Leostream P2V using Acronis

Hi,

I'm trying to use Leostream to P2V a server to VMware's GSX Server. Has anyone used this before? If so would they be willing to help me with the steps in order to do so?

Thanks

 

Hello jt1326,

Thank you for your interest in Acronis True Image (http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/).

Could you please describe in details what you are trying to do and what version of Acronis True Image you use?

Thank you.
--
Ilya Toytman

 

Ilya,

I have a copy of Leostream P2V (http://www.leostream.com/productPV.html). It virtualizes servers to VMware GSX/ESX and MS Virtual Server 2005. One of the transports it uses to convert the server is Acronis True Image.

Here is the section from the Leostream User Manual:
Using the Acronis True Image Transport System

Acronis is a third party disk cloning tool. It has the ability to clone disks attached to running systems without affecting the system, allowing the P>V conversion of a server without downtime. The Acronis cloning process allows for changes to the disk partition sizes, manages dynamic disks, and only copies used disk sectors.

To use this option choose the Acronis Transport Option when presented with Disk Transport Options. The P>V Wizard will then create the appropriate VM on the destination host, but without a virtual floppy. It is then necessary to manually point the new VM at either an ISO image of the Acronis rescue CD, or point the VM directly at the CD drive -- before starting the VM and the Acronis transfer.

After the origin machine has been clones and started the Leostream P2V Wizard will complete in the normal manner."

I contacted Leostream about the problem I'm having and this is their response:

"So the way it works is that you prep the origin system using our Wizard, then you use the Acronis CD to boot the destination VM (as you have done).

To use Acronis please see the True Image manual, chapter 7 - Transferring the system to a new disk.

I agree with you that the latest version of Acronis does not seem to allow the disk to be copied across the network, which is strange because previous versions had that functionality - perhpas you could ask them directly. We added this feature because customers asked for it, so providng Acronis support is a bit beyond our knowledgebase."

I can tell you that it creates a named pipe connection from the VM running the Acronis ISO image to the server that I am trying to virtualize. However, once I boot the VM with the ISO I don't know where to go from there. In the True Image manual (and I believe he was referring to v7 of TIS), it covers the Disk Cloning Wizard. When I launch the wizard I get the following error:

"Unable to continue. You have only one drive. This program is designed to work with two or more drives".

Do you know if anyone there has worked with Leostream at all in regard to this?

 

Hello jt1326,

This message appears when you have one hard disk in your system and choose the "Disk Clone" wizard. Since we do not know the actual realization in Leostream we can suggest that you contact their Support Team for further instructions or wait till someone here who tried using it answers you.

Thank you.
--
Ilya Toytman