If you're seeing this error your frustration level is probably pretty high right now.
SPECS: Using ESX 3.5, Converter ver. 3.03, and converting a W2k3 GSX image from a DL360G4p server to ESX on a DL360G5.
As you may already know: VMware logs don't state the obvious.
If you need to try a solution quickly, stop reading and do this:
EXAMPLE: if your current image size is 10gb but your original config is set to a Maximum Growth Size of 50gb your conversion will fail if your Destination Host can't handle the combined Max, Growth Sizes of all the Guests combined PLUS the new image you're trying to CONVERT/MOVE.
Say you've got 4 images on a box. Each image is set to Max. Growth Size of 50gb. That's 200gb of space that ESX is managing. The image you want to move currently uses only 10gb but the Max. Growth Size is 50gb. Your Destination HD better be able to handle this new image size of 50gb, (not the 10gb as reported by Windows Explorer).
BACKGROUND: I had a dead DL360G4p...turns out it was a bad system board. I had another DL 360G4p running GSX. I shut it down (after notifying all the affected departments who had images running on both boxes), removed the 2 HD's and replaced them with the HD's from the dead box. Fortunetely, they spun right up and I was able to backup all the images to tape. Then, i began the converson process to a new box. (I had a DL360G5 hosting some images). The first conversion ran great. The next two just died.
Eventually, I decided to back off and look at the ESX configuration tab. I rt-clicked on my Storage parameter and it showed that I had 68gb of free space on the box. That's raw size remaining and does not take into account THE MAX. GROWTH RATE of the Guests. The image was a 50gb image...no problems, right? Wrong! After much fumbling I recalled that Windows Explorer showed the vmdk as only 10gb, Yet I recalled during the conversion prep the size was listed at 50gb. I had nothing to lose at this point, so I reduced the size of the image during conversion. It worked.
I told you it was obvious...of course, it took me several hours of troubleshooting to see the 'obvious' cause.
SOLUTION: If adding another ESX box is out of the question and you don't have room on any other ESX/GSX boxes you can try reducing the Max Growth Size of the image to a size that will fit on the Destination. You can always figure out a way to add size later, when you need it. But, if your goal is to move an image immediately (due to dead hardware, etc.,) and it's too big for the Destination, try reducing it's size to make it fit.
Hope this helps someone out there.
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