P2V

[Kineas]

I'm in the planning process of converting our 2 physical servers to virtual servers. The problem I'm having is that the server the server I plan to use as the host is one of the 2 current physical servers and is also the domain controller. Once I have created the vhd, I need to store it somewhere until I've wiped the server and installed the new OS. I'm feeling a bit nervous about having the vhd potentially stored on a USB hard drive while this is done. Does anyone have any thoughts about this?

[Steve21]

Depending how big it is, can't you move it to the other server while it's rebuilding? Or Make a secondary partition on the original server that you won't wipe etc?

 

Steve

[sted]

if your moving a physical to the same machine as a virtual what are you expecting to gain by doing so? Id be tempted to leave it as is till your next server upgrade cycle. Or just move the one that's not on the physical as a vm on the physical as it is a dc can run hyper v ive done it (its just not clever if the vm is also a dc)

[3s-gtech]

if your moving a physical to the same machine as a virtual what are you expecting to gain by doing so? Id be tempted to leave it as is till your next server upgrade cycle. Or just move the one that's not on the physical as a vm on the physical as it is a dc can run hyper v ive done it (its just not clever if the vm is also a dc)

 

At a guess, it'll give the OP the room to expand further once it's done, with further VMs etc. My advice would be to install Hyper-V onto a desktop or similar in the interim (if no other servers are available) then put the converted VHDs on there so that these services keep running. Don't just store them on removable storage - I can't express how much stress you'll be under if this play up or outright breaks.

[Kineas]

The reason behind it is because the DC has a 1TB HDD, the SIMS server has a 60GB HDD with about 4GB free at the moment. Yes I could just create a vm of the SIMS server and run it on the DC, but the LA installed Server 2008 R2 Standard on the DC so out of the 52GB RAM installed, only 32GB is usable. My plan was to install Server 2012 to run both as virtual servers so I'd then be able to use all the RAM and expand the SIMS server HDD.

[Steve21]

Those are some very odd looking numbers, you sure it's only got a 60GB HDD on SIMs server? Not RAID config etc and only small amount allocated?

 

And 52GB RAM?

 

Steve

[Kineas]

Just double checked and the SIMS server is running 2x 72GB HDD's, set up with RAID 1. And yes, 52GB RAM on the DC.

[sted]

Just double checked and the SIMS server is running 2x 72GB HDD's, set up with RAID 1. And yes, 52GB RAM on the DC.

what a random amount of ram 3*16s and a 4 (or 1 32 a 16 and a 4) 72gb hdds how old is this box?

[Steve21]

And the DC is RAID'd etc too? Or just a single 1TB?

 

Just concerned you could be causing yourself a whole load of problems if you move it all and then it dies etc haha

 

Steve

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

what a random amount of ram 3*16s and a 4 (or 1 32 a 16 and a 4) 72gb hdds how old is this box?

 

Aye and I'm assuming the OS wouldn't like that mix normally thus if you did upgrade OS would it have a fit :s

 

Steve

[sted]

And the DC is RAID'd etc too? Or just a single 1TB?

 

Just concerned you could be causing yourself a whole load of problems if you move it all and then it dies etc haha

 

Steve

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

 

 

Aye and I'm assuming the OS wouldn't like that mix normally thus if you did upgrade OS would it have a fit :s

 

Steve

 

I don't think the os would care but iirc most boards prefer ram in matched pairs as they can run faster. Im wondering if its meant to be 64gb (4*16's) but someone picked up a wrong chip when it was being made

[Kineas]

Well the documentation on HP's website for the SIMS server is dated 2007. The DC was of a similar age, but before I started my position here, they were advised to replace it and had the LA do all the work. I have spoke with the LA and they have said they didn't setup the server to host 2 virtuals, the DC and SIMS server, and instead just made a new DC as this would have been additional cost which the school opted out of.

 

Now I'm in a position where I'm trying to implement a solution for the SIMS server before the current one decides to die.

