vCenter Converter Migration: V2V and P2V [Detailed]

VMware vCenter Converter simplifies the process of converting physical machines to virtual machines (P2V) and migrating virtual machines (V2V). vCenter Converter provides a simplified, automated approach to migration. In this article, we will give you an overview of what VMware vCenter Converter is and the methods used to provide P2V and V2V migration methods.

What is VMware vCenter Converter

VMware vCenter Converter is a free tool for P2V and V2V that supports environments ranging from standalone hosts to VMware vSphere infrastructures, and it automates most of the process, reducing the need for manual intervention and minimizing downtime.

Key use cases for vCenter Converter include:

• P2V Migration: Converting physical servers or desktops to virtual machines to take advantage of virtualization.
• V2V Migration: Migrate virtual machines between hypervisors, such as from VMware Workstation to VMware ESXi, or from one ESXi host to another ESXi host.

P2V and V2V Migration with vCenter Converter

This part will provide you with vCenter Converter V2V and vCenter Converter P2V steps.

P2V Migration with vCenter Converter

After the P2V process is implemented, physical hardware can be consolidated into a virtual environment to improve resource utilization and management.

Step 1. Download and install the VMware vCenter Converter Standalone client on a Windows or Linux system with access to the physical machine and the target virtualization platform.

Step 2. Open VMware vCenter Converter and you will be prompted to select the type of conversion. Choose Convert machine and select the Source type as Physical machine.

Step 3. Enter the IP address or hostname of the physical machine to be converted.

Provide the source machine’s administrator credentials to allow the converter to access the system.

Step 4. Select the destination type, for example, VMware ESXi, VMware Workstation, or VMware vSphere.

Specify the destination virtual machine settings, including the ESXi host or vCenter server to be used.

Step 5. Adjust CPU, memory, disk size, and network configuration as needed.

Optionally enable disk thin provisioning to save space.

V2V Migration with vCenter Converter

V2V enables the migration of virtual machines from one virtualization platform to another. It is critical for upgrading infrastructure, consolidating resources, or moving across data centers.

Step 1. After installing, open the converter to select Converter Machine and select Virtual Machine as the source type.

Step 2. Select the source virtual machine from the list of available virtual machines on the current platform. If running on an ESXi host, you need to provide vCenter server or ESXi host credentials.

If you are migrating between different VMware environments (for example, from VMware Workstation to VMware ESXi), select the appropriate source virtual machine.

Step 3. Specify the destination where you want to migrate the virtual machine, such as a VMware ESXi host or another vCenter server.

Select the hardware settings for the destination virtual machine, including CPU, memory, disks, and network adapters.

Step 4. Adjust the virtual machine settings based on the capabilities of the target environment. Then the conversion tool will migrate the virtual machine from the source environment to the target environment.

This process includes copying virtual disks, configurations, and system settings to the new location.

Configure Backup for VMware ESXi VMs Security

Regardless of whether you are a V2V or P2V, you can use AOMEI Cyber Backup to back up your VMs after migration for the safety of your VMs, thus ensuring the safety of your data. It is a powerful and user-friendly free VMware backup tool that reduces business downtime and operational errors, whether you want to save backups for protection or VM migration.

User-friendly Backup: It is equipped with an intuitive web console for backing up and restoring all virtual machines. Backup administrators can easily handle data protection jobs without a long learning curve.
Automated Backup: You can configure a backup schedule to automatically perform a backup task at a specified time.
Agentless Backup: It improves the efficiency of the backup deployment process by creating image-based backups of entire VMware virtual machines without the need to install an agent on each virtual machine.
Instant VM Recovery: In the event of a VMware crash, quickly restore VMware to a normal state, reducing business-critical downtime.

You can choose to install AOMEI Cyber Backup on either Windows or Linux system.

🎈If you want to create a new VM from the backup (in the same or new location), please upgrade to enjoy the out-of-place recovery function.

Easy steps to backup multiple ESXi VMs

Step 1. In the AOMEI Cyber Backup, navigate to Source Device > VMware > + Add VMware Device to add a host, and enter Device Information and User Information. After entering the information, click Confirm.

Step 2. Navigate to Backup Task > + Create New Task, and select VMware ESXi Backup as the Backup Type. Then set the Task Name, Device, Target, Archive, and Schedule.

Step 3. Click Start Backup and select Add the schedule and start backup now, or Add the schedule only.

Conclusion

VMware vCenter Converter simplifies P2V and V2V migrations by automating the migration process to minimize manual effort, reduce downtime, and ensure a smooth transition to a virtualized infrastructure. You can implement vCenter Converter V2V and vCenter Converter P2V by following the steps provided in this article.