Convert many ESX VM's from Nexenta/Iscsi to FreeNas/NFS

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mbalsam

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I want to migrate my Nexenta iscsi SAN to FreeNas with NFS using two servers running at the same time.

The data on the ISCSI Luns are only ESX Virtual Machines..

From the ESX Host, I already have access to the Nexenta ISCSI Luns.

I can create the NFS shared on the FreeNas Box and them mount them on ESX.

If I just do the CP all Vm's get converted to a thick copy of the VM.

If I use this script I can copy the ESX files as a thin copy of the VM.

http://serverfault.com/questions/311459/how-to-backup-virtual-machines-on-a-standalone-esxi-host

The script uses vmkfstools that understands the esx format and can copy a thin formatted file.

The downsides to this approach are:
  • Minor issue: The files travel over the network twice. Once from Nexenta to ESX and then to FreeNAS.
  • All ZFS SnapShots are lost
  • If the ESX VM has files on Luns's, the script does not work.

Anyone have a better way?
 

jgreco

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It isn't clear how you'd accomplish this without losing the ZFS snapshots or not moving the data over the network. The ESXi host is the only thing with intimate knowledge of VMFS in this scenario, and ESXi lacks visibility into the ZFS snapshot archive. You have two fundamentally independent things that know very little about each other.

You don't actually lose the ZFS snapshots, by the way, they just stay behind on the Nexenta box. If you need recoverability of the snapshots, keep the Nexenta box. :smile:
 

mbalsam

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jgreco,

I dont really need the snapshots.
Moving the data over the network twice is not a big deal..

The problems is the script is too simple and cant understand complex ESX VM's.
It would be easier if there was vmkfstools for nexenta 3.1

Im going to investigate other backup tools.
 

jgreco

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Why not just go grab a demo license of vSphere and use storage vmotion? I thought that's what everyone does.
 

mbalsam

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I never thought that I would need storage Vmotion, but your right its sort of built for this.

Only issue is some of the ESX servers are version 3, those hosts need to be upgraded.
 

Mlovelace

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Storage vmotion is your best option and you can change the VM disk type while it transfers (thin, thick eager, thick lazy) plus you don't have to power off the VMs.
 

mbalsam

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Basically too lazy to get down to the colo, and spend hours upgrading!
 

jgreco

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Basically too lazy to get down to the colo, and spend hours upgrading!

Upgrading? For an ESX 3 box, that's more like "throw it out and start over" especially if it happens to be i386. I think the oldest thing we've got running in prod is 4.1.0 320137, just a bit over 5 years old at this point.

The problem you're going to find is that I think none of the current vCenters will want to manage granddad hypervisors. And I think you'll have a hell of a time upgrading even if the hardware is theoretically capable.
 

mbalsam

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My mistake, we're on V 4.1.0.348481. Problem is, it does not include storage Vmotion. that appears to be available in all version 5.x

And from the sound of it, i also need to install version of vsphere with requires its own VM.
 

tvsjr

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You could do it with vCenter Converter (just do a V2V move). You can theoretically go from 4.1 to 6... if you aren't running a licensed cluster with Web Client, make sure you don't bump the hardware version too far or you won't be able to manage it with the free thick client. I don't know if they fixed this issue in 6 - I'm still running 5.5.

4.1 did offer vMotion... perhaps your license just doesn't allow it?
 

mbalsam

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I think they made vMotion a non-premium feature in 5?

But the Converter sounds like the best idea, i can move them one at a time and not need to change too many things at once.
 

tvsjr

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It's always been licensed (vMotion has never been available for free), but I can't recall at what specific licensing tier it was made available. It's in the "standard" tier for 5.5/6, IIRC.

As @jgreco mentioned, you can go get a demo license key to get you what you need temporarily... or you can join VMUG for $200/yr. and get EvalExperience, which gives you an expiring 1-year license for the standard tier stuff. Basically VMware's answer to MSDN.
 

mbalsam

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For SATA drives, does a single controller with a SAS2 Extender back-plane provide the same performance as a dedicated controller channel for each connection?
 

mbalsam

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I dont have the budget for really "new" SAS disks. So im looking at using used/refurbished SAS disk or new consumer SATA disks.

For used sas disks i found these:
Hitachi Ultrastar HUS723030ALS640 3TB SAS 7.2k 6Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive for $97


Hitachi HUS723030ALS640 3TB 7.2K 6G SAS HDD
http://www.serverpartdeals.com/hita...jg4Yrb7YVAjXTlk37vWqOz5BgzR-eMvKEIaAoBm8P8HAQ

Which I beleve are not New but Manufacture Refurbished drives.

Any thoughts or recommendations?
 

mbalsam

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It's always been licensed (vMotion has never been available for free), but I can't recall at what specific licensing tier it was made available. It's in the "standard" tier for 5.5/6, IIRC.

As @jgreco mentioned, you can go get a demo license key to get you what you need temporarily... or you can join VMUG for $200/yr. and get EvalExperience, which gives you an expiring 1-year license for the standard tier stuff. Basically VMware's answer to MSDN.

Wow, VMUG. For $200 i can get a 1 year vCenter licence? So i can attach my Esxi VM's to it and use the vcenter converter to migrate my VM's? Nice.

We own a Vmware licences that the support ran out on. I can bring that back for $4K.
 

tvsjr

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On the expanders, unless you're running a complete SSD array, you won't get close to saturating an interface. You might get close if you maxed out the number of drives on a single channel (127, I think) but that's not likely your use case.

Nothing necessarily wrong with refurbished or even used drives, but I'd recommend that you test the crap out of them before you trust them. Long smart tests, badblocks, etc. Having an online hotspare isn't a bad idea either.

On VMUG, it has the same tenets that MSDN does... it is NOT to be used in a production environment. The idea is to let people build out labs for testing and learning. $4K is a lot cheaper than a lawsuit...
 

gpsguy

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VMUG membership is free. What's been discussed here is VMUG Advantage for $200/year.

The VMware EVALexperience software gives you access to 9 VMware apps for personal use in a non-production environment.

Think of it as a way to set up a learning lab.


Sent from my phone
 

mbalsam

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On the expanders, unless you're running a complete SSD array, you won't get close to saturating an interface. You might get close if you maxed out the number of drives on a single channel (127, I think) but that's not likely your use case.

Nothing necessarily wrong with refurbished or even used drives, but I'd recommend that you test the crap out of them before you trust them. Long smart tests, badblocks, etc. Having an online hotspare isn't a bad idea either.

On VMUG, it has the same tenets that MSDN does... it is NOT to be used in a production environment. The idea is to let people build out labs for testing and learning. $4K is a lot cheaper than a lawsuit...

I own this software, its just the support has run out. From what i understand.. We also use an love MSDN..
 

jgreco

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My mistake, we're on V 4.1.0.348481. Problem is, it does not include storage Vmotion. that appears to be available in all version 5.x

And from the sound of it, i also need to install version of vsphere with requires its own VM.

Yes vcenter requires its own machine or VM but in recent times they are now packaging it as the ever-more-competent VCSA, a ready to deploy VM.

I don't see a viable path forward here that doesn't involve significant license fees.

I'm thinking your best bet is to get some USB flash disks, and upgrade your hypervisors to 6, installing on the USB. The size of the on disk partition makes an in-place upgrade impossible, I *think*.

Then you get 60 days to use VCSA to storage vmotion stuff around.
 
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