+1 on the snapshot! It's saved my @$$ on a number of occasions! I'm curious though...how is running as a VM any different license wise from running on a physical server?
On Mon, Nov 14, 2011 at 11:39 AM, John Cook <[email protected]> wrote: > Snapshot the VM before you do anything else. > > John W. Cook > System Administrator > Partnership For Strong Families > 5950 NW 1st Place > Gainesville, Fl 32607 > Office (352) 244-1610 > Cell (352) 215-6944 > MCSE, MCP+I, MCTS, CompTIA A+, N+, VSP4, VTSP4 > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Mike Leone [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Monday, November 14, 2011 11:37 AM > To: NT System Admin Issues > Subject: OT - converting a VMware VM back to a physical box > > So I've got a request that is confusing me. > > > Environment: 6 host EX 4.1 U1 cluster. VM in question - Win2003 > Enterprise, 32 bit > > > My boss tells me that I need to convert this from a VM back onto a > physical machine - for licensing reasons, this needs to be a physical > box, apparently. > > > So here's the big rub ... this VM is one of those mission-critical VMs. > Ordinarily, what I might have done is do a sysprep of the VM, and - > before shutting it down - do a full backup using EMC Networker. Then, I > would do a BMR (Bare Metal Recovery) of Windows on the new physical > hardware. (when doing a BMR, you install Windows and your backup client > on the new hardware. Then do a full restore, using the backup client, of > everything except the backup client program files). That way, after the > reboot at the end of the BMR, sysprep would run, find the new disk > controller drivers, etc, and not blue screen with inaccessible boot > device errors. > > > However, my boss has vetoed that idea, since we can't take any chances > with the VM perhaps not working after the sysprep. If that BMR doesn't > work, then I would need to turn the VM back on. and we have no > guarantees that it would continue to work the same after the sysprep, etc. > > > So my hands are tied that way. > > > Then I thought - well, we could still do a BMR, but without the sysprep > first. Just do a regular full backup, and then the BMR to the physical > box. And if it fails to boot, we would (maybe) do a Windows repair > installation, using the drivers for whatever disk controllers are in the > physical box. Doing the BMR won't overwrite any drives that would be > installed for the clean first-time Windows install, and so they'd still > be there for the repair installation to find. That way, either the > physical box would work, and I'd leave the VM powered off, or the > physical box would fail, and I would power the VM back up. > > > So: any hints on how I can take this VM, and put it on a new physical > box, make it work .. and still get the VM to boot afterwards, in case > the conversion to physical did not work? Basically, I need the reverse > of the P2V converter, where - if the virtualization fails - you can > still turn the physical box back on. I just need to do exactly that, but > in the other direction. > > > Thanks > > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: > http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to [email protected] > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin > > CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT: The information transmitted, or contained or > attached to or with this Notice is intended only for the person or entity > to which it is addressed and may contain Protected Health Information > (PHI), confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, transmission, > dissemination, or other use of, and taking any action in reliance upon this > information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient > without the express written consent of the sender are prohibited. This > information may be protected by the Health Insurance Portability and > Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), and other Federal and Florida laws. > Improper or unauthorized use or disclosure of this information could result > in civil and/or criminal penalties. > Consider the environment. Please don't print this e-mail unless you > really need to. > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: > http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to [email protected] > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to [email protected] with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin
