PlateSpin PowerConvert User Guide PlateSpin PowerConvert User Guide Copyright 2005 -1–
Table of Contents Introduction .................................................................................................. 3 Terminology .................................................................................................. 4 PowerConvert Overview .................................................................................. 5 PowerConvert Server Requirements ............................................................... 5 PowerConvert Client Requirements ............................
Introduction Welcome to the PlateSpin® PowerConvert™ User Guide. PlateSpin PowerConvert is a powerful, fully automated Operating System Portability™ solution that enables the complete interchange of data, applications, and operating systems (the software layer) across Intel infrastructure in the data center, breaking the dependency between hardware infrastructure and server software.
Terminology PowerConvert Server The central server which controls all server discovery, image capture and conversion jobs. The PowerConvert Server also hosts the database for which all information regarding discovered servers and jobs is stored. PowerConvert Client An interface to the PowerConvert Server. It is through the PowerConvert Client where the user will perform their work. PlateSpin Image Server An image repository for PlateSpin Images.
PowerConvert Overview There are three main steps to performing a server conversion: 1) Discover the source and target servers 2) Configure and create the conversion job 3) Execute the conversion job When the conversion completes, a fully functional server will have been created. Configurable options provide full customization of settings for the converted server. Files on the original source server are left untouched, allowing it to continue working in the environment if desired.
Source Server Requirements The following source operating systems are supported when performing conversions to virtual servers, or capturing images. • • • • • Windows NT Server (SP4, SP6a) Windows 2000 Server Windows 2000 Advanced Server Windows 2003 Server Redhat Linux (7, 8, AS 3.0, ES 3.0) The following source operating systems are supported when performing conversions to physical servers.
The PowerConvert Server PlateSpin PowerConvert ships as a single executable. This executable will install the PowerConvert Server and make the PowerConvert Client installer available. PowerConvert Server Installation Instructions 1. Double-click PowerConvertServerSetup-####.EXE as downloaded from the PlateSpin website to begin the installation 2.
The PowerConvert Client Once the PlateSpin PowerConvert Server is installed, the PowerConvert Client will be available. PowerConvert Client Installation Instructions 1. Open a web-browser and go to http://localhost/powerconvert NOTE: If installing the PowerConvert Client on a remote system, replace ‘localhost’ with the hostname or IP address of the PowerConvert Server 2. Click the link to download the PlateSpin PowerConvert Client and choose “Open” to begin the installation 3.
Product Activation and License Management When the PowerConvert Client is launched for the first time, the License Wizard is displayed. Online Activation Using online activation will obtain a PowerConvert license over the internet. 1. Select the ‘Online Activation’ option and click ‘Next’ 2. Enter the e-mail address and activation code and click ‘Next’ to obtain the PowerConvert License 3.
Offline Activation Using offline activation requires the use of a PowerConvert license file. 1. Select the ‘Offline Activation’ option and click ‘Next’ 2. When prompted, enter the path to the PowerConvert license file 3.
Customer Experience Improvement Program When starting the PowerConvert Client for the first time, a prompt will appear to participate in the Customer Experience Improvement Program. By participating in this program, anonymous usage statistics regarding PowerConvert will be periodically sent to PlateSpin in order to assist in the continual improvement of the product.
The Server View The server view allows for easy management of servers to be used with PowerConvert. Two panes make up the main portion of the view. The left pane lists all discovered source servers, while the right pane lists all discovered target servers. Image servers and virtual infrastructure servers are shown on both panes, as they can be used as both source and as a target. Each pane can be filtered by using the ‘Group By’ and ‘Sort’ pull-down menus.
The Jobs View The jobs view displays all discovery, conversion and image capture jobs run by the PowerConvert Server. Using the ‘Show’ pull-down menu the jobs view can be easily filtered to display the desired information. Within seconds, jobs can be filtered based on their current state.
