vCenter Converter Settings, P2V, back to basics!

Version: VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 6.2

Issue:

I want to move away from baremetal to a hypervisor?!

I’m running a Window or Linux based Server…

Resolution:

VMware vCenter Converter has been around for years, it’s free and it’s a great starting point for migrations or upgrading from bare metal. There are some gotchas out there that can slow you down, I’ve listed the top 10 to skip the tedious troubleshooting that I’ve faced in the past.

I won’t bore you with the basics, I’d expect you know that you’ll need the .exe download and a Windows machine to install the program onto, not to mention network connectivity to your physical server if you’re doing this remotely.

  • Disable Antivirus if you can, add the program as a trusted application if not.
  • Ideally, you’ll do the conversion locally, not over a WAN/remotley.
  • Use a local Administrator account if possible, otherwise cache your AD credentials.
  • Disable any non-essential running services if possible, this will only slow the conversion down.
  • Right size the server as much as possible, CPU, RAM and storage
  • Always use the vmxnet3 adapter post migration and install of vmware tools. Set the NIC to not connected!
  • Make a note of network adapter MAC addresses, incase any licening is bound to them, you can enter this in manually on vSphere if needed.
  • Make a note of network adapter IP addressing, you’ll have new network adapters so you’ll need to re-add.
  • Make a note of any static routes that may have been configured, these have been know to disaper with the NIC. >route print is you friend!
  • If allowed, disable SSL, most companies lock this down, if you can disable, it will speed up the transfer by not been encrypted.

Other useful gotchas!

  • If converting from hyper-v to vmware, make sure you install the Converter on the host and power down the converter before starting the conversion.
  • Uninstall any hardware specific software utilies from the source server
  • If the source system has any redundant NICs – I would suggest removing them in the Edit screen on the converter ui.