VMware VCENTER CONVERTER EN-000158-02 User manual

User's Guide
vCenter Converter Standalone 4.0.1
EN-000158-02

User's Guide
2 VMware, Inc.
You can find the most up-to-date technical documentation on the VMware Web site at:
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VMware, Inc.
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Palo Alto, CA 94304
www.vmware.com

Contents
Updated Information 5
About This Book 7
1Introduction 9
Migration with Converter Standalone 9
Converter Standalone Components 10
Converter Standalone Features 10
2System Requirements 19
Supported Operating Systems 19
Installation Space Requirements 20
Supported Source Types 21
Supported Destination Types 23
Restoring VCB Images in Converter Standalone 24
How Conversion Affects the Source Settings When They Are Applied to the Destination 25
Changes That Conversion Causes to Virtual Hardware 26
TCP/IP Port Requirements for Conversion 26
Common Requirements for Remote Hot Cloning of Windows Operating Systems 26
3Installing and Uninstalling VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 29
Install Converter Standalone in Windows 29
Uninstall, Modify, or Repair Converter Standalone in Windows 30
Perform a Command-Line Installation in Windows 31
Command-Line Options for Windows Installation 31
Perform a Local Installation in Linux 32
Perform a Client-Server Installation in Linux 33
Uninstall Converter Standalone in Linux 34
Modify or Repair Converter Standalone in Linux 34
Connect to a Remote Converter Standalone Server 35
4Converting Machines 37
Convert a Machine 37
5Configuring VMware Virtual Machines 65
Configure a Virtual Machine 65
6Managing Conversion and Configuration Tasks 73
Manage Tasks in the Task List 73
Glossary 79
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Index 87
User's Guide
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Updated Information
This User's Guide for vCenter Converter Standalone 4.0.1 is updated with each release of the product or when
necessary.
This table provides the update history of the User's Guide for vCenter Converter Standalone 4.0.1.
Revision Description
EN-000158-02 nIn Table 2-1, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 7.0 is removed from the list as Converter
Standalone does not support this operating system.
nIn Table 2-3, the Third-party virtual machines or system images row is updated to
reflect that Parallels Virtuozzo containers are not supported.
nIn Table 2-4, a new row is added to reflect the limitations related to synchronizing
the source with the destination machine for Windows 2000 sources.
nIn Table 2-4, a new row is added to reflect the limitations related to synchronizing
the source with the destination machine for Windows XP or later sources.
nIn Table 2-5, the Linux host limitations are updated to reflect that VMware Tools
installation is not supported.
nThe topic “Perform a Local Installation in Linux,” on page 32 now contains the
correct filename of the Linux installer file.
nStep 12 in the "Perform a Client-Server Installation in Linux" topic is updated to
reflect the actual procedure.
nThe topic “Customize the Guest Operating System,” on page 56 is updated to state
explicitly that you cannot customize the guest operating system of Linux source
machines.
nIn Step 1 of the "Save Sysprep Files" topic, the Sysprep files locations for Linux are
updated to reflect the correct location of the files.
nThe topic Virtual Machine Conversion Limitations has been renamed for clarity to
“Conversion Limitations for Virtual Machines,” on page 22.
nThe topic Virtual Appliance Conversion Limitations has been renamed for clarity to
“Conversion Limitations for Virtual Appliances,” on page 23.
nThe topic Powered-On Machine Conversion Limitations has been renamed for
clarity to “Conversion Limitations for Powered-On Machines,” on page 22.
EN-000158-01 Minor revision.
EN-000158-00 Initial release.
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User's Guide
6 VMware, Inc.