Server Discovery A server discovery must be performed to gather information regarding the source and target servers prior to performing a conversion. The discovery process gathers detailed information about the servers, which is used by PowerConvert to perform the conversion. WMI must be available on Windows based servers prior to performing a server discovery. PowerConvert uses WMI to obtain information about the server. For Linux and VMware ESX Servers, sshd must be installed and running.
Discovering Source Servers, Target Virtual Servers and Target Image Servers 1. Select Discover | Server Details on the tool bar 2. Enter the host name or IP address of the source server NOTE: Multiple servers can be discovered by entering multiple host names or IP addresses, separated with a comma 3. Select the Operating System of the source server 4. Enter administrator credentials for the server being discovered and click OK 5.
Discovering Servers Through Automatic Network Discovery The PowerConvert Client’s automatic Network Discovery option allows for easy browsing of all servers within a given domain or workgroup. Details are not gathered during this process, requiring a full discovery prior to performing conversions. The Network Discovery feature can be enabled or disabled by right-clicking the bottom-right corner of the PowerConvert Client.
Discovering target physical servers Different steps must be performed to discover target physical servers. To begin the discovery process, download WINPE.ISO from the PlateSpin website and burn it to a CD. Use this CD to boot the physical server which will be used as the destination for the conversion. Follow these steps to perform the discovery process for a physical target server. 1. Once the server boots from the CD, a command prompt window will appear stating the registration process is about to begin.
If DHCP is not available, select the desired NIC to configure with a static IP address a. Enter the desired IP address b. Enter the desired subnet mask c. Enter the desired gateway 6. Enter a host name for the physical server, or press ENTER to accept the default 7. Enter the PowerConvert network where the discovered server should be placed. If unsure what to value to use, keep the default setting by pressing ENTER The network configuration will initialize and the server registration process will complete.
Server Analysis After discovering source and target servers, an analysis can be performed to find potential causes of failure. Doing so can be beneficial when beginning any large scale conversion project.
Analyzing Discovered Servers To analyze all currently discovered servers, select ‘Analyze Servers’ from the TOOLS menu in the PowerConvert Client. Enter the network path to the PowerConvert Server and click the ANALYZE button. The analysis may take a few minutes to complete, depending on the number of discovered servers. Analyzed servers will be listed in the left pane. By highlighting each server, test results can be viewed in the right pane.
Peer to Peer Conversion Jobs Peer to peer conversions are performed from physical or virtual source servers, to physical or virtual target servers without the use of an intermediary data store. While physical to virtual conversions are most common, PowerConvert also supports virtual to virtual, physical to physical and virtual to physical conversions. This functionality allows for full OS portability within a data center.
Converting to Virtual Servers The configuration screen provides customizable parameters for the conversion job. Simply drag-and-drop the discovered source server to the discovered physical target server to configure the conversion job 1.
KEEP SOURCE SERVER OFFLINE – Enabling this option keeps the source server offline to guarantee no hostname or IP address conflicts after the conversion has completed RUN IMMEDIATELY – Select to start the conversion job when executed RUN AT A LATER TIME – Enable to select a specific date and time for the conversion to run PlateSpin PowerConvert User Guide Copyright 2005 - 23 –
USER NAME – Enter valid administrator or root credentials for the source and target servers PASSWORD – Enter a valid password for the administrator or root account TEST – Click this button to test the entered credentials SAVE (ENCRYPTED LOCALLY) – Enable to save the entered credentials for use during future conversions RECEIVE EVENT NOTIFICATIONS – Enable to be sent e-mail notifications when the job enters a completed, recoverable error or failed state RECEIVE PROGRESS NOTIFICATIONS – Enable to be sent reg
E-MAIL FORMAT– Select to receive e-mail notifications in HTML or plain text format SEND TO ADDRESSES – Use the ADD and REMOVE buttons to build a list of e-mail address which will receive the notifications. CONFIGURE – Click this button to configure TCP/IP settings for use during the conversion process on both the source server and target virtual machine 2. Virtual machine settings can be configured, specific to the virtual platform being used.
