In this blog I will go through the steps followed to convert a Hyper-V virtual machine into VMware virtual machine in my lab. I am using VMware vCenter Converter Standalone to perform this.
Using converter we can migrate a Hyper-V VM directly into vCenter. Since, I don't have connectivity from a single place to both Hyper-V and vCenter server, I am doing it in a two step process.
Create and Convert a Hyper-V VM
I installed Hyper-V in a Windows server 2022 VMWare virtual machine.
Enabled Hyper-V and related roles from the server manager but the validation check failed with error:
Hyper-V cannot be installed: The processor does not have required virtualization capabilities
Fixed this by enabling "Expose hardware virtualization to the guest OS" in the CPU setting of the VM
Created a VM from Hyper-V manager
Installed ubuntu (minimal) guest OS. I didn't configure the network interface as this is only for testing.
Powered off the VM
Installed VMware Converter Standalone in another VM (Converter VM)
Opened VMWare converter -> Convert machine
Source:
Powered off, Hyper-V Server -> enter Hyper-V server details
Now, VMWare converter will try to install agent on the Hyper-V server. This step failed with error:
VMWare VCenter Converter Standalone "insufficient permissions to connect to ""xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx\$ADMIN$ "
I copied the Converter standalone agent installer from "C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware vCenter Converter Standalone" in the converter VM into Hyper-V server and installed.
Selected VM
VM selection failed with error:
Permission to perform this operation was denied
I was using the domain user credential, to overcome this error I used local administrator credentials of the Hyper-V server.
Destination:
Type: VMware workstation
Select the location to store the VM files
Provide the target path credentials
Verify the details and submit the job
Once the job finished I checked the target path. There were vmdk and vmx files.
Restore the converted VM into vCenter
Copied VM files into a machine from where I have the connectivity into vCenter
Used Converter to deploy the VM into vCenter
VMware Converter -> Convert machine
Source: Powered off VMware workstation or other virtual machines
Browse and select the copied vmx file
Destination: VMware Infrastructure Virtual machine
Provide vCenter details
Provide the VM name and inventory location
Select the cluster and datastore
Verify the details and submit the job