P2V Presentation Server 4.5 to ESXi 4.1

Download VM Converter from Vmware and run P2V conversion and make sure all of your citrix server harddisk are Basic. if it is Dynamic then you need to use platspin to convert physical to VM.

Check harddisk type basic or dynamic ( If it is dynamic then you might have issues.

I have converted quite a lot of servers and never had any problem.

Thanks,
DesiRocks

Any steps I should follow ? ie. Cold boot P2V or just do live migration with shutdown?

If you have any imaging software then take a image of the server and use VMware converter to convert that image into VM and then shutdown the server and power on VMware server and gave same network address and it should start working without any issue.

You will not have any problem with live migration as long as you network is disabled.

What network is disabled ? I plan to run p2v select the physical box and move to esxi , shutdown original sever when finished ? Is this ok ? Or do I need to run the p2v isolated from the network ?

DesiRock,

I will be running the live migration from within the production network, if I do the p2v shutdown the physical , then boot the new virutal PS with network card disabled, reboot as needed and then enable network card and start using Presentaton Server. (is this what you mean about disabling network?

Thanks Bestway - will have a read now

Also just testing a P2V with a simple domain server - when running the P2V I receive a error stating that the sysprep files for windows 2003 are missing? What the!!! I'm not clonning the server I just want to convert to VM - why is sysprep needed?

Hi

Are cloning a DC? If yes this is not recommended.

please create other VM and promote as DC, then move the roles into this server. Do not P2V a domain controller.

If you want to test some migrations, choose another server type, not a DC.

Jail

You have to have sysprep files installed from the deploy.cab file of your W2K3 CD on the workstation you're doing the P2V from. You are creating a whole new computer, by virtual infrastructure means, so sysprep is needed to get a new SID, etc. You can keep the server name the same, etc. When done...yes, just power down your orig phys server, modify the IP of the VM to mirror your phys box, and you should be ok. Well, you'll also need to install VMware Tools on the VM.

Regards,
~coolsport00

Thanks Coolsport00 - I would have thought that by doing a convert from physical to virtual the new virtual VM would keep the existing SID?

Bestway - I wasnt running the converter on a DC (just a member server)

I've downloaded the required sysprep file from Microsoft but its just a single exe - how to extract - and is it really need for just a memeber server convert

No...it creates a whole new 'computer'. The .exe is a 'patch' that gets installed on W2K3 boxes. Thus why I mentioned to just use the deploy.cab file. If you run the installer on anything other than W2K3, it will error out.

~coolsport00

Ive downloaded the exe and extracted the contents to the location specified but the convertor still shows the error ??

Hi

Here are the sysprep files?

Check this:

http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1005593

http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1026313

Jail

still no luck - the version of windows is - windows 2003 server 64bit standard R2 sp2

ok - finally

My bad - had to exit the converter completely then it picked up the files - I was just going back and then clicking next

Just to come in on the question, I recently P2V'd my Citrix farm with no problems at all.

I done mine using the VMware Converter, but didn't install the VMware Tools on conversion. Once the conversion was finished, I shutdown the physical server, and powered on the virtual conversion in an isolated LAN. Then, installed the VMware Tools manually and rebooted to make sure all was ok, and providing it was, connected it to the production LAN.

I agree with the above comments regarding the sysprep files; these are needed for reasons as explained by the other experts.

Lee

thanks