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P2V of disk with multiple partitions

Rosen Tomov

Rosen TomovJan 07, 2015 12:05 PM

DavideD

DavideDJan 07, 2015 01:02 PM

DavideD

DavideDJan 07, 2015 03:39 PM

  • 1.  P2V of disk with multiple partitions

    Posted Jan 07, 2015 11:24 AM

    Hello,

    I'm working on a customer to convert his physical servers to vSphere 5.5 infrastructure.

    I'm using converter 5.5 and have problems P2Ving one windows 2003 server with system disk with 2 partitions (C and E).

    Physical Server

    Disk 2: system disk with 2 partitions (C:, E: )

    Vmware Converter

    I have converted in following way:

    Partition C:, G:, F: together

    Partition E: standalone (converter 5.5 doesn’t support conversion of multiple partitions on the same disk).

    Result is I have one virtual machine with 3 vmdk (disks C, G, F) and another “fake” virtual machine with only one vmdk (disk E).

    I have moved the disk E vmdk to the folder of the “real” vm and added it to the virtual machine.

    Boot.ini file is as following:

    timeout=30

    default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS

    multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows Server 2003, Standard" /fastdetect

    When I boot the virtual machine, I see the boot.ini menu, but the system doesn’t start and loop forever to boot menu.

    Can anyone help me ?

    thanks in advance

    Best regards

    Davide



  • 2.  RE: P2V of disk with multiple partitions

    Broadcom Employee
    Posted Jan 07, 2015 11:53 AM

    From the image I see that E is a system disk and C is system and active disk... could you upload log bundle to check the details?



  • 3.  RE: P2V of disk with multiple partitions

    Posted Jan 07, 2015 12:00 PM

    Hi Poceh,

    to which log bundle do you referring to ? The converter log ?

    tnx



  • 4.  RE: P2V of disk with multiple partitions

    Broadcom Employee
    Posted Jan 07, 2015 12:05 PM

    Yes, the converter's log bundle.



  • 5.  RE: P2V of disk with multiple partitions

    Posted Jan 07, 2015 01:02 PM

    Attached logfiles.

    tnx

    Davide



  • 6.  RE: P2V of disk with multiple partitions

    Broadcom Employee
    Posted Jan 07, 2015 02:42 PM

    Sorry for my misunderstanding but I can't catch up why you need to copy disk E: separately.

    Normally Windows reconfig requires all system and active volumes to be converted all together for proper reconfiguration at end.

    However you can try to reconfig only the destination VM again and then boot it, but if this don't work - convert all volumes - it should be fine.

    HTH



  • 7.  RE: P2V of disk with multiple partitions

    Posted Jan 07, 2015 02:48 PM

    I must convert disk E separately, because if I try to convert C and E together, the process fails (converter start the task, vcenter create a new vm and immediately delete it. It seems Converter doesn't support conversion of multiple partitions on the same hd.



  • 8.  RE: P2V of disk with multiple partitions

    Broadcom Employee
    Posted Jan 07, 2015 03:01 PM

    This is interesting problem, could you upload log bundle with such failure? (C: + E:)

    Converter supports multiple partitions for sure.



  • 9.  RE: P2V of disk with multiple partitions

    Posted Jan 07, 2015 03:31 PM

    No log is generated. Only Converter-gui.log file is created by failed job. The task fails with Unknown internal error.



  • 10.  RE: P2V of disk with multiple partitions

    Broadcom Employee
    Posted Jan 07, 2015 03:35 PM

    Non UI logs are placed in %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\VMWare\VMware vCenter Converter Standalone\logs

    Please upload latest converter-worker and converter-server logs.



  • 11.  RE: P2V of disk with multiple partitions

    Posted Jan 07, 2015 03:39 PM

    Logfiles attached.

    tnx



  • 12.  RE: P2V of disk with multiple partitions

    Broadcom Employee
    Posted Jan 07, 2015 04:12 PM

    Ok, this is known bug... you can check RN for error: "Building partition list: Can't have more then one active partition on a disk." and "unknown internal error"

    The simplest workaround is to use Converter 5.0

    HTH



  • 13.  RE: P2V of disk with multiple partitions

    Posted Jan 07, 2015 04:16 PM

    Thanks POCEH,

    next monday I'll be to the customer site and I'll try. I'll let you know.


    thank you again

    Davide



  • 14.  RE: P2V of disk with multiple partitions

    Posted Jan 12, 2015 08:00 AM

    Hi POCEH,

    P2V with converter 5.0. was done correctly, but the virtual machine doesn't boot (loop to the windows boot.ini menu).

