Prerequisite for migrating a Windows VM from ESXI to Ahv

MIGRATING WINDOWS VMS FROM ESXI TO AHV

After you install Nutanix VM Mobility installer on the VMs (included when you install Nutanix Guest Tools), you can migrate the VMs from ESXi to AHV by performing the referenced procedures.

1. Verify that you have completed all pre-migration tasks. See also Windows VM Migration Prerequisites.
2. Install Nutanix Guest Tools (NGT; which includes Install Nutanix VM Mobility).
   See Nutanix Guest Tools in the Prism Web Console Guide.
3. Migrate the VM disks to Acropolis Distributed Storage Fabric (DSF). See Migrating VMs disks to Acropolis Distributed Storage Fabric.
4. Convert the VM disks to AHV by importing them. See Converting the Migrated Disks to AHV Format.
5. Create a new Windows VM on AHV and attach the Windows disk to the VM. See Creating a Windows VM on AHV after Migration.

• Windows VM Migration Prerequisites    Please read this topic before performing a Windows VM migration.
• Migrating VMs disks to Acropolis Distributed Storage Fabric   
• Converting the Migrated Disks to AHV Format    Use the Acropolis Image Service to import the virtual disk file copied to the Acropolis container as an Image.
• Creating a Windows VM on AHV after Migration   
• Troubleshooting VM Migration    The following information identifies Nutanix VM Mobility troubleshooting.
• Migrating a Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2012 R2 VM from ESXi to the Nutanix Acropolis Hypervisor (AHV)    This topic describes how to migrate a Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2012 R2 VM from an ESXi cluster to a Nutanix Acropolis hypervisor (AHV) Cluster. This topic assumes you are managing your ESXi VMs with vSphere.

Windows VM Migration Prerequisites

Please read this topic before performing a Windows VM migration.

• Before you migrate a source VM, ensure that the source VM does not have any hypervisor snapshots associated with it.
• Optional: Clone any ESXi VMs you want to preserve.
• Nutanix recommends using AOS 4.5.x or later and AHV-20160217.2 or later. See the Hypervisor Details page on the Nutanix Support Portal for all the AHV versions.
• Install Nutanix guest tools (NGT) on the Windows server VM. NGT includes the Nutanix VM mobility drivers that to help migrate VMs from vSphere to AHV. For more information about installing NGT, see Nutanix Guest Tools in the Web Console Guide..
• Mount the AHV container as an NFS datastore to vSphere. See Creating a Container in the Web Console Guide.

VMs Requiring a Rebuild Before Migrating

Windows VMs using Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) in ESXi clusters are not supported for migration in AOS or AHV.

For AOS versions prior to 4.6.1, Generation 2 (Gen 2) Windows VMs in Hyper-V clusters cannot be migrated to AHV without a complete rebuild. If the OS uses UEFI to start up, remove all data from the disk and reinstall the OS with Master boot record disks.

For AOS 4.6.1 and later, you can migrate Generation 2 (Gen 2) Windows Server 2012 R2 VMs that use UEFI to start (UEFI boot) from a Hyper-V cluster to an AHV cluster. You cannot migrate Windows Server 2008 (R2 and non-R2) VMs using UEFI boot, as it is not supported.

To start a UEFI-enabled guest VM, configure each VM with the aCLI option uefi_boot=True. The following option requires supported versions of AHV (version 20160127 and later) and AOS (version 4.6.1 and later).

For example:

acli vm.update vm_id uefi_boot=True

By default, CD-ROM drives are only supported and configured on the IDE bus.

Parent topic:Migrating Windows VMs from ESXi to AHV

Migrating VMs disks to Acropolis Distributed Storage Fabric

In order to migrate VMs, you need to configure the host to be able to mount the Acropolis container as a temporary NFS Datastore or SMB share.

Before you begin:

Install Nutanix VM Mobility.