VIRTUAL MACHINE NAME – Enter the display name for the new virtual machine CONFIGURATION FOLDER– Select the directory where the configuration files will be stored for the virtual machine VIRTUAL MACHINE MEMORY ALLOCATION– Enter a value for the amount of RAM to be assigned to the virtual machine INSTALL VIRTUAL MACHINE ADDITIONS – Enable this option to install VM Additions during the conversion process VMware GSX Server VIRTUAL MACHINE NAME – Enter the display name for the new virtual machine CONFIGURATION F
VIRTUAL MACHINE NAME – Enter the display name for the new virtual machine CONFIGURATION FILE PATH– Select the path where the configuration files will be stored for the virtual machine VIRTUAL MACHINE MEMORY ALLOCATION– Enter a value for the amount of RAM to be assigned to the virtual machine INSTALL VMWARE TOOLS– Enable this option to install VMware Tools during the conversion process PlateSpin PowerConvert User Guide Copyright 2005 - 27 –
MEMORY ALLOCATION MAXIMUM – Enter the maximum RAM to be used by the virtual machine MINIMUM– Enter the minimum RAM to be used by the virtual machine SHARES– Use this pull-down menu to select the memory share allocation for the virtual machine CPU ALLOCATION MAXIMUM – Enter the maximum CPU utilization for the virtual machine MINIMUM– Enter the minimum CPU allocation for the virtual machine SHARES– Use this pull-down menu to select the CPU share allocation for the virtual machine NUMBER OF CPUS– Select the nu
3. A conversion job is auto configured so the created target server will be created with the same settings as the original source. The network configuration can be modified to meet the requirements for the converted server a.
Linux Source Servers HOST NAME – Enter the desired host name for the target server DNS SERVER ADDRESS IN RESOLV.CONF – Use the ADD, EDIT and REMOVE buttons to manage DNS server entries for the new virtual machine b.
MAP TO VIRTUAL ADAPTER – Select the virtual adapter which will be used on the target virtual machine CONNECTED – Enable this option to connect the VMnic when starting the target virtual machine PlateSpin PowerConvert User Guide Copyright 2005 - 31 –
OBTAIN AN IP ADDRESS AUTOMATICALLY – Select this option to use DHCP for this connection USE THE FOLLOWING IP ADDRESS – Select this option to assign a static IP address for this connection c.
Linux Source Servers RUN LEVEL – Click this column for the desired daemon to select the run levels it will be used d. Modify the Drive Configuration settings to select the volumes to copy during the conversion.
COPY – Select the volumes to be copied during the conversion NEW FREE SPACE – To resize the volume during the conversion, enter the desired amount of free space (Will automatically adjust NEW SIZE) NEW SIZE – To resize the volume during the conversion, enter the desired size (Will automatically adjust NEW FREE SPACE) TO DISK – Select which hard drive the volume will be copied to on the physical target server . Error markers 4.
Converting to Physical Servers The configuration screen provides customizable parameters for the conversion job. PlateSpin PowerConvert contains hardware support for most common datacenter hardware. Please see APPENDIX A for information on adding drivers for target physical servers. Simply drag-and-drop the discovered source server to the discovered physical target server to configure the conversion job 1.
KEEP SOURCE SERVER OFFLINE – Enabling this option keeps the source server offline to guarantee no hostname or IP address conflicts after the conversion has completed RUN IMMEDIATELY – Select to start the conversion job when executed RUN AT A LATER TIME – Enable to select a specific date and time for the conversion to run PlateSpin PowerConvert User Guide Copyright 2005 - 36 –
USER NAME – Enter valid administrator credentials for the source server PASSWORD – Enter a valid password for the administrator account TEST – Click this button to test the entered credentials SAVE (ENCRYPTED LOCALLY) – Enable to save the entered credentials for use during future conversions RECEIVE EVENT NOTIFICATIONS – Enable to be sent e-mail notifications when the job enters a completed, recoverable error or failed state RECEIVE PROGRESS NOTIFICATIONS – Enable to be sent regular e-mail notifications fo
SEND TO ADDRESSES – Use the ADD and REMOVE buttons to build a list of e-mail address which will receive the notifications. CONFIGURE – Click this button to configure TCP/IP settings for use during the conversion process on both the source server and target virtual machine 2. A conversion job is auto configured so the created target server will be created with the same settings as the original source. The network configuration can be modified to meet the requirements for the converted server a.
