Import from VMware

Olest

Hi,

Started an import of an old 9GB Centos 5.8 VM from VMware 6.7.0 update 3.

Not sure if it's doing anything - started it over an hour ago.
Servers are in same 1Gb switch.

Can raw log give any clue on what is going on?

olivierlambert

Hi,

We need more info to assist. Are you using XOA or XO from the sources? which version?

Olest

XO from sources 2 days old - missing 12 commits.

Tried to shutdown VM at VMware host to see if it would continue after 2 hours.

As nothing happed I aborted import of VM, but task is still hanging in aborting.

Last part of raw log:

        {
          "id": "cytcdexn2q",
          "properties": {
            "name": "powering down source VM"
          },
          "start": 1708600049726,
          "status": "pending",
          "abortionRequestedAt": 1708607922243
        }
      ],
      "abortionRequestedAt": 1708607922242
    }

olivierlambert

First, as said in https://xen-orchestra.com/docs/community.html you must fetch and rebuild with the latest commits

What's the NodeJS version are you using?

Olest

I'll update again with the latest commits.

How do I force the import task to stop so I can remove the failed import and start over?

Could the problem be that I am using a VMware free for my test? Not sure if remote shutdown is supported.

olivierlambert

If the task can't be cancelled, then a simple shutdown of xo-server will stop it
For VMware version, I can't tell. Have you tried without warm migration?

Olest

I'm using NodeJS v18.19.1

How do you shutdown VM remote from XO if I should dig into if ESXI free is the problem?

Have updated XO and deleted failed VM import.

Trying import with cold migration.

olivierlambert

Let's see first if it works in cold migration

Olest

Cold migration worked without errors

But it cannot boot - any idea?

olivierlambert

Yes: /dev/sda2 doesn't exist anymore, it's likely /dev/xvda2 instead, since it's using Xen (assuming you have PV drivers in such old CentOS version)

Olest

Hard to restore the VM at VMware as the migration in XO broke the VM.
Updated to Centos 5.11 and halted it manually before migration and this time it can boot fine.

BUT cold migration still broke the VM on VMware.

olivierlambert

It's like because of a lock file not released

Olest

No lock files to find but left for 30 min and when I came back the error was gone...

olivierlambert

Probably a timer on the lock on VMware side. Since the transfer finished, the lock was released in the end after some time.

Olest

Looks like PowerOffVM_Task is not supported on ESXI Free.
Maybe you could read the ESXI license information and disable warm migration for ESXI Free.
Or ask user to shutdown VM when ready. Right now it just hang waiting for VM to shutdown.

olivierlambert

That's interesting @florent ?

florent

@Olest
that's a nice catch, every day I discover new limits of the vmware licensing . At least we could catch the error and show something useful to the user

DustinB

@florent said in Import from VMware:

@Olest
that's a nice catch, every day I discover new limits of the vmware licensing . At least we could catch the error and show something useful to the user

Just wait, everything free from VMWare is going away, so it'll just be the assumption that if you should be able to do it, you won't be able to.