1. Add the source hypervisor host IP address to the target AHV cluster Filesystem Whitelist. For information, see Configuring a Whitelist in the Web Console Guide.
2. Use Storage vMotion for the VM disks to Nutanix AHV container datastore.
   For example, you can enter the file path nfs://127.0.0.1/container_name/vm_name/vm_name.vmdk.
   Replace container_name with the name of the container where the image is placed and replace vm_name with the name of the VM where the image is placed.
3. When Storage vMotion is complete, shut down the source VM.

Parent topic:Migrating Windows VMs from ESXi to AHV

Parent topic:Migrating Linux VMs from ESXi to AHV

Converting the Migrated Disks to AHV Format

Use the Acropolis Image Service to import the virtual disk file copied to the Acropolis container as an Image.

To create an image from the ESXi virtual disk file on the target AHV Controller VM, do the following:

1. In the Prism UI, click Settings > Image Configuration.
2. In the Image Configuration Dialog Box, click Upload the Image.
   The Create Image dialog box appears.
3. In the Create Image dialog box, complete the indicated fields.
   1. For IMAGE SOURCE, point to the .vdmk file migrated by Storage vMotion.
   Figure: Completed fields in the Create Image dialog box

   Click to enlarge
   
   
   
   For example, in the Image Configuration UI, you can enter nfs://127.0.0.1/container_name/vm_name/vm_name.vmdk.
   Replace container_name with the name of the container where the image is placed and replace vm_name with the name of the VM where the image is placed.

Parent topic:Migrating Windows VMs from ESXi to AHV

Parent topic:Migrating a Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2012 R2 VM from ESXi to the Nutanix Acropolis Hypervisor (AHV)

Creating a Windows VM on AHV after Migration

The following describes how to create a Windows VM after you have migrated the VM to AHV from a non-Nutanix source. To install a Windows VM with Nutanix VirtIO, complete the following.

1. Log in to the Prism UI using your Nutanix credentials.
2. At the top left corner, click Home > VM.
   The VM page appears.
3. Click + Create VM in the corner of the page.
   The Create VM dialog box appears.
   Figure: The Create VM dialog box

   Click to enlarge
   
   
   
4. Create the VM by completing the indicated fields. Match the configuration of the previous VM.
   1. NAME: Enter a name for the VM.
   2. vCPU(s): Enter the number of vCPUs
   3. Cores per vCPU: Enter the number of cores per vCPU.
   4. MEMORY: Enter the amount of memory for the VM (in GIB).
5. Create a disk from the disk image by clicking the + New Disk button and completing the indicated fields.
   1. TYPE: DISK
   2. OPERATION: CLONE FROM IMAGE
   3. BUS TYPE: SCSI
   4. CLONE FROM IMAGE SERVICE: Click the drop-down menu and choose the image you created previously.
   5. Click Add to add the disk driver.
6. (Optional) Add a network interface card (NIC) by clicking the +New NIC button and fill out the indicated fields.
   1. VLAN ID: Choose the VLAN ID according to network requirements and enter the IP address if required.
   2. Click Add.
7. Once you have filled in the indicated fields, click Save.

Parent topic:Migrating Windows VMs from ESXi to AHV

Troubleshooting VM Migration

The following information identifies Nutanix VM Mobility troubleshooting.

Creating disks online after exporting to AHV

In Windows, the SAN policy determines whether a newly discovered disk is brought online or remains offline, and whether it becomes read/write, or remains read-only. When a disk is offline, the disk layout can be read, but no volume devices surface through plug and play. Hence, no file system can be mounted on the disk. When a disk is online, one or more volume devices are installed for the disk. When you export a VM with multiple SCSI disks to AHV, the non-boot disks do not get attached (but are visible) by Windows. You need to create these disks online after exporting to AHV. You can bring the disks online by using one of the following three methods.

1. Go to Start > Control Panel > System and Security > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Storage > Disk Management and right-click the offline disk and select Online.
2. Run the following PowerShell command.

