H.3 Migration of Workloads to VMware

Use information in this section to help troubleshoot common problems that might occur during migration of workloads to VMware.

H.3.1 Outbound Email Stuck after Migrating Microsoft Exchange Server 2016 to VMware

Issue: After you migrate a Microsoft Exchange 2016 server to VMware, the users’ outgoing messages get stuck in their Drafts folder.

Fix: After you migrate a Microsoft Exchange Server workload to VMware, ensure that you modify the Exchange internal and external DNS settings to use VMXNET 3. See KB Article 7021909.

H.3.2 Mouse Does Not Work in the VM Console Window for the Target VM

Issue: Sometimes on Test Cutover or Cutover, the mouse does not work for the VM in the vSphere Web Client. That is, when you perform Actions > Open Console to open the VMware Web Console, the mouse pointer does not function properly within the virtual machine console window.

Fix: Manually restart the VM to allow VMware Tools to recognize the USB Controller for the mouse. In vSphere, select Actions > Power > Restart Guest OS.

H.3.3 Cleaning Up Floppy Devices on the Cutover VM on VMware

During migrations to VMware, Migrate uses floppy devices on the target VM. After cutover is completed for a migration to VMware, extra floppy devices remain attached but not connected to the cutover VM. By default, Migrate cleans up the floppy devices at cutover.

For migrations to VMware, the PlateSpin Configuration parameter LeaveVMwareDevicesAtCutover controls whether Migrate removes (cleans up) or leaves the floppy devices on a cutover VM after a successful Cutover or Test Cutover. The parameter settings are:

  • False: (Default) At cutover, Migrate removes the floppy devices from the cutover VM. Migrate stops the guest OS on the cutover VM, removes its floppy devices, then restarts the VM. This extra reboot occurs after every Cutover or Test Cutover for migrations to VMware. After the reboot, the cutover VM will have no floppy devices.

    NOTE:The removal action requires that VMware Tools be installed and running on the cutover VM. The Install VMware Tools option is enabled by default when you configure migrations to VMware.

    If VMware Tools is not installed or is not running, Migrate cannot stop the cutover VM to remove the floppy devices. See Known Issue for Floppy Devices on Cutover VMs.

  • True: At cutover, Migrate leaves the unneeded floppy devices on the cutover VM. The cutover VM will have two disconnected floppy devices. There is no extra reboot.

    You can leave the floppy devices in the attached but disconnected state, or you can manually remove them by using vSphere.

The LeaveVMwareDevicesAtCutover parameter setting applies globally on the Migrate Server for all migrations to VMware.

Configuring the LeaveVMwareDevicesAtCutover Parameter

To modify the LeaveVMwareDevicesAtCutover setting:

  1. Log in as Administrator to the PlateSpin Migrate Web Interface, then open the PlateSpin Server Configuration page at:

    https://Your_PlateSpin_Server/PlateSpinConfiguration/

  2. Locate the LeaveVMwareDevicesAtCutover parameter and click Edit.

  3. Change the setting.

  4. Save your setting and exit the page.

Known Issue for Floppy Devices on Cutover VMs

Issue: If LeaveVMwareDevicesAtCutover is set to False, but VMware Tools is not available (not installed or not running) on a cutover VM, Migrate cannot stop the VM to remove its floppy devices. The extra reboot does not occur. The cutover VM will have two disconnected floppy devices.

Fix: If this issue occurs, you can leave the devices in the attached but disconnected state, or you can manually remove them by using vSphere.

To avoid this issue, ensure that you select to Install VMware Tools when you configure migrations to VMware.

H.3.4 vSphere Alarm: Virtual Machine Consolidation Needed

Issue: When you migrate a workload to a VMware target, the migration completes successfully. However, the following message is displayed in the vSphere Web Client:

vSphere Web Client Configuration Issue: Virtual Machine Disks Consolidation is needed.

vSphere Web Client Triggered Alarm: Virtual machine Consolidation Needed status

This error condition is caused by the state of the VMware environment when the snapshot is removed. Some virtual disk files might remain on the disk.

Fix: In the vSphere Web Client, consolidate the snapshots. For information, see the following VMware resources:

H.3.5 VMware Tools Not Installed on Target Workload When You Use the X2P Workflow for Migrating a Workload to VMware

Issue: When you use the X2P workflow to migrate a workload to VMware, you are required to set up the VMware Tools for the target workload before you perform the conversion so that the configuration service can install the tools on the target VM when the target VM contacts the PlateSpin Server. See Setting Up VMware Tools for the Target Workload in the User Guide.

However, the VMware tools does not automatically install on the target workload if the target workload already has some version of VMware tools installed.

Fix: After conversion, manually uninstall the older version of VMware tools on the target workload and install the newer version.

H.3.6 Migration of an OEL or CentOS 6.x Source Workload on a VMware Host Fails

Issue: When you migrate an OEL or a CentOS 6.x source workload that is on a VMware host, the migration fails if the SCSI adapter type is not Paravirtual and the network adapter is not VMXNET3.

Fix: Edit the SCSI adapter type to Paravirtual and the network adapter type to VMXNET3 and then perform the migration.