About This Book
This book, the VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User’s Guide, provides information about installing and
using VMware® vCenter Converter Standalone.
Intended Audience
This book is intended for users who want to do the following:
nInstall, upgrade, or use Converter Standalone
nNonintrusively copy and transform physical machines into VMware virtual machines that VMware
vCenter Server manages
The material in this book is written for information systems engineers, software developers, QA engineers,
trainers, salespeople who run demonstrations, and anyone who wants to create virtual machines.
Document Feedback
VMware welcomes your suggestions for improving our documentation. If you have comments, send your
feedback to [email protected].
VMware Infrastructure Documentation
The VMware Infrastructure documentation consists of the combined VMware vCenter Server and ESX
documentation set.
Technical Support and Education Resources
The following technical support resources are available to you. To access the current version of this book and
other books, go to http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs.
Online and Telephone
Support
To use online support to submit technical support requests, view your product
and contract information, and register your products, go to
http://www.vmware.com/support.
VMware, Inc. 7

Customers with appropriate support contracts should use telephone support
for the fastest response on priority 1 issues. Go to
http://www.vmware.com/support/phone_support.html.
Support Offerings To find out how VMware support offerings can help meet your business needs,
go to http://www.vmware.com/support/services.
VMware Professional
Services
VMware Education Services courses offer extensive hands-on labs, case study
examples, and course materials designed to be used as on-the-job reference
tools. Courses are available onsite, in the classroom, and live online. For onsite
pilot programs and implementation best practices, VMware Consulting
Services provides offerings to help you assess, plan, build, and manage your
virtual environment. To access information about education classes,
certification programs, and consulting services, go to
http://www.vmware.com/services.
User's Guide
8 VMware, Inc.

Introduction 1
VMware® vCenter Converter Standalone 4.0.1 provides a scalable solution to migrate physical-to-virtual and
virtual-to-virtual machines.
Converter Standalone eases interoperability among the following products.
nVMware hosted products can be both conversion sources and conversion destinations.
nVMware Workstation
nVMware ACE
nVMware Fusion™
nVMware Server
nVMware Player
nVirtual machines running on ESX that vCenter Server manages can be both conversion sources and
conversion destinations.
nUnmanaged VMware ESX
nVMware ESXi Installable
nVMware ESXi Embedded
You can also restore VMware Consolidated Backup (VCB) images into VMware virtual machines.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n“Migration with Converter Standalone,” on page 9
n“Converter Standalone Components,” on page 10
n“Converter Standalone Features,” on page 10
Migration with Converter Standalone
You can convert virtual machines from different source formats to one of several VMware product destinations.
Use Converter Standalone to accomplish the following tasks:
nConvert physical and virtual machines to use across different VMware product formats.
nMove virtual machines to use across different VMware product platforms.
nImport and export virtual appliances from a local file system or from a URL.
nCreate VMware virtual machines from VCB images.
nCreate VMware virtual machines from third-party formats.
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nReduce the time needed to set up new virtual machine environments.
nMigrate legacy servers to new hardware without reinstalling operating systems or application software.
nPerform migrations across heterogeneous hardware.
nReadjust volume sizes and place volumes on separate virtual disks and migrate the disks across
independent datastores.
nView audit trails.
Converter Standalone Components
The Converter Standalone application consists of a client, a server, and an agent. The Converter Standalone
client can run on a separate machine. The Converter Standalone server and agent must always run on the same
machine. With this configuration, you can set up and manage conversion tasks remotely.
You use the Converter Standalone client to send conversion requests to the server. The server manages
conversion requests and sends them to the agent. The Converter Standalone agent runs the conversion task.
You can install all components on the same machine and use the Converter Standalone to convert all source
types to all destination types.
You can also install the Converter Standalone client on a separate machine and use the client to manage a
remote Converter Standalone server.
During a client-server installation you must install remote access to allow incoming connections to a Converter
Standalone server.
Converter Standalone Features
VMware® vCenter Converter Standalone provides a set of features to convert physical and virtual machines.
Table 1-1. Converter Standalone Features
Features VMware vCenter Converter Standalone
Supported products Designed for single migrations to VMware products such as
VMware Infrastructure, VMware Player, VMware Workstation, and
VMware Server.
License No licensing support.
Cloning Local and remote hot cloning to hosted products (Workstation, VMware Player,
VMware Server) and ESX.
Task management Single migration at a time. Set up a conversion.
The VMware Converter Boot CD (for cold cloning) is available only with a Converter Enterprise license. For
details about how to install the Boot CD, see the VMware Converter Enterprise for VirtualCenter 2.5 Administration
Guide.
Cloning and System Reconfiguration of Physical Machines
Cloning and system reconfiguration are processes that create the virtual disks and configure the target virtual
machine so that it works successfully in a virtual environment.
Cloning is the process of creating a cloned disk, where the cloned disk is a virtual disk that is an exact copy of
the source physical disk. This process involves copying the data on a physical source machine’s hard disk and
transferring that data to a target virtual disk (the new cloned disk).
System reconfiguration is the process of adjusting the migrated operating system so that it can function on
virtual hardware. This adjustment is performed on the target virtual disk after cloning. The target virtual disk
can then function as a bootable system disk in a virtual machine.
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10 VMware, Inc.

