ESXi, shared storage, opening guest on a diff host?
Ive got two ESXi servers.. a 5.1 and a 5.5, I setup the 5.5 to temporarily run the guests while the 5.1 servers is being upgraded. Both have root access to the NFS share housing 6 guest vm's. I took a test vm, shut it down, browsed the datastore on the 5.5 server and added the test vm to inventory. It succeeded, but it fails to boot because no boot device found.
This should work right, I mean with the myriad of vmware licensing issues I should be able to do this right?
This should work right, I mean with the myriad of vmware licensing issues I should be able to do this right?
asavener
Is the datastore named the same on both hosts?
Does the VM have a snapshot ?
I assume the VM failed to boot?
Is there any error message?
NFS datastore is working correctly, with correct permissions?
I assume the VM failed to boot?
Is there any error message?
NFS datastore is working correctly, with correct permissions?
ASKER
NFS store is working correctly.. both hypervisors have root access.
Datastores are named identically on both hypervisors.
'copied' vm does fail to boot, operating system not found.
Copied vm's bios shows no other devices except the cd-rom
Datastores are named identically on both hypervisors.
'copied' vm does fail to boot, operating system not found.
Copied vm's bios shows no other devices except the cd-rom
Does the VM have a snapshot ?
If you create a new VM on the NFS datastore does it work?
Operating system not found, suggests missing OS, corruption to VMDK, wrong disk....
how was the VM copied?
If you create a new VM on the NFS datastore does it work?
Operating system not found, suggests missing OS, corruption to VMDK, wrong disk....
how was the VM copied?
ASKER
This particular vm has no snapshots, it's less than a weekend old ;)
I didn't actually copy it.. I shutdown vm1 on host1, added vm1 to inventory on host2 and powered it up.
The first power up asked if I had moved, or copied the vm so I chose copied.
I didn't actually copy it.. I shutdown vm1 on host1, added vm1 to inventory on host2 and powered it up.
The first power up asked if I had moved, or copied the vm so I chose copied.
ASKER
Also checking the vm Settings on both hosts.. every setting is identical.
okay, the Question Asked, would have altered the configuration.
see here
HOW TO: Select the right answer to "I Moved It" or "I Copied It" in VMware vSphere (ESXi)
Does it power up on the old host ? - host1 ?
You could try the following, re-create a new virtual machine, and browse to this virtual hard disk of this VM, and start this VM.
see here
HOW TO: Select the right answer to "I Moved It" or "I Copied It" in VMware vSphere (ESXi)
Does it power up on the old host ? - host1 ?
You could try the following, re-create a new virtual machine, and browse to this virtual hard disk of this VM, and start this VM.
ASKER
Thanks Andrew!
I appears that I broke this VM. (Glad it was a test!!)
No the original guest on host1 failed to start, and now it's unknown. I cannot open it because a file was modified with the newer version of ESXi.
I appears that I broke this VM. (Glad it was a test!!)
No the original guest on host1 failed to start, and now it's unknown. I cannot open it because a file was modified with the newer version of ESXi.
It's quite normal for unknown, to appear, when it's on the other host!
Did you try adding the disk to new VM config?
Did you try adding the disk to new VM config?
ASKER
My hosts are not running the same version of ESXi though.. my whole point here was to stand up the 5.5 server as a temp home for the vm's while I upgrade the original host from 5.1 to 5.5.
Just created a new VM on host2, adding both hard drives from the test vm. (Since the source was a CentOS with two volumes)
Still cant find the OS.
Just created a new VM on host2, adding both hard drives from the test vm. (Since the source was a CentOS with two volumes)
Still cant find the OS.
Provided the virtual machine hardware versions are the same between 5.1 and 5.5, there should be no issues, with VMs running on either host.
That being said, there is something odd going on here...
So the NFS datastore is presented to both hosts, and VMs running on the NFS datastore are working on Host 1 ? (which is 5.1?)
That being said, there is something odd going on here...
So the NFS datastore is presented to both hosts, and VMs running on the NFS datastore are working on Host 1 ? (which is 5.1?)
ASKER
Yup.. I still have 4 active guests on host1 (5.1) that have been running for a while now. I just setup a new vm on host2 (win2012), installing perfectly and the vmk is on the NFS share.
Your 4 Active Guests on 5.1 are they on the NFS datastore ?
or are you transferring from local datastore to nfs datastore ?
Upgrade only takes 15 minutes, can you not be without VMs for 15 mins ?
(provided you also have full backups!)
or are you transferring from local datastore to nfs datastore ?
Upgrade only takes 15 minutes, can you not be without VMs for 15 mins ?
(provided you also have full backups!)
ASKER
Yup.. all VM's are on the one big NFS datastore.
Yeah we probably could be without for a few minutes, my boss will ask about it so I wanted a second method instead of just the old standby "Yessir I will come in at midnight" lol.
Yeah we probably could be without for a few minutes, my boss will ask about it so I wanted a second method instead of just the old standby "Yessir I will come in at midnight" lol.
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
ASKER
Thanks Andrew.. doing it that way my test machine was able to 'move' and start correctly.
ASKER
I will re-P2V my CentOS machine and try moving it like that.
Highly unusual.
Have you tried installing, on Host2, and going to Host1 ?
Have you tried installing, on Host2, and going to Host1 ?
ASKER
No.. not yet.
ASKER
Ok re-converted the test source to Host2 (ver. 5.5) twice now.. each time it fails on the part where it's installing grub. I tried a version 10 and 9 virtual machine.
What is the Guest OS, it may not be supported for VMware Converter....
I'm curious, you use NFS in production?
where are the NFS exports located ?
I'd like to know, if the NFS datastore on Host 2, is working correctly?
I'm curious, you use NFS in production?
where are the NFS exports located ?
I'd like to know, if the NFS datastore on Host 2, is working correctly?
ASKER
The guest os is CentOS.. although at this time I do not know the version. the NFS export is working well enough that I installed a new virtual machines on host2 using the NFS datastore to house the virtual hard disk. The exports are located on an Netapp Fas3050.
Centos is not a supported OS for Conversion.
https://www.vmware.com/support/converter/doc/conv_sa_51_rel_notes.html#guestos
https://www.vmware.com/support/converter/doc/conv_sa_51_rel_notes.html#guestos
ASKER
And it worked perfectly the first time... :(
Ok well I guess that answers my question. You did get me going though with the moving of VM's from one host to another so for that I thank you.
Ok well I guess that answers my question. You did get me going though with the moving of VM's from one host to another so for that I thank you.