.

Kind regards.

[FranckRookie]

Hi Gr@eme,

You can also do it manually, but it's more complicated.

- unregister the VM

- move all files to the za-s-sap3 using either datastore browser or Veeam FastSCP for example

- edit the vmx file and change the location of the vmdk files

- register the VM back

Good luck.

Regards

Franck

[Gr2]

Thanks for the reply

What do I need to check from a licensing point of view to verify that?

We have VMotion so does that mean we are licensed for it?

[Gr2]

I could try this, just need to ask some questions

1. Wont this leave a messy folder of old files and new files?

2. Couldn't I just move the 3 .vmdk files from the za-s-sap3 folder to the za-s-sap3_1 folder, edit the .vmx file and then rename the folder to za-s-sap3?

[ThompsG]

Hi,

You need an Enterprise or Enterprise Plus license in order use Storage vMotion.

Kind regards,

Glen

[FranckRookie]

1. Won't this leave a messy folder of old files and new files?

You can remove all unnecessary old files before concatenation. Just keep "vmdk" and "flat.vmdk" files.

2. Couldn't I just move the 3 .vmdk files from the za-s-sap3 folder to the za-s-sap3_1 folder, edit the .vmx file and then rename the folder to za-s-sap3?

Yes you can. I suggested the other way because it's easier to move small files. But you are right, you can move "vmdk" and "flat.vmdk" files to za-s-sap3_1, then rename "za-s-sap3" to "za-s-sap3-old", rename "za-s-sap3_1" to "za-s-sap3", modify the vmx and register the VM back.

Franck

[ThompsG]

Hi,

Either way you need to be careful.

Without knowing exact details it would appear to me that in za-s-sap3 you still have the OS drive (probably za-s-sap3.vmdk) and configuration files from the old virtual machine. Since you want to keep the new OS drive and the old Data drives it makes sense to copy from za-s-sap3_1 to za-s-sap3. Assuming that za-s-sap3.vmdk in za-s-sap3 is your old OS drive and you have a vmdk called za-s-sap3.vmdk in za-s-sap3_1 which is you new OS drive then I would copy from za-s-sap3_1 to za-s-sap3. This also assumes you have no other disk in za-s-sap3_1.

Bet this has confused more than it helped

[FranckRookie]

ThompsG is absolutely right. You need to be extremely careful modifying VM files manually and sVmotion is definitely the best solution. I provided another way just in case sVmotion was not available.

[Gr2]

We are licensed for that then.

Ill look around for a "how to"

Thanks

[Gr2]

This is what is in sap3 and sap3_1

[ThompsG]

Ah, looks like you created a new virtual machine with the same name (za-s-sap3) and attached all the disks from the old machine.

I am a little confused over the za-s-sap3 vmfs.jpg as this appears to be a different machine than we were talking about before. Assuming this is wrong picture then do as Franck said and copy from za-s-sap3_1 to za-s-sap3.

I'm a belts and braces man myself so would take a backup of any of the files I'm going to overwrite, i.e. the files in za-s-sap3_1 that have a partner is za-s-sap3

Of course if you have the license for Storage vMotion this would still be my pick.

Kind regards,

Glen

[Gr2]

Thats exactly what I did

We had a SAP server on win 2003 32 bit and I had to add a new VM for win2008 64 bit.

So the server name will be the same for us, I just want it all tidy in the VMFS volume under one server folder.

So with this in mind, should I still use the storgae vmotion or can I just move the .vmdk files from sap3 to sap3_1 and rename that folder?

[ThompsG]

If it was me then I would use Storage vMotion as there is less risk of finger trouble plus the machine stays online. Once the virtual machine is migrated to another datastore clean up any mess left behind.

Storage vMotion is a pretty easy excerise, almost a little too easy. In your vSphere client, right click the VM and select Migrate... then select the option to Change datastore... and follow your nose. Just make sure you have space left on the source datastore for changes while doing the Storage vMotion and enough space the target.

Let us know how it goes.