Converter Standalone creates a VMware virtual machine based on a source physical machine. The migration
process is nondestructive, so that you can continue to use the original source machine. To run a converted
VMware virtual machine on the same network as the source physical machine, you must modify the network
name and IP address on one of the machines. This modification avoids network related conflicts and allows
the physical and virtual machines to coexist.
NOTE You cannot move original equipment manufacturer (OEM) media between physical machines. The
license is attached to the server when you purchase it from the OEM and you cannot reassign it. You can only
reassign retail and volume licenses to new physical servers. If you migrate an OEM Windows image, you must
have a Windows Server Enterprise or Datacenter Edition license on the ESX host to run multiple virtual
machines.
Hot and Cold Cloning
Although Converter Standalone 4.0.1 supports only hot cloning, you can still perform cold cloning using the
VMware Converter 3.0.3 Boot CD. Hot and cold cloning have different applications that depend on your virtual
environment.
Hot cloning, also called live cloning or online cloning, entails cloning the source machine while it is running
its operating system. Hot cloning allows cloning machines without shutting them down.
When you create a hot clone, the resulting virtual machine is not an exact copy of the source machine because
processes continue to run on the source machine during conversion.
To reduce the difference between the source and the resulting virtual machine, Converter Standalone can shut
down unused Windows services based on your settings on the View/Edit options page. You can set Converter
Standalone to synchronize the destination virtual machine with the source machine after hot cloning. You do
this by transferring from the source to the destination the blocks that were changed during the initial cloning
period.
Converter Standalone can shut down the source machine and power on the destination machine when the
conversion process is complete. This action is the P2V motion that allows migrating a physical machine source
to a virtual machine destination. The destination machine takes over the source machine operations with the
least possible down time.
Cold cloning, also called offline cloning, entails cloning the source machine when it is not running its operating
system. In cold cloning, the user restarts the source machine from a CD that contains an operating system and
the VMware Converter application. This cloning method allows you to create the most consistent copy of the
source machine because nothing changes on the source machine during conversion. Cold cloning leaves no
data on the source machine, but requires physical access to the source machine that is being cloned.
When you cold clone a Linux source, the resulting virtual machine is an exact replica of the source machine
and you cannot reconfigure the virtual machine. You must reconfigure the resulting virtual machine after the
cloning is complete.
Table 1-2 compares the hot and cold cloning modes.
Table 1-2. Hot and Cold Cloning Comparison
Comparison Criteria
Hot Cloning with Converter
Standalone 4.0.1
Cold Cloning with Converter
Enterprise 3.0.x
Licensing No license required with VMware
vCenter Converter Standalone 4.0.1.
License file required for Enterprise
features of VMware Converter
Enterprise.
Required installation Full Converter Standalone installation
or a server and agent installation.
No installation. Installation occurs
when you reboot the source machine.
Supported sources Local and remote powered-on
physical or virtual machines.
Local powered-off physical machines.
Chapter 1 Introduction
VMware, Inc. 11