    If start with recovery console, the "disk read error occured" errom message occurs.



  • 15.  RE: P2V of disk with multiple partitions

    Broadcom Employee
    Posted Jan 12, 2015 08:34 AM

    This is strange but you can try to reconfig only destination VM with Converter 5.5 now.

    HTH



  • 16.  RE: P2V of disk with multiple partitions

    Posted Jan 13, 2015 09:01 AM

    Hello,

    also with reconfig, the virtual machine doesn't start. But in the meantime I have P2V with converter 5.0.1 another server with disks configured in the same way, and this was converted correctly and the vm is started.

    Now I'm thinking there are same problem in the physical disks or boot table of the server.

    Davide



  • 17.  RE: P2V of disk with multiple partitions

    Posted Jan 13, 2015 09:13 AM

    Have you try to change the thick to thin provision? I ever do the conversion, same condition like you, one physical disc with 2 partition, and I can move everything. But, I think, the most important thing is you just convert the C:\ drive first, because, the data partition we can copy manually later.



  • 18.  RE: P2V of disk with multiple partitions

    Posted Jan 15, 2015 02:53 PM

    No, I have no tried to change the thick to thin provision. But the strange is that I have converted another server with exactly the same hard disk layout, and it is working.

    For this reason I'm thinking about some physical error on hard disk.



  • 19.  RE: P2V of disk with multiple partitions

    Broadcom Employee
    Posted Jan 13, 2015 09:24 AM

    Could you upload log bundle with failed conversion/reconfiguration with Converter 5.0?



  • 20.  RE: P2V of disk with multiple partitions

    Posted Jan 15, 2015 02:50 PM

    Attached the logfile of Converter 5.0 task.

    I have tried to switch scsi0:0 and scsi0:1 with no luck.



  • 21.  RE: P2V of disk with multiple partitions

    Broadcom Employee
    Posted Jan 15, 2015 03:36 PM

    There is no Agent's log inside...



  • 22.  RE: P2V of disk with multiple partitions

    Posted Jan 16, 2015 03:51 PM

    See if this is a right file.

    tnx

    Davide



  • 23.  RE: P2V of disk with multiple partitions

    Broadcom Employee
    Posted Jan 16, 2015 03:57 PM

    The error is:

    2015-01-16T15:59:08.108+01:00 [01844 info 'Default'] [,0] boot.ini:

    --> [boot loader]

    --> timeout=30

    --> default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS

    --> [operating systems]

    --> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows Server 2003, Standard" /fastdetect

    --> C:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons

    2015-01-16T15:59:08.108+01:00 [01844 info 'Default'] [,0] Error parsing arc name C:

    just remove last line from boot.ini and repeat operation.

    HTH



  • 24.  RE: P2V of disk with multiple partitions

    Posted Jan 16, 2015 04:02 PM

    The last line is:

    C:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons

    right ?

    I need to remove it from physical server and do a new conversion ?



  • 25.  RE: P2V of disk with multiple partitions

    Broadcom Employee
    Posted Jan 16, 2015 04:13 PM

    Yes, correct.



  • 26.  RE: P2V of disk with multiple partitions

    Posted Jan 18, 2015 04:56 PM

    I'm unlucky.

    Here the latest logfiles.

    I can mount and browse system disk to another vm (see attached image).

    Boot.ini is now:

    [boot loader]

    timeout=30

    default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS

    [operating systems]

    multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows Server 2003, Standard" /fastdetect



  • 27.  RE: P2V of disk with multiple partitions

    Broadcom Employee
    Posted Jan 19, 2015 09:26 AM

    I don't see errors... So the conversion and reconfig passed but target VM doesn't boot, correct?

    Could you try to convert without incremental options?



  • 28.  RE: P2V of disk with multiple partitions

    Posted Jan 19, 2015 09:30 AM

    Yes, it is correct.

    What do you mean with incremental options ?



  • 29.  RE: P2V of disk with multiple partitions

    Broadcom Employee
    Posted Jan 19, 2015 09:41 AM

    In 'Advanced options'/Synchronize do *not* check the 'Synchronize changes' box.



  • 30.  RE: P2V of disk with multiple partitions

    Posted Jan 19, 2015 09:50 AM

    OK. I'm going to try.

    tnx



  • 31.  RE: P2V of disk with multiple partitions

    Posted Jan 19, 2015 02:42 PM

    OK, nothing to do. The system does not want to boot.

    At this point I decided to creeate a fresh new vm and I will convert only the user data disk (it's a fileserver). Therefore add data disk to the virtual machine.

    Thank you for all your help and support.

    Best regards,

    Davide