Joshua_M
asked on
Cloning VMWare server or just files to another server with permissions
Hello,
I am in a predicament with the current needs of cloning a file server to a test server. Ours is only 600GB and we have the capacity to move it but we run into a big problem.
When we cloned the server over the weekend, it completely screwed up the hosts. Nothing was accessible through vCenter. This has to be done by the weekend, so I am wondering if there is another way to get the server cloned without issues or another way of going at it.
Would it be possible to take a snapshot of the main file server, and deploy a new virtual machine with that?
I am in a predicament with the current needs of cloning a file server to a test server. Ours is only 600GB and we have the capacity to move it but we run into a big problem.
When we cloned the server over the weekend, it completely screwed up the hosts. Nothing was accessible through vCenter. This has to be done by the weekend, so I am wondering if there is another way to get the server cloned without issues or another way of going at it.
Would it be possible to take a snapshot of the main file server, and deploy a new virtual machine with that?
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
What did you try? You say you cloned it, but what is your setup? Do you have 2 vCenters? 2 different vCenter Datacenters? What are your ESX host versions? When you say cloning 'screwed up the hosts', to me that means it screwed up ESX hosts. (hosts = ESX or ESXi hosts) Do you really mean the cloning screwed up both the orig and source VMs? If hosts (or VMs), what error(s) happened after the cloning?
Regards,
~coolsport00
Regards,
~coolsport00
ASKER
To clone it I just went through the usual way on vCenter. Right clicked the server, cloned and filled in the details on the way.
Ok; so, what actually happened that messed up? It may be a moot point now though. You can try Converter and see if that works for you...
~coolsport00
~coolsport00
I would recommend using the Standalone.
and follow the Best Practice video.
What went wrong?
and follow the Best Practice video.
What went wrong?
ASKER
To add more detail on the process since I can't edit my last post.
I cloned it via the steps above, I've done all the servers this way just not as large. We have 6 different stores with SATA and FC available. I'm trying to clone the file server from one ESX host and put a test file server on the other. The current version is ESXi 4.1.
When the error happened, the two ESX servers locked up and wouldn't allow us to connect to the servers via vSphere. We still had connectivity using RDP, the analogy would be that it went into panic mode and shut down the management tools but couldn't get them back up.
The errors listed were from HA not being configured correctly, that issue was fixed so I'm back at square one on this.
I cloned it via the steps above, I've done all the servers this way just not as large. We have 6 different stores with SATA and FC available. I'm trying to clone the file server from one ESX host and put a test file server on the other. The current version is ESXi 4.1.
When the error happened, the two ESX servers locked up and wouldn't allow us to connect to the servers via vSphere. We still had connectivity using RDP, the analogy would be that it went into panic mode and shut down the management tools but couldn't get them back up.
The errors listed were from HA not being configured correctly, that issue was fixed so I'm back at square one on this.
Hmm..well, not for sure what caused your HA errors which, it seems, locked up your hosts. Go download/use Converter and see if that does the trick for you. Let us know...
~coolsport00
~coolsport00
It happens, and I'm not sure if related to the conversion process, but as long as the Virtual Machines didn't go down, no PSOD (purple screen of deaths).
The important thing was service affected, apart from the Admins running around like headless chickens!
The important thing was service affected, apart from the Admins running around like headless chickens!
Why are you not using Clone within vCenter?
is it a physical server?
Looks like, from his secondary post, that's what he tried "hanccocka"...
Probably what happened is the Network Management Agents crashed, and needed restarting.
@coolsport00: okay, just catching up with all the threads.....
did the clone process complete?
did you cancel it?
did the clone process complete?
did you cancel it?
If "you've lost the faith", maybe the best thing to do is to schedule a service outage, and try it again.
At which point did it stop working?
immediately, or 50%, 95%?
At which point did it stop working?
immediately, or 50%, 95%?
otherwise I would recommend Standalone converter as we've both suggested.
ASKER
It was 70% completed at the time of failure. Then it just said in the log error: operation timed out.
It's not that I've lost faith, it just put a lot of pressure on getting it back up in the short amount of time so others could do their thing on it.
It's not that I've lost faith, it just put a lot of pressure on getting it back up in the short amount of time so others could do their thing on it.
Didn't run out of storage?
Or it could have been that the management services, took a wrong moment to die, this would have stopped and aborted the process. Because vCenter would not have been able to connect and stream the data.
Or it could have been that the management services, took a wrong moment to die, this would have stopped and aborted the process. Because vCenter would not have been able to connect and stream the data.
ASKER
There is plenty of storage, putting all the data stores together there is 13TB left.
Would the management services continue to fail with moving a server of 600GB or could that have just been another addition to the bad day? I've never been asked to clone a server this size before so I'm not sure of outcomes.
Would the management services continue to fail with moving a server of 600GB or could that have just been another addition to the bad day? I've never been asked to clone a server this size before so I'm not sure of outcomes.
SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
If however, it occurs again, it's worth a closer look at the infrastructure.
Download VMware vCenter Converter here
http://downloads.vmware.com/d/info/datacenter_downloads/vmware_vcenter_converter_standalone/4_0
VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 4.x Documentation
http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/converter_pubs.html
VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 4.3 User Guide
http://www.vmware.com/pdf/convsa_43_guide.pdf
For the conversion steps, read fellow Expert Bestway's article.
https://www.experts-exchange.com/Software/VMWare/A_3639-VMware-vConverter-P2V-for-Windows-Servers.html
Best Practice Video Guide here
http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1004588