P2V Windows Server 2003 R2 SP2

[marauli]

Windows Server 2003 R2 SP2 (32-bit) on Dell r310. Need to P2V it.

When trying to follow "How to P2V multiple 2003 Servers to 6.5" and the suggested trick of copying just the VCS agent installer (unnecessary, as it turns out - the full installer can get me to just the agent installation option) - the installation stops on "Agent Port Settings" and wouldn't proceed no matter how long I wait or how many times I hit "next".

The firewall is fully "off". Anything I can do?

When trying to connect to it from a different machine running VCS, it says "unable to connect to network share '<IP>/ADMIN$'.":

... yet regardless, even if it could connect, it'd try to install the agent - which probably won't install.

Appreciate any hints!

P.S. If this works out, we have a Windows Server 2000 machine to P2V! 😅

[pcgeek2009]

Have you tried using the FQDN of the server rather than the IP? Just a thought. Also, when I do this, I typically use the local administrator account "remote_server_name\administrator" solves any permission issues. Make sure UAC is disabled. That has been an issue for me in the past as well, but that does not exist on 2003 or 2000. 

[NateNateNAte]

Similar to what pcgeek2009 said, it sounds like a permissions issue, so the full administrator or domadmin account (however you manage your shop), should resolve that. 

The only other thought I have is to check the vlan routing.  I have run into issues where I was working migrations and forgot to connect to the correct vlan and spent hours banging my head against the firewall (in vain).

Good lock, and curious to see how this resolves!

[marauli]

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Have you tried using the FQDN of the server rather than the IP?

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It doesn't have an FQDN as it's not in AD and I didn't set up a DNS name for it. (IPs have been working for me in the past.)

Regardless, if the agent can't be installed on an older 32-bit OS, then bypassing this issue won't help.

[marauli]

+ check out this thread and comment:

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doesn't seem like it is possible to either convert a 2003 Server remotely, nor to install the 6.2 standalone converter on a 2003 Server for a local conversion. The remote conversion complains about not being able to connect to the ADMIN$ share, and 6.2 just doesn't seem to want to install on 2003 at all - the local install throws a 1902 error about some service not being able to start. So I suppose this is a fitting punishment for still having a 2003 Server that matters, even if only a little bit, in 2021.

[marauli · Accepted solution]

I ended up finding and installing VMware-converter-en-6.0.0-2716716 locally on the server, and converting it to a VMware Workstation VM on an external USB drive rather than try to connect to a vCenter or an ESXi. A bit more secure, too, as this can be done on an air-gapped system.

Then, using Converter 6.3 on my desktop - converted that to a regular vSphere VM. Seems to have worked - the VM powers up. It took awhile to find and install the needed pre-Vista VMware tools (which gave it a NIC and some of the other needed drivers) - yet overall, a success - at least with that Win2k3 system.

(With Win2k server - not so much - at least not yet: neither 6.0.0 nor 5.5.3 converters let themselves to be installed.)

[pcgeek2009]

So I took the time this weekend to load an old server I have with Server 2003. I got by the problem you are seeing with the unable to connect to the ADMIN$. It seems to be due to the fact that the client you are running probably has SMB1.0 not installed. I used the "Add Windows Features" and added the SMB1.0 features (this requires a reboot). I was then able to get past that part, but after a period of time got the 1603 error. I was not able to get past that, even with adding the pipes timeout extension. In the meantime, if you want to try that on your system, here are the instructions:

• Navigate to Start > Run > and type regedit
• Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control
• With the control folder selected, right click in the pane on the right and select new DWORD Value
• Name the new DWORD: ServicesPipeTimeout
• Right-click ServicesPipeTimeout, and then click Modify
• Click Decimal, type '180000', or '300000' and then click OK
• Restart the device

I then installed just the agent on the 2003 server, but the services would not start. In checking the event viewer on the server, I am getting a 1904, but in doing some research found that I had not installed SP2. I will take time to install that and try again tomorrow night. In the meantime, you might check the KB below to verify your system. 

https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/1006748

I will do more testing tomorrow night. 

[marauli]

Thanks! I got around this by installing an older version of Converter (6.0) on the source server and converting to a local VMware Workstation target rather through a vCenter or an ESXi. Then converted the resultant workstation files to a vSphere VM using a newer Converter (6.3), and that worked.

(I posted the details a few days ago - but it got marked as spam and deleted... 🙄)

P.S. Just found what I posted earlier - not sure what was spammy about it:

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I ended up finding and installing VMware-converter-en-6.0.0-2716716 locally on the server, and converting it to a VMware Workstation VM on an external USB drive rather than try to connect to a vCenter or an ESXi. A bit more secure, too, as this can be done on an air-gapped system.

Then, using Converter 6.3 on my desktop - converted that to a regular vSphere VM. Seems to have worked - the VM powers up. It took awhile to find and install the needed pre-Vista VMware tools (which gave it a NIC and some of the other needed drivers) - yet overall, a success - at least with that Win2k3 system.

(With Win2k server - not so much - at least not yet: neither 6.0.0 nor 5.5.3 converters let themselves to be installed.)

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[pcgeek2009]

Glad you got it going. 

[NateNateNAte]

Yes, congrats on that - odd the post got marked away.  But that's a reasonable approach to solve the problem.  Not sure I'd want to take that many steps either, but you do what you have to in order to get things working that need to work. 

[marauli]

It got deleted again... (new owner - new rules?)

P.S. Both got restored a few hours later.

[pcgeek2009]

I will say it was a little fun trying to install 2003 from scratch. I forgot what a pain of the older software installs. I had an older Dell server and when I tried to add the SCSI driver on my trusty USB, I found that Server 2003 ONLY looks for a floppy disk (server did not have a drive, nor I a disk). Fortunately, I remembered Dell had the Build and Update, which was still available for download. I had to then download it and start up the install with that DVD, then go to the OS, etc. Took a good bit of time, but with the time off from work, found it interesting.