Table 1-2. Hot and Cold Cloning Comparison (Continued)
Comparison Criteria
Hot Cloning with Converter
Standalone 4.0.1
Cold Cloning with Converter
Enterprise 3.0.x
Advantages nDoes not require direct access to
the source machine.
nYou can clone the source machine
while it is running.
nCreates the most consistent copy of
the source machine.
nLeaves no data on the source
machine.
Disadvantages nOn source systems running MS
Windows 2000, you must install a
special driver and reboot the
system once.
nApplications that constantly
modify files need to be VSS aware
to allow you to create a consistent
snapshot for cloning.
nDynamic source disks are read but
not preserved during volume-
based conversions. Dynamic disks
are converted into basic volumes
on the target virtual machine.
nYou must restart the source
machine to clone it.
nRequires physical access to the
source machine.
nHardware detection and
configuration of Boot CD.
nConverter Standalone 4.0.1 features
are not supported.
Use nClones running source machines
without shutting them down.
nUse when you have unique
hardware that the boot CD does
not recognize.
nTo clone a system that Converter
Standalone does not support.
nTo preserve the exact disk layout in
the target.
nTo preserve logical volumes in
dynamic disks (Windows) or LVM
(Linux).
Do not use When you do not want anything to be
installed on the source system.
nWhen you want Linux P2V with
automatic reconfiguration.
nWhen you do not have physical
access to the source machine.
nWhen you cannot afford a long
downtime of the source system.
nTo perform P2V Motion.
Prepare for Cold Cloning
Because VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 4.0.1 does not support cold cloning, you must use an earlier
Converter edition boot CD. The features supported on the boot CD depend on the product version you choose.
VMware Converter 3.0.x Enterprise edition is not a free software product.
Procedure
1 To obtain a boot CD, go to the VMware Download Web site and download Converter 3.0.x Enterprise
installation.
2 Extract the boot CD .iso file from the installation package.
3 Burn the boot CD .iso file on a CD.
What to do next
Follow the on-screen instructions to proceed with cold cloning.
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Hot Cloning of Physical Machines
Converter Standalone supports only hot cloning of physical machines. VMware Converter 3.0.x supports cold
cloning.
You can select which services to keep running on the source machine while the conversion is running. To have
the destination virtual machine retain all of the blocks that changed in the source system during the cloning
process, you can turn on the synchronization feature. With synchronization on, if any changes occur on the
source machine during the conversion, Converter Standalone copies them to the destination machine after the
conversion is complete. This process helps you to prevent downtime on important services.
NOTE When you hot clone dual-boot systems, you can clone only the default operating system to which the
boot.ini file points. To clone the nondefault operating system, change the boot.ini file to point to the other
operating system and reboot. After you are booted in to the other operating system, you can install Converter
Standalone and hot clone it. If your second operating system is Linux, you can boot it, install the Converter
Standalone Linux version, and clone your distribution.
Local and Remote Cloning of Physical Machines
Local cloning is a migration performed with Converter Standalone running on the source machine. Remote
cloning is migration when Converter Standalone is running on a machine different than the source. When you
perform a remote clone, you can access the remote source machine through the network, as long as it is running.
On physical machine sources running Linux, local cloning is set up and performed like remote cloning.
Remote Hot Cloning of Physical Machine Sources That Are Running Windows
You use the Conversion wizard to set up a migration task and Converter Standalone performs all of the cloning
tasks.
The following workflow is an example of remote hot cloning, in which the physical machine being cloned
experiences no downtime.
1 Converter Standalone prepares the source machine for the conversion.
Converter Standalone installs the agent on the source machine and the agent takes a snapshot of the source
volumes.
agent
vCenter Converter Standalone running
on Windows machine
powered-on
physical machine ESX/ESXi
source destination
network
snapshot
source
volumes
2 Converter Standalone prepares the virtual machine on the destination machine.
Converter Standalone creates a virtual machine on the destination machine and the agent copies volumes
from the source machine to the destination machine.
Chapter 1 Introduction
VMware, Inc. 13

