Convert VMWare VM to Hyper-V

Hi folks

am testing this little thing I saw on the Internet about converting a VM created with VMware to HYPER-V

For anybody trying this too -- do back up your existing VM if you think you'll need it or if the conversion process fails,


How to Convert Vmware Virtual Machine to HYPER-V | Askme4Tech

I'll mark this post as solved after I've tried it.

You could also use the free starwind V2V converter -- GUI based for people who don't like command line -- choose ist vmdk file and let it do it's business.

Note although free you have to fill in a registration and they will send you a link -- seems OK company so you might be happier with that.

Microsofts own converter rather stupidly requires you to have Esxi or Vsphere - stupid really as individuals won't have these usually.

If converting a Windows VM uninstall VMware tools first.

I'm satisfied now for CENTOS VM on HYPER-V is stable enough -- I don't need sound on the VM or even a Linux GUI but while testing it's easier to mess around with a GUI on the VM.

Quite satisfied with performance of the VM on HYPER-V and by installing XRDP on the VM there's no problem accessing it on "Non hosted" machines on my LAN via RDP.

The starwind takes a bit of time - have breakfast or take the walk for a dog etc etc.




cheers
jimbo

jimbo45 said:

Hi folks

am testing this little thing I saw on the Internet about converting a VM created with VMware to HYPER-V

For anybody trying this too -- do back up your existing VM if you think you'll need it or if the conversion process fails,


How to Convert Vmware Virtual Machine to HYPER-V | Askme4Tech

I'll mark this post as solved after I've tried it.

You could also use the free starwind V2V converter -- GUI based for people who don't like command line -- choose ist vmdk file and let it do it's business.

Note although free you have to fill in a registration and they will send you a link -- seems OK company so you might be happier with that.

Microsofts own converter rather stupidly requires you to have Esxi or Vsphere - stupid really as individuals won't have these usually.

If converting a Windows VM uninstall VMware tools first.

I'm satisfied now for CENTOS VM on HYPER-V is stable enough -- I don't need sound on the VM or even a Linux GUI but while testing it's easier to mess around with a GUI on the VM.

Quite satisfied with performance of the VM on HYPER-V and by installing XRDP on the VM there's no problem accessing it on "Non hosted" machines on my LAN via RDP.

The starwind takes a bit of time - have breakfast or take the walk for a dog etc etc.




cheers
jimbo

Frankly it is easier and more reliable just to image backup the OS using Macrium Reflect Free in one vm system and restoring image in other. Macrium Reflect backs up linux partitions as well.

lx07 said:

How would that convert a vmdk to vhdx? Macrium will back up and restore unknown file systems as RAW. You can't install it on Linux and it doesn't know about Linux file systems. It will also not convert one container type to another.

Assuming it even worked, you would have to mount your vdmk using VMWare, back it up as RAW (including all free space), create another vhdx and restore the whole lot back.

I used virtualbox vboxmanage command in the past to convert vmdk to vhd (so they would boot on Hyper-V) but it doesn't work for vhdx. I like the look of Jimbos solution here.

Ah ok - I guess I over simplified it - I have done it with windows before, and I know MR can back up Linux partitions, and I added 2+2 making 5.

As an aside, I cannot even get MR winpe iso to boot in latest version VMware - it starts but hangs.

VirtualBox has a tool that can convert VDMK files to VHD. You don't have to install full VirtualBox, only the part that contains the tool:



See this tutorial on our sister site Seven Forums: Windows 10 - Test Try with No Risk, No Install - Windows 7 Help Forums

Part One Step 2 tells what to download, Part Three how to use the tool to convert VDMK to VHD.

Kari

jimbo45 said:

Hi there @Kari

Thanks for the info.

I needed vhdx (dynamic growable) rather than static vhd -- testing a single user version of a SAP development system with a Sybase db that could get as large as 200GB at times and I wanted that to be allocated as needed rather than fixed vhd - but also a great free tool.

