Convert Linux VM from VMware Server to ESX with LVM volumes

The servers here are all moving to ESX.  Well all but one.This server was poorly created using VMware server version 1.1 a long time ago.  Everytime we tried to move to ESX lots of problems like missing VMDK files and Kernel Panics.  Two things wrong: 1) ESX doesn”t support IDE drives and 2) most P2V converters do not support LVM.  I”ve seen some P2V workaround that netcat piped dd commands over the network as a workaround.  But that requires a bunch of “fdisk”ing and a bunch of luck.  Thankfully the new VMware converter can handle non-standard linux filesystems (even though they are not approved).  The trick is root access.

  1. Make sure to install the latest VMware tools on the Linux host.  Ubuntu will require kernel source and removal of the sudo command.  Fedora can use the RPM.  Redhat and Suse can use the Upgrade tools menu from ESX console.
  2. Have source server running and ensure root access logins.
  3. Using Vmware converter version 4+ (free download), connect to the source server, the target destination ESX server and supply root login information.
  4. The VMware converter will create a new, empty, linux VMware on the target ESX server.  This blank tank needs access to DHCP for it to boot and once it turns on, it creates mirror partitions.  (screenshots)
    • My source server was an 8GB IDE drive partitioned with a 256MB /boot EXT3 and a 7000MB /root LVM.
    • The Target Host server created a 256MB EXT3 /boot and a 7000MB /root EXT3 partition on ESX using SCSI Bus Logic drives.
  5. It will then copy individual files from the host to the target (why Root access is so crucial) and serve up a shut-down, but ready to go ESX compatable server.
  6. Check target ESX server for any extra setting changes and get going.
February 10, 2009 • Posted in: Tech Lessons

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