ESXi to Proxmox - Ubuntu VM - Starts but not boot - VMDK Considerations

[Tete]

Hi all,

I am trying to get working a ESXi Ubuntu 8.04 Server to Proxmox KVM.

I have been googling, reading this forum and memorizing the migration guide but there is some questions that are not clear for me and it seems that are the ones that is giving me crazy.

I have 40 Ubuntu Servers to migrate from ESXi to KVM. All 8.04LTS.

As I have read, if the vmdk file is all space preallocated, you can simply copy the file, rename it as the VM configuration indicates, and ready. All that was done and the Server Starts... the grub boot menu appears (It indicates is reading the disk correctly, isn't it?). When I select the boot image, it waits 30 seconds and give me this error:

ALERT! /dev/disk/by-uuid/c8888808-7666-4c81-9c57-04a3b2c7034a does not exist. Dropping to a shell!

I have seen the original VM and the Disk UUID is correct. I have probed changing the root parameter to /dev/sda1 that is the boot partition, but no luck.

Considerations (Please indicate which is erroneus):
.- If the VM starts and arrives to the grub menu, it is indicating the vmdk file is being read correctly.
.- It is no necesary to run vmware-vdiskmanager on ESXi VM's vmdk files which are configured with all space allocated
.- It would be possible to migrate all the servers in batch mode.

Thanks in advance for your time.
Thanks for Proxmox.

Best Regards
Antonio Sanchez
[/LIST]

 

[escoreal]

I have probed changing the root parameter to /dev/sda1 that is the boot partition, but no luck.

Hi,

is boot and root on the same partition?
Are you using virtio? Then it would be vda1.

esco

 

[Tete]

Hi,

The boot partition is /dev/sda1 and "/"

The original VM has a VMWare SCSI controller and disk.

Thanks

 

[escoreal]

The original VM has a VMWare SCSI controller and disk.

And now with KVM?

You should check this with a live or rescue boot CD.

Can you post your fstab file and the configuration of the new VM?

esco

 

[Tete]

I have boot with a GParted Live CD.

I can see and mount /dev/sda

Can't copy paste from the console (I don't know how to do that) but my fstab is ok.

UUID=c8888808-7666-4c81-45f6-b339-4c78755ccde5 / ext3 relatime,errors=remount-ro 0

The /dev/sda1 is mountable and accesible, so the vmdk is ok.

It seems some kind of strange behavior with Grub or SCSI.

Thanks

 

[Tete]

I have booted with a live CD and has chrooted to the system.

I have made a grub-install... result OK but still the same problem. The VM starts, but don't boot. It says it can't find neither the UUID or /dev/sda1.

Thanks

 

[escoreal]

Hi,

are there any other entries in fstab?

but my fstab is ok.

ALERT! /dev/disk/by-uuid/c8888808-7666-4c81-9c57-04a3b2c7034a does not exist.

UUID=c8888808-7666-4c81-45f6-b339-4c78755ccde5 / ext3 relatime,errors=remount-ro 0

esco

 

[udo]

Hi,

are there any other entries in fstab?

esco

Hi,
and what root-options do you have in the grub kernel-entry ?

Udo

 

[Tete]

In the /etc/fstab there is another line for the swap partition.

Thanks

 

[kobuki]

You should verify that the UUID in the kopt=root option in /boot/grub/menu.lst matches the UUID in your /etc/fstab for /. You can determine the correct UUID by booting from your rescue CD and issuing the blkid command. After you make sure they match you can do an update-grub. If this doesn't work, your /dev is inconsistent with the KVM virtual hardware. In these cases I usually just copy /dev from a working VM to the new one (shut it down and use the rescue CD).

 

[Tete]

The root options are;

linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-19-server root=/dev/disk/by-uuid/c8888808-7666-4c81-9c57-04a3b2c7034a ro quiet splash apparmor=0

I have tested it without apparmor, and without quiet and splash. With the same results. Also tested changing the root to /dev/sda1.

Could it be some kind of issue with vmdk file? It is fully accesible but it is possible some trouble with logical geometry or block issues?

Thanks again.

 

[Tete]

I have tested that the blkid and the fstab and the menu.lst UUID were the same. I have also done the update-grub, with no results.

If I chroot the disk it is fully accesible with /dev binding I can see the /dev/disks/by-uudi correctly but in initramfs /dev/disks/by-uuid is not available and /dev/sda* not too.

Thanks

 

[kobuki]

I'm wondering if Ubuntu 8.04 contains the virtio drivers. Have you tried with IDE emulation? I don't see a clear indication of it in this thread.

 

[Tete]

Re: ESXi to Proxmox - Ubuntu VM - Starts but not boot - VMDK Considerations - SOLVED

Thanks a lot....

I have removed the HD and reconnect it as IDE and the system boot. Perfect!

Now I have a question. Why?

Why if this VM was configured in VMWare ESXi as SCSI it must be bringed up to Proxmox as IDE?

Thanks a lot.

 

[udo]

Re: ESXi to Proxmox - Ubuntu VM - Starts but not boot - VMDK Considerations - SOLVED

Thanks a lot....

I have removed the HD and reconnect it as IDE and the system boot. Perfect!

Now I have a question. Why?

Why if this VM was configured in VMWare ESXi as SCSI it must be bringed up to Proxmox as IDE?

Thanks a lot.

Hi,
you have connected as scsi before?! I guess you don't have the scsi-driver in the initramfs - so you cant find the disk sda...

Udo

 

[Tete]

Re: ESXi to Proxmox - Ubuntu VM - Starts but not boot - VMDK Considerations - SOLVED

Hi,

The VM starts normally in ESXi... just files copied and renamed... and boot.

Antonio Sanchez

 

[kobuki]

Re: ESXi to Proxmox - Ubuntu VM - Starts but not boot - VMDK Considerations - SOLVED

I guess all OP needs is the correct virtio driver in both his installed system and the initramfs. It could be tedious since it requires the upgrade of at least the kernel and the modules in all of the moved VMs. Of course they can run on IDE as well, with somewhat lower performance - but it all depends on the load required to be handled in those VMs. On another note, using the UUIDs can eliminate the need to depend on a variable naming scheme (I've seen IDE and SCSI and various other technologies behind an SCSI interface named sd*).