HOST NAME – Enter the desired host name for the target server GENERATE NEW SYSTEM IDENTIFER (SID) – Enable this option for the create target server to be assigned a new SID during the conversion DOMAIN / WORKGROUP - Enter the domain or workgroup the target server will be part of DOMAIN CREDENTIALS – If the target server will be part of a domain, enter valid credentials which have permission to add machines to the domain b.
CONNECT USING – Select the network adapter of the physical source server to use for this connection OBTAIN AN IP ADDRESS AUTOMATICALLY – Select this option to use DHCP for this connection USE THE FOLLOWING IP ADDRESS – Select this option to assign a static IP address for this connection PlateSpin PowerConvert User Guide Copyright 2005 - 40 –
c. Modify the Drive Configuration settings to select the volumes to copy during the conversion.
PlateSpin Flexible Image Jobs PlateSpin Flexible Images are a powerful tool for provisioning and data recovery requirements. Data can be captured from a source server and later deployed to virtual or physical target servers. A PlateSpin Flexible Image is made up of an XML file containing configuration data from the source machine being imaged, along with one or more sets of volume data.
Creating a PlateSpin Image Server Follow these steps to create a PlateSpin Image Server from the PowerConvert client: 1. Perform a server discovery for the system which will host the PlateSpin Image Server 2. In the source server pane of the PowerConvert Client, right click the discovered server and select Install PlateSpin Image Server 3. Enter administrator credentials for the selected server, along with the desired directory for the PlateSpin Image Server installation 4.
Capturing a PlateSpin Flexible Image 1. Using the PowerConvert Client, drag-and-drop the source server to the PlateSpin Image Server 2. Select ‘Create Image’ 3.
4. Edit the Image Configuration properties to set the image name and choose the path where the image will be stored 5. Edit the Drive Configuration settings to select which volumes will be included in the image 6. Edit the Job Configuration settings as desired to control how the image creation job will run 7.
Creating Images Using Existing Volume Data PowerConvert can use existing images created with Acronis True Image or Symantec LiveState as volume data for a PlateSpin Image. Acronis True Image or Symantec LiveState must be installed on the PlateSpin Image Server to use this functionality. Importing Images from Acronis True Image and Symantec LiveState 1. Using the PowerConvert Client, discover the source server for which corresponds to the existing Acronis True Image or Symantec LiveState image 2.
5. Highlight each volume and enter the full path of the image, located on the local HD of the image server, in the text box at the bottom of the window NOTE: If using an incremental LiveState image, the .iv2i and .v2i files must exist in the same directory. Enter the path to the .iv2i file in the volume configuration for PowerConvert 6.
Acronis True Image REPACKAGE – Enable this option to create a PlateSpin Image from the provided image file SECURITY –If the provided image is password protected, enter the required password USE INCREMENTAL BACKUP –Enable if the provided image is part of an incremental backup set INDEX (Acronis only) – Enter the index number for the volume contained in the provided image. The following table shows the index numbers for each volume.
Using Raw Volume Data PowerConvert can also use raw volume data when deploying an image. Raw volume data is simply a directory which contains files that make up a volume. The following steps will explain how to use raw volume data with PowerConvert. Importing RAW Data 1. Using the PowerConvert Client, open the server view and select the source machine to be captured. 2. Drag and drop the source server on to the target PlateSpin Image Server 3. Select ‘Use Existing Image’ 4.
5. Highlight each volume and enter the full path to the directory containing the raw volume data in the text box at the bottom of the window 6. For each image, click the ‘Advanced’ button to configure further options REPACKAGE – Enable this option to have PowerConvert create a PlateSpin Image from the provided image file. This removes the requirement to use the original image for each deployment. 7.
