How to P2V Multi-processor Servers to Uni-processor VMs

Posted on June 11th, 2008 in P2V, converter, how to by Rich

While troubleshooting poor performing VMs this week I was explaining to a customer the process of trying to downgrade the multi processor HAL of a Windows VM that was created by a P2V migration with VMware Converter. I ended up sending them a link to an older VMware Communities forum thread in which Mike Laverick of RTFM Education provides a quick how to guide. I also wrote (and sent the customer) a post earlier this year that offers similar advice, but P2V multi processor servers to single processor VMs instructs you to install a patch specifically for Windows Server 2003 VMs which then allows you to downgrade to a single processor.

The other difference worth mentioning between these two posts is the links to the Microsoft DevCon tool. Although VMware will not officially support using this tool on VMs, using this utility for forcing a HAL downgrade is possible when all else fails.

Check out the following instructions copied here and the various links in this post for more information.

P2V error: File size is larger than maximum size supported by datastore

Posted on May 22nd, 2008 in P2V, SAN, converter, storage, vc2, vc2.5 by Rich

VMFS block size optionsI was helping a customer P2V a large development SQL server this week and ran into a VMFS configuration issue that failed the conversion. We were using the Converter Enterprise for VirtualCenter 2.5 plugin. Almost as soon as we kicked off the job it failed with an error starting with “file size is larger than the maximum size supported by datastore”. The VMFS LUN we were using as the target was an empty 1.5 TB volume, and the new VM consisted of 2 virtual disks that totaled roughly 450 GB. We had plenty of room, but the problem was not the available storage space. Instead, the issue was that we exceeded the maximum possible .vmdk size for the default VMFS 1MB block setting.

When you add new storage to an ESX host and you format the LUN with the VMFS file system you have to choose what block size setting you want to use. See the screenshot for the dropdown box used to make this choice. Notice the Maximum file size description supposedly provided to help you understand this setting. It’s hardly intuitive in my opinion, so let me try to translate - Choosing the block size determines what maximum possible .vmdk size can be created on this LUN.

If you do not change the default setting when you format a VMFS LUN

Use VMware Converter to Solve ESX Snapshot Issues

Posted on May 21st, 2008 in blogs, converter, how to, vc2, vc2.5 by Rich

Carlo Costanzo over at ipmer.com has a great post about how to quickly and easily solve issues resulting from VM snapshots. As Carlo points out, too many administrators misunderstand the ESX snapshot to be a point in time backup and unfortunately do not realize it is instead a live and growing file. More often than not the snapshot is forgotten until the LUN is completely out of space at which time the VM is unstable. Trying to commit the snapshot becomes a time consuming burden.

The post 70GB Snapshot, YIKES! explains how Carlo used some “outside of the box” thinking to use VMware Converter to rescue VMs without going through the commit process. The idea is so simple it’s brilliant! Carlo writes:

Small business P2V migrations

Posted on March 11th, 2008 in P2V, blogs, converter, esx, vi3, vmetc.com by Rich

When I hear “we only have 6 servers so our migration to VI should be quick and easy, right?” I hesitate. Not because it can’t be done, but because of how it should be done and the probable challenges. The expectation is usually that the physical servers should be virtualized as is. The reality is often that in order to achieve the best VI design the customer needs to separate applications and services.

A typical small office server infrastructure is usually similar to the following:

Server 1 Domain Controller, DNS, DHCP, WINS
Server 2 Messaging, Backup Domain Controller, DNS, DHCP, WINS
Server 3 Accounting, Finance, misc user and business applications
Server 4 File Server, Database
Server 5 Web, Intranet, FTP, DMZ applications or services, VPN or remote access
Server 6 Antivirus, monitoring, misc administrator applications

The exact placement of the different applications and services varies, but the result is the same. A small company P2V project really should be an infrastructure redesign project so that the features and benefits of VI can be fully leveraged. The following are my recommendations for the VI design of a small company like the example.

P2V multi processor servers to single processor VMs

Posted on February 21st, 2008 in P2V, converter, how to, vmware by Rich

One of the major disadvantages of VMware Converter is that you do not have the option to choose how many virtual cpus (vCPU) your new VM will have. If your source physical server has 2 CPU sockets your target VM will end up with 2 vCPUs. If your source server’s CPUs are dual core your target VM ends up with 4 vCPUs. It’s a well known best practice to minimize the number of multi processor VMs in your virtual infrastructure. So, how do you make sure servers that you p2v result in single processor VMs?

Converter Enterprise Plugin crashes VC 2.5

Posted on February 7th, 2008 in P2V, blogs, converter, esx3.5, how to, vc2.5 by Rich

It hasn’t happened to me yet, but enabling the Converter Enterprise plug-in apparently can crash your VC 2.5 Server. VMware Communities: Enabling Converter Enterprise Plugin … is a forum thread about the problem with some troubleshooting attempts and the resolution. From the VMware forum:

I had exactly the same problem and this was caused by a dll file confict, in my case I had an old version of the ssleay32.dll file in my windows\system32 directory. I removed the file and it now works correctly.

Yellow-bricks.com also reports on the problem with 2 posts and an alternative fix in the follow up - Part II post:

The IP address you have entered for this network adapter is already assigned to another adapter

Posted on August 15th, 2007 in P2V, blogs, converter, esx, home, how to, microsoft, platespin, services, vConverter, vi3, vmetc.com by Rich

A common issue error encountered after the P2V migration of a windows server is:

The IP address XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX you have entered for this network adapter is already assigned to another adapter Name of adapter. Name of adapter is hidden from the network and Dial-up Connections folder because it is not physically in the computer or is a legacy adapter that is not working. If the same address is assigned to both adapters and they become active, only one of them will use this address. This may result in incorrect system configuration. Do you want to enter a different IP address for this adapter in the list of IP addresses in the advanced dialog box?

Microsoft KB Article 269155 provides the explanation and the work arounds methods for this issue.

From the KB Article, here is an explanation of the cause of the issue and the most common resolution method.