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Source and Target on Different Networks

  • 1.  Source and Target on Different Networks

    Posted Jul 06, 2009 07:07 PM

    Hi Everyone,

    Bit of a noob to VM so bear with me. Also I'm sure this has been asked before and I did look but couldn't find anything that I could translate enough to actually help with my situation.

    I have a source machine on a different network to the ESX. I installed the vcenter converter (v4) onto a server that has access to both networks and have attempted to do a powered-on remote system hot clone type thing and it has failed. It originally appeared to fail because it did not mount the iso on the new vm, so I installed the converter onto the esx management machine (to get the iso onto that box) and mounted the iso manually while the converter on the in-between box was waiting for the server to come back up. However it then appears to hang while trying to contact the source. I anticipated this being an issue but hoped that it would be able to communicate through the converter on the in-between box... it doesn't.

    Is there a way of doing this that doesn't require altering the firewall? This is the first of many systems that we will be p2v'ing and firewall changes for all of them is going to be a nightmare for us (change control). I keep seeing mention of the helper vm, can I build this on the in-between server and tell the converter to use that? Would this then act as a bridge? I did look for options to specify alternate helper vm in converter but didn't find anything.

    Many thanks in advance for your help.

    D.



  • 2.  RE: Source and Target on Different Networks

    Posted Jul 06, 2009 07:28 PM

    unixanalyst,

    First off, the linux and windows conversions are completely different. for sake of ports being opened, it is probably best to refer to a document of ours:

    http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1010056/

    For sake of windows, we install an application (agent) on the source physical system and then the agent attempts to push data to the ESX host by IP/Host Name

    A 'helper virtual machine' is only used in Linux conversions. The helper virtual machine boots on the ESX host and attempts to connect via the network to both the source physical box (port 22/ssh) and the system running converter. These network settings for the helper virtual machine are set in Step 3 of the Conversion Wizard (helper virtual machine ip + virtual machine network)

    As for a way around it .... install converter on a box on the same network, or on the source physical ... then convert to a Workstation image format on a USB disc. Once this is done, physically move the USB disk over to the private network and run converter again to import the virtual machines into ESX.



    Regards,

    EvilOne

    VMware vExpert 2009

    NOTE: If your problem or questions has been resolved, please mark this thread as answered and award points accordingly.



  • 3.  RE: Source and Target on Different Networks

    Posted Jul 06, 2009 07:39 PM

    Great response time thanks.

    That's a good suggestion. My 'in-between' box has access to both networks. So if I can create an image I can easily use that image on th esx box.

    However, I have attempted to start a new 'convert machine' task on this box but it seems to insist on converting to a vm, it does not give me any way of specifying that I want to create an image....?



  • 4.  RE: Source and Target on Different Networks

    Posted Jul 06, 2009 07:43 PM

    make sure you are using the most current version of converter

    VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 4.0

    Latest Version: 4.0.1 | 2009/05/21 | Build: 161434

    http://www.vmware.com/go/getconverter

    And if you want to make a virtual machine it will have to be a "Workstation virtual machine". as an example, the attached picture should be for a virtual machine being created on a local disk in Server 2.0 format.



    Regards,

    EvilOne

    VMware vExpert 2009

    NOTE: If your problem or questions has been resolved, please mark this thread as answered and award points accordingly.



  • 5.  RE: Source and Target on Different Networks

    Posted Jul 06, 2009 08:00 PM

    I am using the latest version of Converter but I get the attached screen which only gives one option.

    Is it because the source is remote?



  • 6.  RE: Source and Target on Different Networks

    Posted Jul 06, 2009 08:03 PM

    What is the OS for "holly", if it's a Linux system ... then you MUST use ESX as the destination. we do not support a Linux P2V to standalone.

    Regards,

    EvilOne

    VMware vExpert 2009

    NOTE: If your problem or questions has been resolved, please mark this thread as answered and award points accordingly.



  • 7.  RE: Source and Target on Different Networks

    Posted Jul 06, 2009 08:20 PM

    It is Linux yes. So that's why it's defaulting to ESX. Darn.

    So what do you think would be my next option? Would it be possible for me to set up an ESX host on the 'in-between' server, in some small way, as a staging post? (By 'in-between' I mean the box that has access to both networks). That sounds a little convoluted but it may still save us time over firewall changes once we get the process down.



  • 8.  RE: Source and Target on Different Networks

    Posted Jul 06, 2009 08:47 PM

    >So what do you think would be my next option?

    You'll need to get a setup that works for the regular P2V. If your "in-between" system has access to both networks ..... do you have an ESX Port Group which is for the specific network that holly is on?

    Ideally, if this system has access to teh ESX network, and the source physical network ... the only thing we need to ensure is that the Helper VM gets a valid network address that is on the same network as the source physical.

    If there is no DHCP on the source physical's network (Network for Linux Hot Clone), and set the IP during the converter wizard. just make sure this ip is unused (Helper VM Network)



    Regards,

    EvilOne

    VMware vExpert 2009

    NOTE: If your problem or questions has been resolved, please mark this thread as answered and award points accordingly.



  • 9.  RE: Source and Target on Different Networks

    Posted Jul 06, 2009 09:07 PM

    Thank you for the helpful replies evil one. While I haven't yet resolved my issue, I have learned enough that I can go to the network guys and confidently tell them what I need and that the possinle alternatives have been investigated.



  • 10.  RE: Source and Target on Different Networks

    Posted Jul 06, 2009 09:12 PM

    Really, I don't see how you would need to make firewall changes if there was an ESX Port group which is directly on the source physical's network.

    Even if this means creating a new vSwitch attached to a NIC that happens to be on the correct network, then you can have the helper virtual machine placed on here. your 'in-between' system would have 2 nic cards assigned to it. One port group on the same network as teh Service Console IP for the ESX host, the second NIC assigned to the same network as the source physical and helper virtual machine.

    See the attached port map for assistance.

    If you have enough information, just make sure to mark this thread as answered and award points for the help.



    Regards,

    EvilOne



  • 11.  RE: Source and Target on Different Networks

    Posted Jul 07, 2009 10:31 AM

    What you're describing sounds like it's exactly what I'm trying to achieve, but I'm not quite getting it yet.

    I've asked our network chaps to look at what you've said. In the meantime, I'll need to understand... "then you can have the helper virtual machine placed on here". Would this mean installing vmware onto a system on the source network? Or just running the converter on such a system?