Vmware P2V Conversion

Vmware P2V Conversion

Log onto Physical Server, shutdown any application services such as WWW, SQL etc.

Log into VCenter Server (Server_Name)

From the Plugins menu, select Manage Plugins, click on the Installed Tab, Verify VMware Converter is enabled.

Right click on either of the ESX server and choose Import Machine.

Click Next.

Choose Physical Computer and Click Next.

Enter Name or IP address of Physical Server, and enter DOMAIN_NAME\XXXXXX domain credentials.

Choose the Automatic option for the install and removal of convert, click Yes.

This screen will allow you to resize volumes if desired, from the drop down list choose <size in GB> and type the new size of the volume. Click Next.

Enter the Server name as it will be listed in Virtual Center, should be the same as the Windows Host Name (Please use all capitals).

Choose the folder where the VM should reside, these folders are just for management purposes, if you choose the wrong folder don’t be concerned, once the P2V is complete the VM can be moved in VCenter without issue.

Choose the SAN Datastore this VM should reside on.

VMFS1 and VMFS2 are used in the Most Environment for general VMs. Once again this can be changed using VCenter and Storage-V-Motion at a later date, but it’s easiest to choose the correct volume now.

From the Networks menu, choose to add only 1 NIC to the VM, and uncheck the Connect at Power on box.

******Do NOT choose to install the VMware Tools here.

Click Next at the Customization Screen

Click next at the Schedule Task Screen, the default option is to run now.

Verify the Power on….. is unchecked, click Finish to start the P2V Process.

Monitor the P2V process from the Recent Tasks window in VCenter. Do not proceed until the task is complete, the time needed to complete may vary due to network usage and amount of data on the physical machine.

*Before Powering on the VM

Post P2V Tasks

We will then need to change the SCSI Controller from“BUS” Logic to “LSI” Logic.

Right click and edit settings again-you will have to do “edit settings” after every operation prior to power on

We will then need to change the SCSI Controller from“BUS” Logic to “LSI” Logic.

Click Edit Settings, Add Hard Disk.

Choose to create an 8 MB disk file and click next,

Choose SCSI 1:0 from the Device Node drop down list, click next and finish.

Click the VM menu, click Install/Upgrade VMware Tools, and choose Typical Install.

Follow instructions in txt file that opens up to change Video settings.

Click Finish and reboot.

Verify New LSI controller shows up in Device manager under SCSI Controllers.

Shut down VM

Edit Setting on the VM once it’s powered off.

Choose Remove from VM and delete from disk, if you don’t choose this option we won’t gain back the disk space from the SAN. Click OK



Go back into Edit Settings and choose the BUS LOGIC SCSI Adapter, change this adapter to LSI and click ok.

Reboot the server, click YES to any the VM Message warning. The server should now be able to boot from the LSI controller, now that it has the driver already installed from the temp controller that we installed and deleted.