agent
vCenter Converter Standalone running
on Windows machine
powered-on
physical machine ESX/ESXi
copied
volumes
source destination
network
snapshot
VM
source
volumes
3 Converter Standalone completes the conversion process.
The agent installs the required drivers to allow the operating system to boot in a virtual machine and
personalizes the virtual machine, for example, changing the IP information.
agent
vCenter Converter Standalone running
on Windows machine
powered-on
physical machine ESX/ESXi
source destination
network
VM
source
volumes snapshot
reconfiguration
customization (optional)
4 Optionally Converter Standalone uninstalls the agent from the source machine.
The virtual machine is ready to run on the destination server.
Hot Cloning of Physical Machine Sources That Are Running Linux
Conversions of physical machine sources that are running Linux differ from conversions of Windows sources.
In Windows conversions, Converter Standalone agent is deployed to the source machine and the source
information is pushed to the destination machine.
In Linux conversions, no agent is deployed on the source machine. A helper virtual machine is created instead
and deployed to the destination ESX/ESXi host. The source data is then pulled from the source Linux machine
to the helper virtual machine. After the conversion is over, the helper virtual machine shuts down to become
the target virtual machine the next time you power it on.
Converter Standalone supports converting Linux sources only to managed destinations.
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The following workflow demonstrates the principles of hot cloning physical machine sources that run Linux
to managed destinations.
1 The Converter Standalone agent uses SSH to connect to the source machine and retrieves source
information. The Converter Standalone agent creates an empty helper virtual machine based on your
conversion task settings. The helper virtual machine serves as a container for the new virtual machine
during conversion. The Converter Standalone agent deploys the helper virtual machine on the managed
destination, an ESX/ESXi host. The helper virtual machine boots from a *.iso file that is located on the
converter Standalone server machine.
vCenter Converter Standalone
agent and server
Converter Standalone
agent deploys helper
virtual machine
powered-on Linux
machine ESX/ESXi
source destination
network
Helper
VM
source
volumes
2 The helper virtual machine powers on, boots from the Linux image, and connects to the source machine
through SSH. Then it starts retrieving the selected data from the source. While you set up the conversion
task, you can select which source volumes to be copied to the destination machine.
vCenter Converter Standalone
agent and server
powered-on Linux
machine
data copied to the
helper virtual machine
ESX/ESXi
source destination
network
Helper
VM
source
volumes
3 Optionally, when data copying is complete, the target virtual machine is reconfigured to allow the
operating system to boot in a virtual machine.
4 The Converter Standalone agent shuts down the helper virtual machine. The conversion process is
complete.
Optionally, you can configure Converter Standalone to power on the newly created virtual machine after the
conversion is complete.
Chapter 1 Introduction
VMware, Inc. 15

