P2V with Guest that has dedicated Fibre SAN LUN association

[pearlyshells]

We have a Windows 2003 server that has a dedicated SAN LUN to it. It is not shared. It is only used by this one server. We need to virtualize it but wonder how the dedicated SAN LUN will be included in the new VM? Some of those in our department who have attended the VMware Course informs me that there is no way in VI3 to do this. Is that true?

[weinstein5]

One way is you can leave the data on the LUN - P2V the other disks and present the data LUN as an RDM to the VM but I think converter will see that as a disk and create a corresponding virtual disk -

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[AndreTheGiant]

VMware Converter, during a hot conversion (with the machine powered on) will see all local and SAN disks.

So you can choose to convert the disk LUN to a vmdk disk.

Or skip it and add later as a RDM disk (as written before).

Andre

[pearlyshells]

if the LUN already has data on it, can it be still presented to the new VM?

[pearlyshells]

one thing that is important here is that the SAN LUN is not shared currently. Will this be an issue after the conversion?

[pearlyshells]

and also the LUN is formatted NTFS

[vmroyale]

Hello.

if the LUN already has data on it, can it be still presented to the new VM?

Yes, that is fine.

one thing that is important here is that the SAN LUN is not shared currently. Will this be an issue after the conversion?

The LUN will need to be visible by any ESX(i) hosts that may ever host this virtual machine. So, yes some zoning work may have to happen.

Good Luck!

[pearlyshells]

Thanks very much. As you can tell, I am not a SAN Admin. And, it is our SAN Admin who is interested in this. He's also read that using Virtual HBAs that this can be done in VI3 easier. Have not heard this before? do you know anything about Virtual HBAs and how it could work in this situation?

[vmroyale · Accepted solution]

Sounds like he is talking about NPIV, which enables each virtual machine to have its own World Wide Port Name. Check out p.86 of the Fibre Channel SAN Configuration Guide for all the detail. This would definitely work as well.

[pearlyshells]

many thanks. I'll give it a read