The destination virtual machine did not boo up

[gopalshah20]

Hi Guys,

I was trying to move one of the linux system to ESXi 3.5, 153875. after many tries i got this errors and not sure where to debug. I have tried staic IP address but didnt work.

I'm using Vmware convertor standalone 5.0

Any help would be much appiciated.

Thanks,

Gopal

[patanassov]

Hi Gopal

from the worker log it seems the helper VM couldn't boot up. Can you please look the ESX events, logs to check why this has been so?

Regards,

Plamen

[ivivanov]

For some reason the helper VM did not start successfully. There is a vmware-tools daemon in the helper ISO image which reports to the vCenter that the helper started successfully and then Converter detects this state change and proceeds with the next steps. Since this happens in the early stages of helper startup Converter wasn't able to connect to it and download a diagnostic log. You can try to collect some diagnostic information from the helper manually. You need to edit the converter-worker.xml file (it is located under %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\VMware\VMware vCenter Converter Standalone on XP and 2K3 and under Program Data\VMware\VMware vCenter Converter Standalone on Vista or Win7).

You need to change two values in it:

• useSourcePasswordInHelperVm should be set to true (default is false)
• powerOffHelperVm should be set to false (default is true)

After you edit this file you need to restart Converter Worker service. After that the Helper VM should continue to run even after the task has failed and you should be able to logon as root with the same password that was used on the source machine.

So, my idea is to try to log on to the target VM and collect some log files - VMware Converter log files should be /var/log, same for VMware Tools (they could be useful as well if for some reason VMware Tools were not able to start)

Also anything "strange" in the system log could be a hint as well...

[gopalshah20]

Hi ivivanov,

I've tried doing useSourcePasswordInHelperVm should be set to true (default is false). Now trying to do with powerOffHelperVm should be set to false (default is true).

Also, it gets failed after 1% and no vms created in datastore; FYI.

My source physical system is in 192.168.0.xx; also my esx is in the same network. convertor is someware in 192.160.200.xx or 192.168.225.xx network.. have tried from both the network. i can ssh to my source system from any of the network and hence i am able to submit the job to the convertor. right?

Do you think network could be the issue in this scenario.

will post the result; appling your suggetions now.

Thanks for hints.

[gopalshah20]

Hi,

I have tried both your suggestions; i look at the datastore. the system not able to create the virtual machine; after a wile the virtual machine files got deleted from the datastore after i got the failed message in convertor.

not sure where to debug now; any help would be great.

Thanks.

[ivivanov]

Hi,

First, my idea was to change both options *together* in order for the target VM to be left intact and running on the vCenter server so you can logon to it and try to collect logs.

Second, from your last message I am not sure I understand what is happening.

the system not able to create the virtual machine; after a wile the virtual machine files got deleted from the datastore

Well, is the target VM created or not? If it is created, does it try to boot a Linux OS from the CD (ISO image attached as a CD-ROM device)? Can you open the vCenter client GUI and when the target machine is created, open its console and let me know what is happening? Is it trying to boot at all? Is there e. g. a kernel-panic message and it halts? Is it only with black screen and nothing happens? Does it try to boot from the HDD instead of the CD-ROM? If the latter is the case, can you try to restart it (using Ctrl+Alt+Del within the console) and force-boot it from the CD?

[gopalshah20]

Hi,

Sorry for unclear writing here.

1. I have used both the options together. that didnt work.

2. when i started converting vitural machine; i can see vmfiles in datastore about source server. but when i got the fail message in convertor; all the files from datastores seems gone. So that means, the VM creation is not completed.

When the vm converting process it going on (apporx 20 minutes) at that thme i tried to check the console of the destination VM machine and found following error.

"unable to connect to the MKS: error connecting to /bin/vms process"

So, here target mahcine is not created.

Hope that's clear to you now.

Let me know if i'm missing somewhere. (network is out of the issues.. right?)

Regards,

Gopal

[kjb007]

I've seen many issues with Converter 5 talking to vCenter to do a conversion.  Instead, use converter and point destination directly to ESX host instead of vCenter server, and see if that behaves better.  It did for us.

-KjB

[gopalshah20]

Thanks KjB,

But if your read in discussion I've tried using standalone system (only haivng vmware convertor standalone); its giving the same error.

there was no vCenter server in picture.

as a second i have installed the standalone converter in the system where we have vcenter server; but that didnot worked as well.

Is that what you mean;you want me to try?

Let me know if u have any other option.

regards,

Gopal

[kjb007]

I didn't see your destination as ESX host in the thread.  If I missed it, my mistake.  Our conversions using 5.0 would fail converting Linux fail similarly, because of a signature mismatch from vcenter, and not being able to boot the helper vm.  When we used converter to point to ESX, we were successful.  You may be having another issue.

-KjB

[ivivanov]

Yeah, it doesn't look like a network issue, but more likely something wrong with your ESX/VC setup. The MKS error has nothing to do with Converter but is related with the virtual infrastructure. Can you succesfully view the console of other VMs running on the same host? What is the power state of the target VM during those 20 minutes? Is it powered on?

[gopalshah20]

Yes, for those 20 mins the VM stays in POWER ON stage; also we have 5 more systmes on that Host machine and they are runnig fine. we are able to have the console for all of those. My ESX host is ESXi, 3.5.0, 153875 and my Physical system trying to do virtual is Debian 4.1.2-19.(I know i cant see debian in Supported Guest Operating Systems in convertor 5.0 release notes. is that possible to convert Debian..?