Cloning Modes
Converter Standalone implements volume-based cloning, disk-based cloning, and linked cloning.
Table 1-3. Cloning Modes
Cloning Mode Application Description
Volume based Selects the volumes to copy from the
source machine to the destination
machine.
Volume-based cloning is relatively
slow. File-level cloning is slower than
block-level cloning. Dynamic disks are
converted into basic volumes on the
target virtual machine.
Disk based Creates exact copies of the source
machines, for all types of basic and
dynamic disks.
You cannot select which data to copy.
Disk-based cloning is faster than
volume-based cloning.
Linked clone Use to quickly check compatibility of
non-VMware images
For certain third-party sources, the
linked clone is corrupted if you power
on the source machine. Linked cloning
is the fastest (but incomplete) cloning
mode that Converter Standalone
supports.
Volume-Based Cloning
Converter Standalone supports volume-based cloning for hot and cold cloning and to import existing virtual
machines.
In volume-based cloning, all volumes in the destination virtual machine are converted to basic volumes,
regardless of their type in the corresponding source volume. Volume-based cloning at the file or block level is
performed, depending on the volume size you select. Dynamic source disks are read but not preserved during
volume-based conversions. Dynamic disks are converted into basic volumes on the target virtual machine.
Volume-based cloning at
the file level
Performed when any size smaller than the original is selected.
Volume-based cloning at
the block level
Performed when the volume size is maintained or extended.
Depending on the cloning mode, Converter Standalone might not support some types of source volumes.
Table 1-4 shows the supported and unsupported source volume types.
Table 1-4. Supported and Unsupported Source Volumes
Cloning Mode Source Volumes Supported Source Volumes Not Supported
Virtual machine importing nBasic volumes
nAll types of dynamic volumes
nWindows NT 4 with mirrored
volumes
nOnly master boot record (MBR)
disks
nRAID
nWindows NT4 fault-tolerant
volumes
nGUID partition table (GPT) disks
Hot cloning All types of source volumes that
Windows recognizes
nAny volumes that reside on
Windows NT operating systems
Volume-based cloning at the file level is supported only for FAT, FAT32, NTFS, ext2, ext3, and ReiserFS file
systems.
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Disk-Based Cloning
Converter Standalone supports disk-based cloning to import existing virtual machines.
Disk-based cloning transfers all sectors from all disks and preserves all volume metadata. The destination
virtual machine receives the same volumes, of the same type as the volumes of the source virtual machine.
Disk-based cloning supports all types of basic and dynamic disks.
Full and Linked Clones
Clones can be full or linked according to the amount of data copied from the source to the destination machine.
A full clone is an independent copy of a virtual machine that shares nothing with the parent virtual machine
after the cloning operation. Ongoing operation of a full clone is separate from the parent virtual machine.
Because a full clone does not share virtual disks with the parent virtual machine, full clones generally perform
better than linked clones. Full clones take longer to create than linked clones. Creating a full clone can take
several minutes if the files involved are large.
You can create a full clone by using any disk clone mode other than the linked clone mode.
A linked clone is a copy of a virtual machine that shares virtual disks with the parent virtual machine in an
ongoing manner. A linked clone is a fast way to convert and run a new virtual machine. You can create a linked
clone from the current state, or snapshot, of a powered-off virtual machine. This practice conserves disk space
and allows multiple virtual machines to use the same software installation.
All files available on the source machine at the moment of the snapshot continue to remain available to the
linked clone. Ongoing changes to the virtual disk of the parent do not affect the linked clone, and changes to
the disk of the linked clone do not affect the source machine. If you make changes to a source Virtual PC and
Virtual Server machines, or to LiveState images, the linked clone is corrupted and you cannot use it anymore.
A linked clone must have access to the source. Without access to the source, you cannot use a linked clone at
all.
To quickly convert a virtual machine, create a linked clone. See “Create a Linked Clone,” on page 53.
Migrating Existing Virtual Machines and System Images
You can move virtual machines between hosted products and managed products. A hosted product runs as
an application on physical machines with an operating system. A managed product is a bare-metal VMware
product that provides a thin software layer (the hypervisor) that enables it to run directly on the physical
machine.
Converting virtual
machines
You can move VMware virtual machines between Workstation,
VMware Player, VMware ACE, VMware Fusion, ESX, ESXi Embedded,
ESXi Installable, and VMware Server. You can also import virtual machines
from Microsoft Virtual Server and Virtual PC.
Configuring virtual
machines
For VMware virtual machines with disks set up by restoration from a backup
of a physical host or by some other direct means of copying, Converter
Standalone prepares the image to run on VMware virtual hardware. If you used
a third-party virtualization software to create a virtual machine on an ESX host,
Chapter 1 Introduction
VMware, Inc. 17

you can use Converter Standalone to reconfigure it. You can also reconfigure
any operating system installed on a multiboot machine if you imported the
virtual machine to an ESX host. Before you reconfigure a multiboot machine,
you must change the boot.ini file.
Converting and
exporting virtual
appliances
You can convert and export virtual appliances stored in Open Virtual Machine
Format (OVF and OVA). You can import a virtual appliance to run in an
existing ESX host or Workstation virtual machine, or you can export an existing
VMware virtual machine to an OVF virtual appliance to share over the
network.
Virtual Appliance Overview
Converter Standalone supports importing virtual appliances stored in OVF 0.9 or OVF 1.0 and creating virtual
appliances stored in OVF 1.0. An appliance is a preconfigured virtual machine that typically includes a
preinstalled guest operating system and other software. Importing virtual appliances allows you to add
preconfigured virtual machines to your vCenter, ESX Server, or Workstation inventory.
Importing a virtual appliance is similar to deploying a virtual machine from a template. You can import a
virtual appliance from any local file system accessible from the source machine or from a remote Web server.
Local file systems can include local disks (such as C:), removable media (such as CDs or USB key chain drives),
and shared network drives.
OVF is not a bootable format. You cannot boot the file in a virtualization platform in its current state. You must
import the appliance to either a hosted or managed destination to boot it.
In addition to importing virtual appliances with Converter Standalone, you can also import OVF virtual
appliances to ESX Server or a VirtualCenter server by using VI Client 2.5.
Every OVF virtual appliance contains a .ovf file with metadata that describes the virtual appliance. An OVF
virtual appliance can be packaged as a .ovf file where the .ovf file is a tarred file that contains all of the files
in the OVF virtual appliance.
Managing Tasks
Converter Standalone provides a task manager to manage conversion tasks and configuration tasks.
After you create a task to import or configure a machine, use the Task View of the task manager to perform
the following tasks:
nControl the number of concurrent conversion or configuration tasks.
nCreate a copy of a task and edit it.
nCancel a task.
nDelete a task.
nView a task’s progress.
nExport and view the log files for a task or for all tasks.
nFilter tasks that are displayed in the task list.
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18 VMware, Inc.

