n
Reduce the time needed to set up new virtual machine environments.
n
Migrate legacy servers to new hardware without reinstalling operating systems or application software.
n
Perform migrations across heterogeneous hardware.
n
Readjust volume sizes and place volumes on separate virtual disks and migrate the disks across
independent datastores.
n
View audit trails.
Converter Standalone Components
The Converter Standalone application consists of a client, a server, and an agent. The Converter Standalone
client can run on a separate machine. The Converter Standalone server and agent must always run on the same
machine. With this configuration, you can set up and manage conversion tasks remotely.
You use the Converter Standalone client to send conversion requests to the server. The server manages
conversion requests and sends them to the agent. The Converter Standalone agent runs the conversion task.
You can install all components on the same machine and use the Converter Standalone to convert all source
types to all destination types.
You can also install the Converter Standalone client on a separate machine and use the client to manage a
remote Converter Standalone server.
During a client-server installation you must install remote access to allow incoming connections to a Converter
Standalone server.
Converter Standalone Features
VMware
®
vCenter Converter Standalone provides a set of features to convert physical and virtual machines.
Table 1-1. Converter Standalone Features
Features VMware vCenter Converter Standalone
Supported products Designed for single migrations to VMware products such as
VMware Infrastructure, VMware Player, VMware Workstation, and
VMware Server.
License No licensing support.
Cloning Local and remote hot cloning to hosted products (Workstation, VMware Player,
VMware Server) and ESX.
Task management Single migration at a time. Set up a conversion.
The VMware Converter Boot CD (for cold cloning) is available only with a Converter Enterprise license. For
details about how to install the Boot CD, see the VMware Converter Enterprise for VirtualCenter 2.5 Administration
Guide.
Cloning and System Reconfiguration of Physical Machines
Cloning and system reconfiguration are processes that create the virtual disks and configure the target virtual
machine so that it works successfully in a virtual environment.
Cloning is the process of creating a cloned disk, where the cloned disk is a virtual disk that is an exact copy of
the source physical disk. This process involves copying the data on a physical source machine’s hard disk and
transferring that data to a target virtual disk (the new cloned disk).
System reconfiguration is the process of adjusting the migrated operating system so that it can function on
virtual hardware. This adjustment is performed on the target virtual disk after cloning. The target virtual disk
can then function as a bootable system disk in a virtual machine.
User's Guide
10 VMware, Inc.
