vmdk to vhd conversion using SCVMM 2008 R2
Problem: Unable to convert ESX VM to hyper-v based VM using System Center Virtual Machine Manager.
Description: I recently had a customer who needed to to convert a VM created in VMWare. The VM was exported from ESX and given to me with the following files:
builtin-ZIP.clone-VM001-flat.vmdk
clone-VM001.vmdk
clone-VM001.vmsd
clone-VM001.vmx
clone-VM001.vmxf
clone-VM001_1-flat.vmdk
clone-VM001_1.vmdk
clone-VM001_2-flat.vmdk
clone-VM001_2.vmdk
vmware-4.log
vmware-5.log
vmware-6.log
vmware-7.log
vmware-8.log
vmware-9.log
Following the procedures in https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb963721.aspx I copied the files into my SCVMM library. I ran a refresh job on the library and saw the following errors in the log:
Warning (10810)
Warning (10810)
Unable to import the Virtual Machine \\218443HYPER.218443DOM.com\MSSCVMMLibrary\clone-VM001.vmx due to errors encountered while attempting to import the file.
Warning (10801)
Unable to import virtual hard disk \\218443HYPER.218443DOM.com\MSSCVMMLibrary\clone-VM001.vmdk because one of its data files, \\218443HYPER.218443DOM.com\MSSCVMMLibrary\clone-VM001-flat.vmdk, could not be imported.
Warning (10804)
Unable to import \\218443HYPER.218443DOM.com\MSSCVMMLibrary\builtin-ZIP-clone-VM001-flat.vmdk because of a syntax error in the file.
Interesting. I then tried to run the VMWare Converter. I received the following error:
"The Object or item referenced could not be found"
Resolution:
The VMX file contains all of the relevent configuration needed for the virtual machine including the VMDK file names. After looking into this a bit further I found that one of the VMDK's had been renamed while preparing the files for compression and transfer. I renamed the file back to it original state builtin-ZIP.clone-VM001-flat.vmdk-->clone-VM001-flat.vmdk. After the rename I refreshed the library the import was successful.
I was now able to run the "Convert Virtual Machine Wizard" against my ESX based VM.
Trent
CISSP, ITILv3, MCP
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
