We are looking for somebody to mentor us in a Proxmox upgrade. Prior attempts have failed with the Windows server VM wanting to reauthenticate a new Key each time it is moved or PM is upgraded. We must be doing something wrong. Can anyone help to fix this?
Looking for a Proxmox mentor to assist small organization to upgrade a Proxmox instal
- Thread starter Drax
- Start date
Re: Looking for a Proxmox mentor to assist small organization to upgrade a Proxmox in
I could be mistaken but this happens based on the kind of key you're using for Windows Server. If you have Microsoft Volume licensing, then the key provided doesn't care about hardware changes as they trust that you're staying compliant with your licensing. If you purchased single copies (where you get a box with the cd and key) then the key gets linked to the hardware and when you upgrade proxmox, there can be slight fluctuations in the virtual hardware and windows sees it as a big enough change to make you reactivate.
I could be wrong here so someone else may have a suggestion.
I could be mistaken but this happens based on the kind of key you're using for Windows Server. If you have Microsoft Volume licensing, then the key provided doesn't care about hardware changes as they trust that you're staying compliant with your licensing. If you purchased single copies (where you get a box with the cd and key) then the key gets linked to the hardware and when you upgrade proxmox, there can be slight fluctuations in the virtual hardware and windows sees it as a big enough change to make you reactivate.
I could be wrong here so someone else may have a suggestion.
Re: Looking for a Proxmox mentor to assist small organization to upgrade a Proxmox in
This wouldn't have anything specific to do with Proxmox. You'd get the same behavior if you were running VMWare, etc. If you move a license of a Windows server from one hardware environment to another, and it detects it, it wants to re-authenticate. As bhennigar rightly states, the exception would be volume licensing. Check your license details with Microsoft on whether you are allowed to do this or not. Its the main reason why many of us choose to throw out M$ in favor of free & open source operating systems.
This wouldn't have anything specific to do with Proxmox. You'd get the same behavior if you were running VMWare, etc. If you move a license of a Windows server from one hardware environment to another, and it detects it, it wants to re-authenticate. As bhennigar rightly states, the exception would be volume licensing. Check your license details with Microsoft on whether you are allowed to do this or not. Its the main reason why many of us choose to throw out M$ in favor of free & open source operating systems.
Re: Looking for a Proxmox mentor to assist small organization to upgrade a Proxmox in
We don't have volume licensing as we only have one windows VM. I agree & understand about the MS issue. However if the application that you are using or want to use is based on Windows. Then you are stuck with windows. The secondary issue to the windows key is the issue that Windows wants to rewrite the hardware layer regarding the network. So it's a PITA. As for Parallels or VMware, I didn't have any issue of needing to rekey a windows VM when I upgraded parallels. I haven't tried VMWare. I used Proxmox because it looks to be a lot more robust than either of those two.
We don't have volume licensing as we only have one windows VM. I agree & understand about the MS issue. However if the application that you are using or want to use is based on Windows. Then you are stuck with windows. The secondary issue to the windows key is the issue that Windows wants to rewrite the hardware layer regarding the network. So it's a PITA. As for Parallels or VMware, I didn't have any issue of needing to rekey a windows VM when I upgraded parallels. I haven't tried VMWare. I used Proxmox because it looks to be a lot more robust than either of those two.
Re: Looking for a Proxmox mentor to assist small organization to upgrade a Proxmox in
OK. I think you've answered your own question then. To repeat: Windows is a PITA. Windows is not free & open source. You are restricted in terms of migrating it based on the license you have. You can't use anything but Windows because you have a legacy application that requires it. If I were in your shoes, I'd find another application that replaces the functionality you have that isn't based on Windows but gives you more flexibility and leave Windows entirely. If that is not possible, you have my condolences.
OK. I think you've answered your own question then. To repeat: Windows is a PITA. Windows is not free & open source. You are restricted in terms of migrating it based on the license you have. You can't use anything but Windows because you have a legacy application that requires it. If I were in your shoes, I'd find another application that replaces the functionality you have that isn't based on Windows but gives you more flexibility and leave Windows entirely. If that is not possible, you have my condolences.
Re: Looking for a Proxmox mentor to assist small organization to upgrade a Proxmox in
That's the problem. There isn't an open source app to do what that one does as well as it does it. The linux apps all cost considerably more for their "subscriptions" than burning MS keys. The issue is in Proxmox changing the Virtual hardware layer unnecessarily. So it is a real mess. If I felt that Parallels or VMWare would do what Proxmox does I would jump ship. Parallels never altered the hardware layer with any upgrades that I made to it. What I am seeking is somebody that can work Proxmox so that the upgrade doesn't alter the machine configuration that drastically. maybe what I want doesn't exist & I will just be stuck with VE 1.8
That's the problem. There isn't an open source app to do what that one does as well as it does it. The linux apps all cost considerably more for their "subscriptions" than burning MS keys. The issue is in Proxmox changing the Virtual hardware layer unnecessarily. So it is a real mess. If I felt that Parallels or VMWare would do what Proxmox does I would jump ship. Parallels never altered the hardware layer with any upgrades that I made to it. What I am seeking is somebody that can work Proxmox so that the upgrade doesn't alter the machine configuration that drastically. maybe what I want doesn't exist & I will just be stuck with VE 1.8
Re: Looking for a Proxmox mentor to assist small organization to upgrade a Proxmox in
Again, you are blaming the wrong people for your problem. PM works great, and if you stay with 1.8 you are going to be in a world of hurt in terms of security vulnerabilities and ability to support newer Windows patches, resource allocation, etc. We have dozens of Windows VMs running on 3.1 without issue - some migrated from physical servers to virtual, and others migrated from virtual servers to virtual servers. We run 4 data centers worldwide and routinely migrate VMs from data center to data center for load balancing, HA, etc. Proxmox rocks and does a brilliant job at this. You just need to have the right Windows licensing for this. This is not a Proxmox issue.
Again, you are blaming the wrong people for your problem. PM works great, and if you stay with 1.8 you are going to be in a world of hurt in terms of security vulnerabilities and ability to support newer Windows patches, resource allocation, etc. We have dozens of Windows VMs running on 3.1 without issue - some migrated from physical servers to virtual, and others migrated from virtual servers to virtual servers. We run 4 data centers worldwide and routinely migrate VMs from data center to data center for load balancing, HA, etc. Proxmox rocks and does a brilliant job at this. You just need to have the right Windows licensing for this. This is not a Proxmox issue.
Re: Looking for a Proxmox mentor to assist small organization to upgrade a Proxmox in
AFAIK, we fixed that long time ago.
AFAIK, we fixed that long time ago.