Converter Host Key Issue

[cshaheen]

Environment:

VMware vCenter Standalone Converter v6.1.1 installed in local-only mode on

Windows Server 2016 with the converter installed on a physical server (ip 10.160.0.69/24)

Unbuntu Desktop 12.05 Test VM in a Hyper-V Cluster (ip 10.160.0.65/24)

VMware ESXi 6.0.0 (trial) on a physical server (ip 10.160.0.66/24)

Same switch, default gateway (10.160.0.1), dns servers

Hello!

I am testing a proof of concept for my company where we can capture any physical machine on our network and bring it into our Hyper-V cluster. The best way I have found to do this is with VMware ESXi and converter. I have setup a test Ubuntu VM that to capture to ESXi. I installed openssh-server on the VM and can ssh into it from the .69 Windows Server using Putty. When I go to convert the VM with VMware, Isetup the job and start it. It starts with 1% about 1 hr then 2% 3hrs 15min, then 3% 1hr, then 3% 1min, then failed at 3%. Here is the status the job ends with:

FAILED: A general system error occurred: connect (`10.160.0.65'): Network is unreachable connect (`10.160.0.65'): Network is unreachable connect (`10.160.0.65'):
Network is unreachable Network error. Host 10.160.0.65 key can't be retrieved. (return code 2)

I don't understand why this is happening. All your help is appreciated. I'll be at my desk to answer any questions or post any more needed info.

Thanks in Advance!

[cshaheen]

UPDATE:

I rebooted the Ubuntu desktop (which is 16.04 not 12.05 sorry) and the ESXi server. After that I reran the converter and now it seemingly gets stuck on 1% and "Connecting to the Converter helper server on the destination virtual machine." I noticed that if I go to the VM on the ESXi server it is just sitting there asking for a converter login. I cannot figure out the credentials. user/password, root/anything, windows credentials all failed.

[patanassov]

Hello

This seems to be a different issue than your first post. When converting a live Linux machine, the destination VM boots from an ISO (it is called Converter Helper). This helper attempts to connect and authenticate to the source machine. Which means the destination VM (which is in a virtual network) needs to have access to the source and the source to allow remote SSH connections from there.

I couldn't quite understand your first post. Looks like a network configuration issue.

In order to log in the helper VM, you need to enable it in Converter. Have a look here - Enabling Logging in to Helper Virtual Machine During Conversion of Powered-On Linux Sources with Con...

HTH,
Plamen

[cshaheen]

I figured it out. I can't direct the helper to put the converted VM onto the management port group. I didn't configure the other port group so that was the problem. I configured the other port group and everything worked perfectly.