System Requirements 2
This information describes the requirements you must fulfill before you operate VMware® vCenter Converter
Standalone and describes the compatibilities and interoperabilities among the systems on which and with
which Converter Standalone works.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n“Supported Operating Systems,” on page 19
n“Installation Space Requirements,” on page 20
n“Supported Source Types,” on page 21
n“Supported Destination Types,” on page 23
n“Restoring VCB Images in Converter Standalone,” on page 24
n“How Conversion Affects the Source Settings When They Are Applied to the Destination,” on
page 25
n“Changes That Conversion Causes to Virtual Hardware,” on page 26
n“TCP/IP Port Requirements for Conversion,” on page 26
n“Common Requirements for Remote Hot Cloning of Windows Operating Systems,” on page 26
Supported Operating Systems
The Converter Standalone components you can run on an operating system determine the type of support
available: client support, server support, and remote access support. Source support is available if Converter
Standalone can convert the operating system that is installed on a powered-on or virtual machine.
For a list of operating systems on which you can install Converter Standalone components, see Table 2-1.
Table 2-1. Supported Operating Systems
Supported Operating
Systems
Client
Support Server Support
Source for
Remote P2V
Source for Virtual Machine
Import
Windows NT4 SP6+ N N N Y
Windows 2000 SP4 Y Y Y Y
Windows XP
Professional (32 bit and
64 bit) SP3
Y Y Y Y
Windows 2003 (32 bit
and 64 bit) SP2, Revision
2
Y Y Y Y
VMware, Inc. 19

Table 2-1. Supported Operating Systems (Continued)
Supported Operating
Systems
Client
Support Server Support
Source for
Remote P2V
Source for Virtual Machine
Import
Windows Vista (32 bit
and 64 bit) SP1
Y Y Y Y
Windows 2008 Server
(32 bit and 64 bit)
Y Y Y Y
Red Hat Enterprise
Linux 2.1 (32 bit)
N N N Y
Red Hat Linux
Advanced Server 2.1
(32 bit)
N N N Y
Red Hat Enterprise
Linux 3.0 (32 bit and 64
bit)
N Y N Y
Red Hat Enterprise
Linux 4.0 (32 bit and 64
bit)
Y Y Y Y
Red Hat Enterprise
Linux 5.0 (32 bit and 64
bit)
Y Y Y Y
SUSE Linux Enterprise
Server 8.0
N Y N Y
SUSE Linux Enterprise
Server 9.0 (32 bit and 64
bit)
N Y N Y
SUSE Linux Enterprise
Server 10.0 (32 bit and 64
bit)
Y Y Y Y
Ubuntu 5.x N Y N Y
Ubuntu 6.x Y Y Y Y
Ubuntu 7.x (32 bit and 64
bit)
Y Y Y Y
Ubuntu 8.x (32 bit and 64
bit)
Y Y Y Y
Installation Space Requirements
During installation you can select which Converter Standalone components to install. All components require
different disk space to install.
Table 2-2 shows the disk space required to install Converter Standalone and its components.
Table 2-2. Installation Space Requirements
Operating System Installation Component Disk Space Required
Windows Installation file 100MB
Decompressed installation file 100MB
Client 25MB
Server and agent 360MB
Linux Installation file 130MB
User's Guide
20 VMware, Inc.