Deploying a PlateSpin Flexible Image 1. Simply drag-and-drop the desired image to a discovered target server to configure the conversion job 2. A conversion job is auto configured so the created target server will be created with the same settings as the original source. The network configuration can be modified with the desired settings a. Modify the Network Identification settings to configure the host name and domain/workgroup registration of the created target server b.
4. Review the conversion job for any errors – marked by . Error markers show what needs to be resolved before the conversion job can start. Position the mouse cursor over the error markers for detailed information. . Warning markers show 5. Review the order for any warnings – marked by configurations options which should be confirmed prior to starting the conversion. Position the mouse cursor over the warning markers for detailed information. 6.
Running Jobs After the desired options are configured, clicking ‘START’ will begin the conversion job. PowerConvert also allows jobs to be saved for execution at a later time. Saved jobs can be manually started from the PowerConvert Client or be scheduled to automatically run at a specified time. Saving Jobs 1.
Scheduling Saved Jobs Once a job has been saved using the steps listed above, it can be scheduled using the following steps. 1. Located the saved job in C:\Documents and Settings\\Local Settings\Application Data\PlateSpin Ltd\PlateSpin PowerConvert\%PowerConvert Version Number%\jobs\ The job will have its own unique alphanumeric folder name and file name (for example: \jobs\4f035cda-5c2b-4b73-9923-148ba743e560\32025d86-8850-4c798bf3-bb9c22b0ac1d.job) 2.
Reports PowerConvert can generate detailed reports of running and completed jobs. They provide a record of the task performed during the job. Reports can easily be generated using the following steps. 1. In the PowerConvert Client, change to the Jobs View 2. Locate the desired job in the view 3. Right-click the job and select REPORT A web browser window will open, displaying the requested report.
APPENDIX A: Adding Drivers for Physical Target Servers During the conversion process, PowerConvert will automatically install the required drivers for the physical target server. PowerConvert ships with drivers for the most common hardware found in current datacenters. Should PowerConvert be missing a driver, support can be added using the following steps. 1. Unpack the driver INF, SYS, CAT and other files to a temporary directory (i.e.
APPENDIX B: Troubleshooting Installation An unexpected error occurs when trying to install PowerConvert to a non default location When installing PowerConvert to a custom directory, the ASPNET account must have full access to the root of the drive where the directory exists. For example, if PowerConvert was being installed to D:\PC, the ASPNET account must have full control of D:\. HTTP 403 Error PlateSpin PowerConvert makes use of ASP.NET for its web services. If ASP.
1. Navigate to the C:\Program Files\PlateSpin PowerConvert Server\Web directory 2. Using a text editor, open the web.config file 3. In the web.config file, the following entry is located near the end of the file: Change the value in this line so that it is set to "true" instead: 4. Save the changes to the web.config file 5.
How to troubleshoot failures at "Configuring Virtual Machine" Failures during the configuration step generally indicate that a timeout has occurred when attempting to configure the target server. Although the conversion job has failed, the conversion is most likely successful. If the virtual machine can boot and be successfully logged in to, the conversion is complete.
APPENDIX C: FAQ How long does a conversion take? A conversion job has three main steps. 1) Take control 2) File transfer 3) Configuration The majority of time is spent on the file transfer. Speeds of 25 to 30Mbps can be expected during the file transfer process. To calculate a rough time estimate take the total size of all the volumes to be copied in megabytes multiply by 8 to get the size in Megabit divided by 25 to get the total time in seconds, and finally divide by 60 to get the total time in minutes.
A maximum of 2 conversions per target server is recommended to ensure sufficient resources are available for the conversion. Can Linux and VMware ESX Servers with custom SSH ports be used with PowerConvert? When discovering systems running Linux or VMware ESX Server, the SSH port can be entered using the following syntax. hostname:portnumber The port number will be saved by PowerConvert for use during conversions.