[Steve21]

Is the HDD running out of space your "only" issue? I'll say only as in the main one if this is just a fix until you replace etc

 

If so have you considered just replacing the drives with larger ones? You're gonna be spending a few hundred of OS licenses the way you originally mentioned, so I'm guessing there's money involved to do stuff

 

Steve

[Kineas]

Our licensing is already in place. We have licenses for 2 Windows servers, as we currently have 2 physical servers. I have checked with our supplier who informed me that each license allows 2 virtual servers. I could replace the drives with larger ones, but that requires purchasing them whereas I have everything in place for the virtual servers, I just need to do the process of converting.

[Steve21]

Our licensing is already in place. We have licenses for 2 Windows servers, as we currently have 2 physical servers. I have checked with our supplier who informed me that each license allows 2 virtual servers.

 

If you have bought server 2012R2 licenses yes, but if you're saying it was installed in 2007~ and running 2008 you aren't licensed for using 2012R2. (As it wouldn't have been around then anyway).

 

Apologies if I misunderstood

 

Steve

[Boredguy]

Nothing to stop the OP from using Hyper-V 2012 (which is free) and their current OS licence for the VM's though @Steve21

[Steve21]

Nothing to stop the OP from using Hyper-V 2012 (which is free) and their current OS licence for the VM's though @Steve21

 

Aye using HyperV 2012 rather than Server 2012R2 etc but that won't give the rights to use 2012R2 etc, which also means the part about the supplier mentioning using 2 VMs under the other licenses isn't "right" as such.

 

Remember older OS's had different rights: Standard Edition - One physical instance and one virtual guest instance running at same time

 

Steve

[Oaktech]

Do you have another DC?

 

If you store the VHD of the DC for any length of time - I'm loathe to have them off for more than about an hour - you run a very real risk of it not syncing back up, or just being plain broken.

 

If I was in your position, I would be installing hyper v on the DC, P2Ving the sims server and running it as a VM on the DC.

 

It's not an ideal config, but it is the one that offers the least room for total disaster and from the way your server is being described I'd be making a real case now for your whole server estate to be replaced in the next budget.

[twin--turbo]

I think somone has to bite the bullet and buy a new box. Running a 9 year old server in production for critical services is going to end in misery sooner or later.

 

TT

[klop]

Hi Kineas, how did you get on?

 

We've a similar problem due to a serious lack of funds.

 

I want to convert our two physical boxes to VMs, if for no other reason than to provide a much better (and cheaper) disaster recovery.

 

I like the idea of running Hyper-V on a desktop as an interim solution - but this may need to run live - and I'm not sure i've the storage capacity.

Can I run Hyper-V on a desktop but use a NAS for storing the VM as a temporary solution? NAS is a Terastation with RAID 5 so should be ok short term.

 

My plan is...

 

Convert Physical01 to a VM

Run Physical01 as VM on desktop (possibly stored on a NAS)

Reinstall physical01 with Server2012R2 - licence is cheap and currently we have Server 2008

Move VM to newly setup Physical01 (now with Server 2012R2)

Create a new VM using Server 2012R2 and make a DC

Transfer all from original VM (created from current physical01 - this is getting confusing!) and remove 2008 VM

 

We've also a full second physical server that is/was a struggling DC. I think the plan will be to do the same with this but to transfer it as a VM temporarily to the newly installed server. Then similar, create VM(s) on this second server and transfer from p2v VM what's necessary.

 

I'd far rather buy a new server and that was the plan till just last week when i was told the budget given to do so has now been reallocated. I cannot see a new server being purchased for an absolute minimum of 18 months now - something I'm really concerned about as our servers are quite an age - 7 years old at least I think.

There is nothing I can do about this, all protests have fallen on deaf ears!

Fortunately I bought two good servers back then - so hopefully can eek a little more out of them.

 

Thanks :-)