Error Loading Operating System When Importing Into ESXi

[FN-GM]

Hi,

 

I have a Windows XP Virtual Machine on ESXi box 1. I am trying to export this and import this into ESXi box 2. ESXi box 1 is in a V-Center setup and ESXi box 2 is a standalone server.

 

I exported the virtual machine by selected the powered off virtual machine > File > Export > Export OVF Template.

 

I then imported into box 2 by File > Deploy OVF template.

 

When the import has finished i get "Error Loading Operating System"

 

The virtual machine is Windows XP and the ESXi Hosts are running 4.0

 

ESXi Box 1 is HP ProLiant DL370 G6

ESXi Box 2 is Dell Poweredge 2950

 

Does anyone have any ideas please?

 

Thanks

Edited May 4, 2011 by FN-GM

[Ashm]

Try using VMware converter or even copy the VM files over using something like Veeam FastSCP

[glennda]

ESXi Box 1 is HP ProLiant DL370 G6

ESXi Box 2 is Dell Poweredge 2950

 

Is one intel and one AMD? i think in the past that you couldn't migrate vm's easily between the two on esx - although i may have totally made that up!! or they may have fixed it. but i havn't used esx in nearly 2 years!

[FN-GM]

Try using VMware converter or even copy the VM files over using something like Veeam FastSCP

 

I will give that a shot

 

Is one intel and one AMD? i think in the past that you couldn't migrate vm's easily between the two on esx - although i may have totally made that up!! or they may have fixed it. but i havn't used esx in nearly 2 years!

 

I know the Poweredge is Intel im pretty sure the HP is as well i shall check.

[SYNACK]

Is one intel and one AMD? i think in the past that you couldn't migrate vm's easily between the two on esx - although i may have totally made that up!! or they may have fixed it. but i havn't used esx in nearly 2 years!

 

I think that is only to do with live fail over due to the differing cpu extentions etween the two systems. Should not effect a manual, cold transfer. Hows the link between them, could it have corrupted during the transfer and are the both running the same version of ESXi, maybe its using a newer unsupported feature in its VM setup not supported on an older version.

[FN-GM]

Hows the link between them, could it have corrupted during the transfer and are the both running the same version of ESXi, maybe its using a newer unsupported feature in its VM setup not supported on an older version.

 

How do you mean the link between them? They are on the same LAN but the hosts are not linked using a virtual center server. They are bot running ESXi 4.0.

 

I will try a new export tomorrow in the event its some how got messed up.

 

Thanks

[glennda]

I think that is only to do with live fail over due to the differing cpu extentions etween the two systems. Should not effect a manual, cold transfer. Hows the link between them, could it have corrupted during the transfer and are the both running the same version of ESXi, maybe its using a newer unsupported feature in its VM setup not supported on an older version.

 

That could well be in - i knew it was something like that but couldn't remember!

[SYNACK]

How do you mean the link between them? They are on the same LAN but the hosts are not linked using a virtual center server.

 

I just meant rubbish WAN connection or decent LAN connection, still worth a re-export to test. I'd also look in the settings of the VM on the new host before you boot it to see if it is using anything weird or special that could be causing issues like VT-d on a non VT-D processor. ESX can be a little thick about such things in my experience, part of the reason I am a Hyper-V fan.

[FN-GM]

Oh right sorry. They are on the same LAN connection, both servers are sat next to each other on the same switch. The workstation i am doing the exports from are on the same LAN but another switch.

 

like VT-d on a non VT-D processor

 

Im not a VMware expert myself. Not sure where that is so i will do my best to see if can find it.

 

Thanks

[SYNACK]

Oh right sorry. Im not a VMware expert myself. Not sure where that is so i will do my best to see if can find it.

 

Thanks

 

Don't get to hung up on finding it specificly, it may only show up on hardware 1-2 years old as it is quite new and I was just using it as an example of a setting that may exist that would be out of place. Just look for stuff that may cause issues, random extentions, hardware redirects (usb etc) that might be tripping over other VMs or the system itself.

 

edit: vt-d is an intel cpu/motherboard extention for hardware redirection that lets you redirect something like a whole GPU to a VM directly. A rather cool feature that Hyper-V is yet to support.

Edited May 4, 2011 by SYNACK

[FN-GM]

I did a comparison of the original VM and the new one but couldnt see anything different. Will have another check tomorrow.

 

Thanks

[Butuz]

Are you trying to make a copy and run both at the same time or are you trying to move the VM outright on to the new server?

 

If moving downloading the existing VM onto a workstation and uploading to the other server always seems to work.

 

Butuz

[jamesb]

Can you verify that the OVF is good by pulling it up in VirtualBox before doing the import? It'd at least help narrow down where the problem's coming up.

[FN-GM]

Are you trying to make a copy and run both at the same time or are you trying to move the VM outright on to the new server?

 

If moving downloading the existing VM onto a workstation and uploading to the other server always seems to work.

 

Butuz

 

Its a powered off machine on box 1.

 

Can you verify that the OVF is good by pulling it up in VirtualBox before doing the import? It'd at least help narrow down where the problem's coming up.

 

What do you mean please?

 

 

I have tried to do another export of the same virtual machine and it fails this time. I tried with another and that exported fine and i am importing that into box 2 as we speak. Will see what happens. Then if that doesnt work i will try converter.

 

Does anyone have another other ideas please?

[jamesb]

What do you mean please?

 

If you download VirtualBox to a workstation, it should be able to open and run the OVF if the export is good. If that's the case, then it's the import that's causing the problem. If it won't work in VirtualBox then it's likely something to do with the export rather than the import - particularly if the export failed on the second try.

[FN-GM]

I did another export and it imported fine. Must have been a glitch or something.

 

Thanks for the input.