   > Get-Disk | Where-Object IsOffline –Eq $True | Set-Disk –IsOffline $False

3. Use the diskpart command-line utility.
   1. Open the Windows command prompt and run diskpart.exe command.
   2. List the disks to confirm their status, by running this command:

      DISKPART> list disk

      An output similar to the following should be displayed.

      Disk ###  Status      Size     Free     Dyn  Gpt
               --------  ----------  -------  -------  ---  ---
               Disk 0    Online        34 GB    12 MB
               Disk 1    Offline     1024 MB      0 B

   3. Bring a disk online.

      DISKPART> select disk disk number
      DISKPART> ATTRIBUTES DISK CLEAR READONLY 
      DISKPART> Online

      The output displays: DiskPart successfully onlined the selected disk.

Parent topic:Migrating Windows VMs from ESXi to AHV

Migrating a Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2012 R2 VM from ESXi to the Nutanix Acropolis Hypervisor (AHV)

This topic describes how to migrate a Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2012 R2 VM from an ESXi cluster to a Nutanix Acropolis hypervisor (AHV) Cluster. This topic assumes you are managing your ESXi VMs with vSphere.

1. Verify that you have completed all pre-migration tasks. See also Windows VM Migration Prerequisites.
2. Configure a SAN policy to online, so that after the migration to AHV is complete, all the disks are online after the VM is restarted. See Configuring a SAN Policy on the Windows Server VM.
3. In the Prism web console, add the source hypervisor host IP address to the target AHV cluster Filesystem Whitelist. See Configuring a Filesystem Whitelist.
4. In the vSphere client, migrate the VM disks with Storage vMotion to the Nutanix AHV container datastore.
5. When Storage vMotion is complete, shut down the Windows server VM.
6. Convert the migrated disks to the AHV format. See Converting the Migrated Disks to AHV Format
7. Create a new VM. See Creating a New Windows Server VM
8. Complete the post-migration tasks to successfully use the VM after migration. See Post-Migration Tasks, Windows VMs

• Configuring a SAN Policy on the Windows Server VM   
• Configuring a Filesystem Whitelist   
• Converting the Migrated Disks to AHV Format    Use the Acropolis Image Service to import the virtual disk file copied to the Acropolis container as an Image.
• Creating a New Windows Server VM   
• Post-Migration Tasks, Windows VMs   

Parent topic:Migrating Windows VMs from ESXi to AHV

Configuring a SAN Policy on the Windows Server VM

Configure a SAN policy on a Windows server VM before migrating the VM.

1. Log on to the Windows server VM.
2. Configure a SAN policy to online, so that after the migration to AHV is complete, all the disks are online when the VM is restarted. Launch the command window as an administrator and run the following commands:
   1. diskpart
      
   2. At the diskpart prompt, type san policy = onlineall
   3. Exit diskpart.
3. Close the command window.

Parent topic:Migrating a Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2012 R2 VM from ESXi to the Nutanix Acropolis Hypervisor (AHV)

Configuring a Filesystem Whitelist

A whitelist is a set of addresses that are allowed access to the cluster. Whitelists are used to allow appropriate traffic when unauthorized access from other sources is denied.

Note: Using a Nutanix container as a general-purpose NFS or SMB share is not recommended. Because the Nutanix solution is VM-centric, the preferred mechanism is to deploy a VM that provides file share services.

