VMware-to-Proxmox_Migration_Guide/README.md

VMware to Proxmox Practical Migration_Guide

Easy guide on how to migrate your Windows VMs from WMvare to Proxmox.

You can eather use variant one which is transfaring VMs faster. But you need at least 2 servers to use this variant.

Or you can try variant two which is easier but VMs migrate much more slowly and you need space on your computer to do this.

Variant 1. server to server migration (better one)

You will need to have VMware and Proxmox server for this running both at the same time. And SSH acess to both of them.

1. Create Ubuntu 20.04 container

Login into Proxmox web interface.

Navigate to storage Local > CT Storage > Templates.

Click on Templates and download Ubuntu 20.04.

After finishing, right-click on server and create new cotainter with Ubuntu 20.04.

2. Download OVFtool to Ubuntu container

Server > Ubuntu > Console

Navigate to work folder and donwload OVFtool using this command:

cd /home/
wget LINKINVALID

Alternatively you can download it to your computer using official link, or download it from this guide. And the transfare the OVFtool to Ubuntu container using SCP.

3. Install OVFtool

chmod +x ./VMware-ovftool-4.4.3-18663434-lin.x86_64.bundle
./VMware-ovftool-4.4.3-18663434-lin.x86_64.bundle

After running this command, Terms of use should appear. Press spacebar until you get to end and then type yes and press enter.

4. Copy export script

Create new file named export.sh using:

nano export.sh

Copy this script and paste into that file by right-click and paste.

export.sh

#!/bin/bash

# Variables
VM_NAME=$1
VMID=$2

VCENTER_USERNAME="root"
VCENTER_PASSWORD="YOUR-VCENTER-ROOT-PASSWORD"
VCENTER_HOST="YOUR-VCENTER-IP-ADRESS"

PROXMOX_USER="root"
PROXMOX_PASSWORD="YOUR-PROXMOX-ROOT-PASSWORD"
PROXMOX_HOST="YOUR-PROXMOX-IP-ADRESS"

if [[ -z "$VM_NAME" || -z "$VMID" ]]; then
    echo "Usage: $0 <vm_name> <vm_id>"
    exit 1
fi

# VMware OVF Tool Path
OVFTOOL_PATH="ovftool"

# Create temporary directory on Proxmox
TMP_DIR=$(ssh ${PROXMOX_USER}@${PROXMOX_HOST} "mktemp -d -p /var/lib/vz/template/${PROXMOX_STORAGE}")
echo "Temporary directory created at: $TMP_DIR on Proxmox"

# Export VM to OVA and copy directly to Proxmox
echo "Exporting VM to OVA and copying directly to Proxmox..."
"$OVFTOOL_PATH" --noSSLVerify "vi://$VCENTER_USERNAME:$VCENTER_PASSWORD@$VCENTER_HOST/$VM_NAME" | sshpass -p "$PROXMOX_PASSWORD" ssh -C ${PROXMOX_USER}@${PROXMOX_HOST} "c>

# Run import script on Proxmox
echo "Running import script on Proxmox..."
sshpass -p "$PROXMOX_PASSWORD" ssh ${PROXMOX_USER}@${PROXMOX_HOST} "bash /var/lib/vz/template/inport3.sh $VM_NAME $VMID"

# Clean up the temporary files on Proxmox
echo "Cleaning up temporary files on Proxmox..."
sshpass -p "$PROXMOX_PASSWORD" ssh ${PROXMOX_USER}@${PROXMOX_HOST} "rm -rf ${TMP_DIR}"

echo "VM export and import process completed."

! You need to change "YOUR-VCENTER-ROOT-PASSWORD" "YOUR-VCENTER-IP-ADRESS" "YOUR-PROXMOX-ROOT-PASSWORD" "YOUR-PROXMOX-IP-ADRESS" !

After that code save and exit using ctrl+x and then enter.

Now make it executable using:

chmod +x ./export.sh

5. Copy import script

Server > Console

Navigate to /var/lib/vz/template and create import.sh using same priciple like in step 4.

cd /var/lib/vz/template
nano inmport.sh

import.sh

#!/bin/bash

# Script to import VMware images (OVF or OVA based) to Proxmox VE, executed locally on the Proxmox host

PROXMOX_STORAGE=local-lvm
VM_PATH=/var/lib/vz/template
VM_NAME=$1
VMID=$2

if [[ -z "$VM_NAME" || -z "$VMID" ]]; then
    echo "Usage: $0 <vm_name> <vm_id>"
    exit 1
fi

# Determine file extension to handle OVF and OVA appropriately
FILE_EXTENSION="${VM_NAME##*.}"

# Import VM on Proxmox based on file type
echo "Importing VM..."
if [ "$FILE_EXTENSION" == "ova" ]; then
    # Assuming qm supports OVA directly; if not, this needs to be extracted first
    qm importova $VMID "$VM_PATH/$VM_NAME" $PROXMOX_STORAGE
else
    qm importovf $VMID "$VM_PATH/$VM_NAME.ovf" $PROXMOX_STORAGE
fi

# Ensure VM is fully stopped before making hardware changes
echo "Ensuring VM is stopped..."
qm stop $VMID --skiplock
sleep 10

# Set the SCSI controller to LSI Logic
echo "Setting SCSI hardware type to LSI..."
qm set $VMID -scsihw lsi

# Transition each detected SCSI disk to IDE interface
DISKS=$(qm config $VMID | grep -oP 'scsi\d+: \K.*')
DISK_ID=0
for DISK_PROP in $DISKS; do
    echo "Transitioning SCSI disk to IDE..."
    qm set $VMID -scsi$DISK_ID none
    qm set $VMID -ide$DISK_ID $DISK_PROP
    ((DISK_ID++))
done

# Set network and boot order
echo "Setting network model and boot order..."
qm set $VMID -net0 model=vmxnet3,bridge=vmbr0
qm set $VMID -boot order=ide0

# Start the VM
echo "Starting VM..."
qm start $VMID

At first few lines of the script you can change local-lvm to change storage on your Proxmox and the script will import VM to that storage.

And make it executable:

chmod +x ./export.sh

6. Migrate VM using script

Turn off the VM you want to migrate in VMware.

Navigate to Ubuntu container and import and export VM using this command.

./export.sh NAME-OF-VM NUMBER-FOR-ROXMOX

You need to use exact name of the VM from VMware and NUMBER-FOR-ROXMOX is required for proxmox. If you dont know what number to use then just use 100 and increase the number with each VM.

! Migration requires at least double the size of VM on Proxmox for it to work. !

7. Enjoy

Congratulations! If you did everything right the VM will export and inport automatically and start when the process ends.

Variant 2. server-desktop-server migration (easier)