V2V: How to Perform a Conversion

Applies To: Virtual Machine Manager 2008, Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2, Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 SP1

During a virtual-to-virtual (V2V) machine conversion, the Convert Virtual Machine Wizard converts the .vmdk files to .vhd files and makes the operating system on the virtual machine compatible with Microsoft virtualization software. The virtual machine created by the wizard matches the VMware virtual machine properties, including name, description, memory, disk-to-bus assignment, CD and DVD settings, network adapter settings, and parameters. The source virtual machine can be in the library or managed by a VMware ESX Server host. In addition to the procedure below for converting a virtual machine that is stored in the library, in Virtual Machines view, you can drag a virtual machine from a VMware ESX Server host to a Hyper-V or Virtual Server host, or you can select the Migrate action. Either method will open the Migrate Virtual Machine Wizard.

To convert a virtual machine to a VMM virtual machine

  1. If you are converting a VMware virtual machine to a Hyper-V or Virtual Server virtual machine, uninstall VMware Tools on the guest operating system of the virtual machine before you begin the conversion.

  2. In any view of the VMM Administrator Console, click Convert Virtual Machine the Actions pane to open the Convert Virtual Machine Wizard.

  3. On the Select Source page, click Browse, and then, in the Select Library Resource dialog box, do the following:

    1. In the Library group list, select the library group where the files are stored.

    2. To search for a file, in the Look for box, type the first few letters of the file name or the complete file name.

    3. To group the files, in the Group by list, click a group type.

    4. Click the virtual machine that you want to convert, click OK, and then click Next.

  4. On the Virtual Machine Identity page, do the following:

    1. To change the virtual machine name, in the Virtual machine name box, type the name. The virtual machine will have the same computer name as the source file. You can use this name for the virtual machine name or specify a different name.

    2. To change the owner of the virtual machine, in the Owner box, type the owner’s name (domain\user name), or click Select to select a user from the list. The owner must have a domain account in Active Directory.

    3. In the Description box, type a description.

  5. On the Virtual Machine Configuration page, select the number of processors and the amount of memory for the virtual machine.

  6. On the Select Host page, review the rating for each host to determine the most suitable host on which to deploy this virtual machine.

    Note

    If a many hosts are listed, you can use the Host group, Look for, or Group by fields to display a smaller set of potential hosts.

    All hosts that are available for placement are given a rating of 0-5 stars based on their suitability to host the virtual machine. The host ratings are based on the virtual machine's hardware and resource requirements and expected resource usage. They are also based on placement settings that you can customize for VMM or for individual virtual machine deployments. The ratings are recommendations. You can select any host that has the required disk space and memory available. For more information about how VMM rates hosts, see How Virtual Machine Manager Rates Hosts.

    Important

    In VMM 2008 R2, for hosts that are running Windows Server 2008 R2 or for ESX Server hosts, the ratings that first appear on the Select Host wizard page are based on a preliminary evaluation by VMM. To see the host rating that is based on a more thorough evaluation, you must select the host by clicking it.

    To view additional information about a host rating, select the host in the list, and then use the tabs in this section to view the following information:

    • Details -- This tab displays the status of the host and lists the virtual machines that are currently deployed on it.

    • Ratings Explanation -- If a host receives a zero rating, this tab lists the conditions that caused the rating.

    • SAN Explanation -- If a SAN transfer cannot be used to move the virtual machine's files to the host, this tab lists the conditions that prevent a SAN transfer.

    Note

    If a host has network optimization enabled, a green arrow appears in the Network Optimization column. VMM 2008 R2 allows you to take advantage of network optimization capabilities that are available on Hyper-V hosts that are running Windows Server 2008 R2. For information about network optimization and the hardware that supports it, see the Windows Server 2008 R2 documentation. After a virtual machine is deployed, this feature is displayed only for virtual machines that are deployed on a host that is running Windows Server 2008 R2.

    After reviewing the information on this page, select the host on which you want to deploy this virtual machine, and then click Next.

    If no host in the list has sufficient disk space to host the new virtual machine, click Previous to return to the Volume Configuration page and either remove or reduce the size of one or more volumes. You can also override the default placement options that VMM uses to calculate the host ratings. Any changes that you make apply only for this virtual machine deployment. For more information about how VMM rates hosts, see How Virtual Machine Manager Rates Hosts.

  7. On the Select Path page, Accept the default virtual machine path on the host to store the files associated with this virtual machine. You can also click the down arrow to select a different path, or click Browse to specify a different path on the host. You can also choose the following options:

    • If you selected a path other than an existing default path and want to store other virtual machines on that path, select the Add this path to the list of host default paths check box. For information about how to configure default virtual machine paths, see How to Set Placement Options for a Host.

    • If you chose Store the virtual machine in the library, specify the library server that will store the virtual machine, and then select a path on the available library shares to store the virtual machine's files.

  8. On the Select Networks page, attach the physical network adapters to either Not Connected or to any of the virtual networks on the selected host.

  9. On the Additional Properties page, accept the default settings or modify these settings as described in How to Configure Automatic Start and Stop Actions for a Virtual Machine (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=162908).

  10. On the Summary page, do the following:

    1. Review the settings that you chose by running the wizard.

    2. Optionally, click View Script to view (and copy) the Windows PowerShell script that runs this wizard and performs the conversion. All administrative tasks in VMM can be scripted or performed at the command line. For more information, see Windows PowerShell Scripting in Virtual Machine Manager 2008(https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=110911).

    3. Optionally, select the Start the virtual machine after deploying it on the host check box.

    4. Click Create to create the virtual machine.

  11. In Jobs view, monitor the progress of the new virtual machine creation job and confirm that the virtual machine is created successfully. If the job fails, review the error message at the bottom of the Jobs pane for information about the cause of the failure and the recommended action to resolve the issue.