To add (or delete) an address to (from) the filesystem whitelist, do the following:

1. In the gear icon pull-down list of the main menu,select Filesystem Whitelists.
   The Filesystem Whitelists dialog box appears.
2. To add an address to the whitelist, enter the IP address and netmask value (in the form ip_address/netmask) in the IP Address/Netwask field and then click the Add button to the right of that field.
   The entry is added to the Whitelist Entry list (below the IP Address/Netmask field).
3. To delete an entry from the whitelist, click the trash can icon for that entry in the Whitelist Entry list.
   A window prompt appears to verify the action; click the OK button. The entry is removed from the list.
4. Click the Close button to close the Filesystem Whitelists window.
   An NFS whitelist is created when the hypervisor is ESXi or AHV. A CIFS whitelist is created when the hypervisor is Hyper-V.
   Figure: NFS Whitelists Window

   Click to enlarge
   

Parent topic:Migrating a Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2012 R2 VM from ESXi to the Nutanix Acropolis Hypervisor (AHV)

Converting the Migrated Disks to AHV Format

Use the Acropolis Image Service to import the virtual disk file copied to the Acropolis container as an Image.

To create an image from the ESXi virtual disk file on the target AHV Controller VM, do the following:

1. In the Prism UI, click Settings > Image Configuration.
2. In the Image Configuration Dialog Box, click Upload the Image.
   The Create Image dialog box appears.
3. In the Create Image dialog box, complete the indicated fields.
   1. For IMAGE SOURCE, point to the .vdmk file migrated by Storage vMotion.
   Figure: Completed fields in the Create Image dialog box

   Click to enlarge
   
   
   
   For example, in the Image Configuration UI, you can enter nfs://127.0.0.1/container_name/vm_name/vm_name.vmdk.
   Replace container_name with the name of the container where the image is placed and replace vm_name with the name of the VM where the image is placed.

Parent topic:Migrating Windows VMs from ESXi to AHV

Parent topic:Migrating a Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2012 R2 VM from ESXi to the Nutanix Acropolis Hypervisor (AHV)

Creating a New Windows Server VM

To create a new Windows server VM, do the following.

1. Log on to the Prism web console.
2. Go to Home > VM.
   The VM page appears.
3. Click + Create VM. The Create VM dialog box appears. Create the VM by completing the indicated fields. Match the configuration of the original vSphere-hosted VM.
   1. NAME: Enter a name for the VM.
   2. vCPU(s): Enter the number of vCPUs.
   3. Cores per vCPU: Enter the number of cores per vCPU.
   4. MEMORY: Enter the amount of memory for the VM (in GIB).
4. Create a disk from the disk image by clicking the + New Disk button and completing the indicated fields. For example:
   1. TYPE: DISK
   2. OPERATION: CLONE FROM ADSF FILE (For Windows Server 2012 R2, select CLONE FROM NDFS FILE)
   3. BUS TYPE: SCSI
   4. PATH: nfs://127.0.0.1/container_name/vm_name/vm_name.vmdk
   5. CLONE FROM IMAGE SERVICE: Click the drop-down menu and choose the image you created previously.
   6. Click Add to add the disk driver.
   Repeat this procedure for all the VM disks.
5. Add a network interface card (NIC) by clicking the +New NIC button and complete the indicated fields.
   1. VLAN ID: Choose the VLAN ID according to network requirements and enter the IP address if required.
   2. Click Add.
6. Click Save.
   The Received operation to power on the VM dialog box appears.

Parent topic:Migrating a Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2012 R2 VM from ESXi to the Nutanix Acropolis Hypervisor (AHV)

Post-Migration Tasks, Windows VMs

Complete the post-migration tasks in the Prism web console.

1. After the VM is created, the Received operation to create VM dialog box appears. Click View the task details and then select the VM. The Summary line (middle of screen) displays the VM name with a set of relevant action links on the right. Click Power on to start the Windows server VM.
2. After the VM is started, the Received operation to power on the VM dialog box appears. Click View the task details and then select the VM. The Summary line (middle of screen) displays the VM name with a set of relevant action links on the right. Click Launch Console to log on to the VM through the console.
3. Configure an IP address for the VM. Follow the prompts in the console to configure an IP address.
4. Open the Control Panel in the Windows server VM and remove the VMware Tools and other VMware related software.
5. Restart the VM.

Parent topic:Migrating a Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2012 R2 VM from ESXi to the Nutanix Acropolis Hypervisor (AHV)