The conversion using ms command line worked perfectly - the Gui 3rd party one gave error after boot with couldn't create /intra... fs and directory (fixable with updating grub but I did conversion again with Ms command line)

installing the SAP db system now new version so the previous one was removed--takes about 2 hours for final install and then will test from the host Windows 10 system (SAP server system runs on the Linux VM and accessed via a SAPGUI front end on the Windows Host (or other windows boxes that can access the VM).

Rest of installed programs from VMWare machine - fine no changes - worked straight OOB.

about 1/2 way thorough so far pausing for breakfast !!! 06.30 here --was up early this morning !!





Will post complete screeen shots when done

BTW the RAID 0 array really does speed up the I/O a lot on HDD's so I think on the net where people say don't use physical disks in HYPER-V must have got their knickers in a twist big time !!! -- RAID 0 is fine -- not worried about losing data on this machine --it's only a test machine to see how stable and robust it is.

So far I'm impressed with performance of HYPER-V -- adding and removing USB drives isn't a problem as you and others have pointed out just make them off line to windows -- and can then be shared back to windows with samba if needed

The only thing not working is sound and that's not an issue for me -- maybe eventually somebody will get it working. I have a problem anyway even with Native Linux on this box as it has a built in AMD RADEON GPU card with sound and I could never get that to work in any case although it works on Windows.

Cheers
jimbo

To date, nobody has ever got sound working for a linux session in Hyper-V.

It does not even work for the method in my guide to install ubuntu in enhanced mode.

Hi there

apart from sound session --all done now --working fine including the SAP dev test single user system -- good for prototyping on your own PC so you don't break work systems !!! (I'm good at breaking systems !!!).





response far better than when I had VMWare workstation as the vm software (and of course HYPER-V is free).

For sound the Linux system serves audio files and I can just play on client windows system or even client native Linux system whether it's blue tooth headphones on Windows, or Kodi etc on remote TV's / audio devices.

Thanks guys
to go on a course and get this stuff working would have cost quite a lot of money !!!! so help really appreciated.

Anybody interested in getting a developer miniSAP system up and running can pm me - if enough I'll get a tutorial together - I know some of these SAP developers get some quite big money in I.T contracts - SAP mini developer system is free -- license 90 days you generate it on your machine and can be renewed indefinitely.


so this is now solved !!!!

thanks again particularly @Kari and @cereberus

Note to others trying or just starting with Linux Distros in HYPER-V

1) You don't need to stop the VM to add USB external HDD's / SSD's -- simply in the HYPER-V menu go to settings for the VM, click on a SCSI controller -->add new hardware--->hard disc -- >physical disc and scroll down to the disk -- if it doesn't show then it's not offline to windows host. I'm usually adding Linux external HDD's but also works for windows formatted HDD's / thumb drives. Note though Windows disks will show up as /dev/sdx1 etc rather than /dev/sdx as you will usually have at least more than 1 partition -- e,g the gpt info on the HDD and the data partition.

2) now to use in the VM check the hardware devices as su it's command lsblk. If you have Centos there's a nice easy command (also manages LVM volumes by the way) -- run ssm list (install system-storage-manager).

3) now mount the device on one of your mountable directories -- I just create /mnt/DV1, /mnt/DV2, /mnt/DV3 , mnt/DV4 as mountable directories and have them in my samba.comf as samba volumes that can be accessed over network by other windows clients / smart TV's etc.

4) software RAID (mdadm) works a treat

5) install package ntfs-3g for reading / writing ntfs drives if not already installed on your VM.

6) if you can get sound working on a Linux VM in Hyper-V claim your prize from Ms.

I suspect Andrew Miles - the English mathematician had an easier time when he solved Fermat's Last Theorem though !!!

Fermat's Last Theorem - Wikipedia



Cheers
jimbo

jrm said:

Thanks for sharing.
I bet someone will get sound working on a Hyper-V Linux VM someday :)

I use remote desktop to connect to my Linux virtual machines. No issues with sound.