Open Sores: Tips from the Trenches: Converting a physical Linux machine to an ESX image ( P2V ) using Converter Standalone

This procedure is specific to converting physical Linux machines to ESX Infrastructure virtual machines.

It may not work reliably with certain versions of Linux source machines.

See note* regarding Debian source, or any source running only lilo.

Converting a physical host using VMware Converter Standalone requires a server to run VMware Converter Server on. The converter server can be the ESX server, or another server, even the source. Depending on the source and destination locations, it might make the most sense to install converter server onto the source Linux machine, as this seems to be the fastest method when the source and destination are on the same subnet. Installing the Converter Standalone package on ESXi is a problem as by default there is no command line to work from. The following assumes the ESX server, and the steps begin at the server command line, after logging in as vmware, then su -

Download the latest Linux version of Converter Standalone from the VMware Web site.
- The Linux installer file name is currently VMware-converter-4.0.1-xxxxxx.tar.gz, where xxxxxx is the build number.

Unpack the tar.gz file

tar -xvf VMware-converter-4.0.1-xxxxxx.tar.gz

In terminal, navigate to the unpacked directory:
- ```
cd vmware-converter-distrib
```
Run the installation executable file:
- ```
./vmware-install.pl
```
Get past the Licensing
- To view the VMware's patent list, press Enter.
- To view the End User License Agreement, press Enter.
- To accept the license agreement, scroll down the document, type "yes" and press Enter.
Do you want to install Converter Standalone Client? yes
Do you want to install Converter Standalone Server? yes
In which directory do you want to install the executable files? /usr/local/bin
In which directory do you want to install the VMware vCenter Converter Standalone library files? /usr/local/lib/vmware-vcenter-converter-standalone
The path "/usr/local/lib/vmware-vcenter-converter-standalone" does not exist currently. This program is going to create it, including needed parent directories. Is this what you want? yes
What is the directory that contains the init directories (rc0.d/ to rc6.d/)? /etc/rc.d
What is the directory that contains the init scripts? /etc/rc.d/init.d
Do you want to enable remote access in Converter Standalone Server? yes
What port do you want the HTTP proxy to use? 88
What port do you want the HTTPS proxy to use? 488
In which directory do you want to install the theme icons? /usr/share/icons
The path "/usr/share/icons" does not exist currently. T his program is going to create it, including needed parent directories. Is this what you want? yes
What directory contains your desktop menu entry files? These files have a .desktop file extension. /usr/share/applications
Please wait while copying VMware vCenter Converter Standalone files...
Converter Standalone Server script is located at /etc/init.d/ directory by default. To start, stop or restart Converter Standalone Server, type
```
/etc/init.d/vmware-server start/stop/restart.
```

NOTE: To uninstall

/usr/local/bin/vmware-uninstall-converter.pl

Start the server
```
/etc/init.d/vmware-server start
```
Modify firewall config (This applies to ESX, which has a rest rictive firewall. ESXi has no firewall. If you installed converter server on the source, the only connection that will apply is incoming on port 88 and 488 from the converter client to the converter server, and outgoing from the converter server to 80/443 on the destination ESX/ESXi.
- Must allow outgoing ssh from converter server to t he source
- Incoming to http and https port on converter server that was used in the initia l install
- Outgoing from converter server to port 80/443 on the destination (ESX) (same machine in this instance)
- ```
esxcfg-firewall -e sshClient
```
- ```
esxcfg-firewall -o 88,tcp,in,ConverterServer
```
- ```
esxcfg-firewall -o 488,tcp,in,ConverterServerSSL
```
- ```
esxcfg-firewall -o 443,tcp,out,HTTPS
```
- ```
esxcfg-firewall -o 80,tcp,out,HTTPS
```
In the client
- Download the converter for windows, and install. This will be run as a client only, contacting the converter server installed above.
- In the menu, under Administration, connect to another server.
- Enter the IP address or host name of the Converter Server
- click on convert machine
- type in ip address, username, and password
- click next (will take some time)
- Destination section
  - Type server IP
  - Click next
  - select a level in the inventory to place the guest image
  - name the guest host
  - select the datastore
  - next (will take some time to verify the destination)
  - edit options
    - under data to copy
      - select the source volumes desired (all are selected by default).
      - to grow a disk, select the dropdown under 'target size', and choose to enter the size in GB.
      - If it is desired to shrink a disk, any size can be chosen, as long as it is at least as large as the source used space.
    - under networks
      - select how many nics to connect, and where they connect to, and whether they should be connected at power on (1,vm network, no)
    - under advanced options
      - select whether it is desired to power on the target or power off the source (no), and also if it is desired to configure the new vmware guest (since the source is still running at this point it would be recommended to not power on the destination, or to select to not connect network interfaces at power on)
    - under helper vm network
      - enter an IP address,subnet,gateway,and DNS server separate from the address of the destination or source (an address we set aside to use for temporary images perhaps) This should be in the same subnet as the destination server.
        
        255.255.255.0
        
        192.168.X.254
        
        192.168.X.X
        
        192.168.X.X
    - It was discovered that there is a bug in vmware that causes a guest with more than one CPU to hang at 'starting udev'... The only workaround I was able to determine was to either configure the destination image as only using one cpu, or add udevtimeout=30 to the kernel boot line in /boot/grub/menu.lst. I would recommend configuring the destination image with only one CPU
    - This should do it for setup, now click next. If there are no errors, it should begin.
    - Once it is finished, the created image could be powered on or configured further. The danger of course would be in turning on the interfaces, if they were to take over the ip of the source that was cloned.
In VSphere client

Before starting the image, right-click the guest, edit settings, options, boot delay, and set to 10000ms. This gives enough time to see the grub menu if needed.
Select VMware tools/Synchronize guest time with host
Once the image is booted
```
chkconfig --del ntpd
```
right click guest, select guest/install vmware tools

Back on the server image
- ```
mkdir /mnt/cdrom
```
- ```
mount /dev/hda /mnt/cdrom
```
- ```
cd /mnt/cdrom
```
- If it is rpm based machine
  - ```
  rpm -ivvh VMwareTools-4.0.0-171294.i386.rpm
```
- after it is completed, run
```
  vmware-config-tools.pl
```
- For source install
  - ```
  mkdir /root/vmwaretools
```
- ```
tar -zxvvf VMwareTools-4.0.0-171294.i386.tgz -C /root/vmwaretools
```
  - ```
  cd /root/vmwaretools/vmware-tools-ditrib
```
- ```
./vmware-install.pl
```
  - answer questions
- On the vmware guest, it may be necessary to remove any mac address references from the network configuration. As the new image will use a different mac address. This should be done in the appropriate /etc/network/interfaces or /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts files.
Power on guest
SPECIAL NOTES
- LIMITATIONS OF CONVERTER
  - source root password must not contain a backslash character
  - source cannot contain both ide and scsi disks
  - source should be time synced to the dest before conversion
  - source cannot contain software raid volumes
  - lilo bootloader sources must have grub installed
    - The procedure to install grub on a debian server, temporarily or permanently to allow this process to work is as follows
      - apt-get install grub
      - mkdir /boot/grub
      - update-grub
      - install-grub
      - Lilo can be reinstalled later by running the lilo command

Open Sores: Tips from the Trenches

Friday, October 16, 2009

Converting a physical Linux machine to an ESX image ( P2V ) using Converter Standalone

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