Migration of vSphere VM (Windows 2022) is no longer possible

[kurotan]

Migration of vSphere VM (Windows 2022) is no longer possible

After updating the VM Essentials version and the hypervisor host OS, migration of vSphere VM (Windows 2022) is no longer possible.

My verification environment is Ubuntu 24.04/Essentials 8.0.6.

I tried to migrate the VM using the following procedure, but was unable to migrate.

1. Boot the vSphere VM in Windows RE (Setup in Settings - Update & Security Recovery - Advanced)
2. Set "virtio-win-0.1.271.iso" to the vSphere VM
3. Run the Windows RE command prompt
4. Run diskpart-"list volume" to check the drive letters of the CD-ROM and Windows installation volume
5. Run "dism /image:D:\ /add-driver:F:\viostor\2k22\amd64\viostor.inf"
(D: Windows installation volume, F: CD-ROM)
6. Exit Windows RE
7. Run "virtio-win-gt-x64.msi /q" and "virtio-win-guest-tools.exe" in the command prompt /q"
8. Convert to managed VM from manager
9. Select the target VM from the instance screen and import as an image
10. Create an instance using the imported image
11. Can't start...

The above method was able to migrate Windows VMs in Ubuntu22.04/VM Essentials8.0.5.

By the way, for CentOS9, migration is possible by incorporating the drivers in the initramfs.
(This is the same now as it was before)
1. echo 'add_drivers+=" virtio_scsi virtio_blk virtio_net "' | tee -a　/etc/dracut.conf.d/virtio.conf
guration file is prepped, rebuild the initramfs:
2. dracut -f

[GrahamF]

Hi  kurotan

So i had a similar issue (but mine was upgraded from 8.0.5 to 8.0.7).

It seems that the model type has changed, I went onto the system that the machine was being deployed, and vi the .xml file.

changed the model from pc-i440fx-8.2 (which doesn't support the secure boot) as my error was secure boot is only supported on q35.

changed from pc-i440fx-8.2 to pc-q35-8.2 like below.

# <type arch='x86_64' machine='pc-q35-8.2'>hvm</type>

I did get some other errors, PCIE and IDE, once I did those changes I just started the VM.

Hope this helps, and also hope the defualt gets changed back.

G 

[kurotan]

Thank you for your comment.

In my environment, it boots, but the disk is not visible.
The driver should be loaded, so I also think it's a problem with the PC model.

After changing to q35, I changed the controller settings from pci-root to pcie-root, and there were setting errors with IDE and USB, so I deleted them, but it still can't recognize the disk.

One way to go about it might be to revert to an older version and check what the settings were.

[GrahamF]

yes i'm stuck at the same - "inaccessible boot device"

before I changed the file it just didn't boot and failed when I created the instance from the imported image.

I will keep trying and post here if I manage to get it migrated.

[GrahamF]

Hi

So V8.0.8 has been realeased today - this included a migration tool - just testing it now with a VMware to VME migration of a 2022 VM

Graham

[kurotan]

I'll try testing it too.

[PeterTzvetanov]

Hello,

it looks like there is a talk for an issue "introduced" in the 8.0.6 and persisted in the 8.0.7 too, when trying to migrate vSphere VMs to VME. This issue is been
resolved in the 8.0.8. Bypass of the issue is if you export the VM as VMDK/OVF from the vSphere environment and import the VMDK as virtual image to the
VME and then deploy from it.

With regards

Peter Tzvetanov

Support Engineer

Peter.Tzvetanov@hpe.com

Technical Support Phone Numbers

HPE Operations

You can manage your cases on HPE Support Center

[kurotan]

I tried migrating a VM with the driver pre-installed, as described in the URL below, but the result was the same as with v8.0.7.
It seems that the problem has not been fixed.
I will try the migration tool now.

https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/docDisplay?docId=sd00006560en_us&page=GUID-D3E08022-96A5-4BD8-9DDF-67D942A361C0.html

[kurotan]

I also tried the migration tool, but the results were the same.

[kurotan]

I uploaded a slideshow on YouTube showing the steps I took to prepare the VM, such as installing drivers.

Is there something I'm doing wrong?

https://youtu.be/Ll1hw335Xas

[PeterTzvetanov]

Hi Kurotan,

I honestly haven't done the preparation procedure a lot, but I used for Windows the procedure that worked before great with cockpit, but with the 8.0.8 it is no longer required. What I only do on the Windows side is to install the qt-64 package which can be taken from inside of VME /var/opt/morpheus/package-repos/files/vm/virtio-win-1.2.iso.gz  and extracted there will be the ISO and you can attach that to the Windows VM install the package and then switch the cd-rom back to Client Device. Do the migration as usuall. Once it is transfered the files, the VM will get powered on and it will surely not finish up perfectly, but that's fine. We can reconfigure the VM to start on the main/base disk with SATA and the second disk(I attached on while the reconfigure with 1GB to not waste space) as VirtIO. As the reconfigure will reboot the VM, it will again see the base disk as it is SATA and you can login for the first time on the Windows. Once that is done once, you can reconfigure again, but this time set the base disk back to VirtIO and second disk remove or set it for the moment on VirtIO(0:1). Now it should complete and you are on VirtIO disk with Windows.

With regards

Peter Tzvetanov

Support Engineer

Peter.Tzvetanov@hpe.com

Technical Support Phone Numbers

HPE Operations

You can manage your cases on HPE Support Center

[Arnout_Verbeken · Accepted solution]

The documentations can be found on https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/docDisplay?docId=sd00006560en_us&page=GUID-D3E08022-96A5-4BD8-9DDF-67D942A361C0.html

Please note that you will have to inject viostor AND vioscsi in Windows Recovery Mode.  The documentation will be updated.

So you would need to do: 

dism /image:C:\ /add-driver:D:\viostor\2k22\amd64\viostor.inf
dism /image:C:\ /add-driver:D:\vioscsi\2k22\amd64\vioscsi.inf

Adapt driver letters and OS to your needs.

The full procedure I follow is:

• Install Vmware Tools
• Reboot
• Mount VirtIO ISO
• Recovery Mode and inject both drivers above so OS boots up fine in VME after migration
• Reboot
• Install virtio-win-gt-x64.msi to install the drivers that are needed after migration
• Install virtio-win-guest-tools.exe to install the qemu-guest tool that is needed for the migration (and the Spice driver)
• Disconnect ISO and set CD/DVD Drive to "Client Device" in Vmware VM properties
• Reboot
• Shut down
• Migrate with the wizard

Make sure your Hypervisor agents are up to date (Agent version 2.10.0 at minimum)

[kurotan]

I added the following to my original steps and the migration was successful.

dism /image:C:\ /add-driver:D:\vioscsi\2k22\amd64\vioscsi.inf

  https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/docDisplay?docId=sd00006560en_us&page=GUID-D3E08022-96A5-4BD8-9DDF-67D942A361C0.html

However, this information isn't written in the documentation, is it?

[Arnout_Verbeken]

Documentation will be updated accordingly.

[kurotan]

Thank you!

I hope for a quick update.