Specifications

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VMware GSX Server Administration Guide
Moving a GSX Server 2 Virtual Machine
If you want to move a virtual machine created with GSX Server 2, you may prefer to
upgrade it for full compatibility with GSX Server 3 before moving it. To do so, run the
virtual machine under GSX Server 3 and use VM > Upgrade Virtual Hardware. If you
upgrade the virtual hardware, you can then follow the instructions in Moving a
VMware GSX Server 3 Virtual Machine on page 163.
If you upgrade the virtual machine, you can no longer run it under GSX Server 2. If you
need to run the virtual machine under both GSX Server 2 and GSX Server 3, do not
upgrade the virtual hardware. Follow the instructions in this section.
Note: These instructions assume that you are using a virtual disk — stored in one or
more .vmdk files on your host computer.
It’s always safest to make backup copies of all the files in your virtual machine’s
directory before you start a process like this.
Virtual Machines Use Relative Paths
The path names for all files associated with a virtual machine created under GSX
Server 2 are relative, meaning the path to the each file is relative to the currently active
directory. For example, if you are in the virtual machine’s directory, the relative path to
the virtual disk file is
<machine name>.vmdk.
If you intend to move virtual machines created in a VMware product other than GSX
Server 2 or higher, or Workstation 3.1 or higher, see Moving Older Virtual Machines on
page 169.
Preparing Your Virtual Machine for the Move
1. Use GSX Server 2 to connect to the virtual machine. If the virtual machine has
more than one virtual disk and if the virtual disks use different disk modes, you
must use the Configuration Editor (choose Settings > Configuration Editor) to
change one or more of the virtual disks so they all use the same mode.
2. Be sure the guest operating system is completely shut down. If the virtual
machine is suspended and its virtual disks are in persistent or nonpersistent
mode, resume it, then shut down the guest operating system.
3. If your virtual machine is using disks in undoable mode, it is best to commit or
discard the changes when the guest operating system shuts down. If you cannot
commit or discard the changes to your disk, read Considerations for Moving
Disks in Undoable Mode on page 171.