Migrating Virtual Machine Configurations and VHDs from Beta to RC

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Detailed steps for migrating your Hyper-V beta VMs to RC are included in the How to Install Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V Release Candidate doc, viz:

Migrating Virtual Machine Configurations and VHDs from Beta to RC

Migration of virtual machine configurations from Hyper-V Beta is not supported.  All virtual machine configurations must be recreated using Hyper-V RC.  However, customers will be able to migrate VHD files for released operating systems (Pre-release version of Windows Server 2008 will need to be recreated with the RTM version).  There are several important factors to consider and steps to be followed for migrating VHDs to Hyper-V RC.   These steps are covered below. Please refer to https://support.microsoft.com/kb/949222 for instructions on how to move VHDs created on Hyper-V Beta to RC. The following steps provide a high-level summary:

  1. Document existing settings for

    1. Virtual machines (example: memory, CPU, virtual network adapter settings, etc.).

    2. Virtual switches including all configuration information.

    3. Network adapters within the virtual machine (example: IP Address, DNS address, etc.).

  2. Your virtual machines must be shut down and all saved-states must be deleted.

  3. All snapshots must be deleted or merged into the parent VHD.  You cannot bring a virtual machine into Hyper-V RC if it has snapshots.  Merging of your snapshots can take some time.  Ensure that your snapshots have merged and all that remains is a single .VHD file.

  4. Copy your VHD files to a safe location.

  5. Apply the updates for RC as described in the section Enabling Hyper-V. After you upgrade to Hyper-V RC, your virtual machine configurations must be recreated.

  6. Create new virtual switches and configure based on the information you collected in Step 1.

  7. Create new virtual machines using the ‘New Virtual Machine Wizard’ in the Hyper-V Management Console.  Use the information you collected during Step #1.  When prompted, attach your existing VHD to the newly created virtual machine.

  8. Once you launch your virtual machine, you should install the new integration components included with Hyper-V for supported guest operating systems following one of the options below:
    Pre Windows Server 2008 Guest virtual machines including Windows Vista SP1: Install the latest Integration Components contained in the VMGuest.ISO file.  This is achieved by clicking on the ‘Action’ menu in the VM Connect session and selecting ‘Insert Integration Components’.
    Windows Server 2008 Guest virtual machines: Apply the same update (QFE) inside the child virtual machine that is used to update the parent partition to Hyper-V RC, choosing the appropriate x86 or x64 architecture. This QFE can be installed within the virtual machine in various ways including:

    1. Adding a legacy network adapter to the virtual machine while the virtual machine is not running.  Then, launch the virtual machine and download the QFE directly from Windows Update.  Once the QFE is applied, you may wish to remove the legacy network adapter from the virtual machine configuration.

    2. Download the QFE and burn the update onto a physical CD using the parent partition or a separate client computer.  Mount the physical CD drive within the child virtual machine and install the update.

    3. Download the QFE and create an ISO image.  Mount the ISO image within the child virtual machine and install the update.

    Note: Running the setup program contained in the VMGuest.iso within a Windows Server 2008 child virtual machine does not update the integration components.  Following the steps listed above is the only method to install the latest integration components for Windows Server 2008.

  9. Configure the network settings within the virtual machine using the information you wrote down in step #1.