VM Migration from Xen server to Proxmox

[relay82]

Hi all,
i'm getting some problems, with a Windows server 2019 guest migration, from xen server 7.1 to proxmox 8.2.2.
I did this steps:

- Remove xen agent tools from windows guest.

- install virtio drivers

- from xen server:
xe vdi-export uuid: "uuid" filename="filename".raw format=raw

- Transferred the exported vm to promox

- from proxmox
qemu-img convert -f raw -O qcow2 sourcefile.xva vmname.qcow2

- create a new vm on proxmox.

- qm importdisk " new id vm"

- added the imported disk and change boot options.

- when starting vm getting bsod. (system thread exception not handled)

- I've tried to change disk bus to ide, scsi and sata , but nothing to do.

Has Someone some experience on that?

Thank you,

 

[Moayad]

Hello,

- install virtio drivers

I would install the VirtIO drivers after you import the VM to Proxmox VE i.e., boot the VM from IDE or SATA, and then install the VirtIO and then shutdown the VM, and change the Hard Disk to SCSI.

Could you please post the VM config?

 

[sgw]

Let me revive this thread, as I face similar issues with testing to migrate a Windows 11 VM from Xen to Proxmox.
I spent hours yesterday with different approaches, booting via IDE ... inserting drivers via DISM ... installing drivers in the Xen environment etc
Tried various vCPUs, found hints to set OS to Vista etc etc

always the same BSOD with "kmode exception not handled"

I don't have access to the Xen environment, I have to talk to their admin for him to prepare the VM etc / the latest exported disk was with virtio drivers installed and xentools removed, according to him. I can show my VM config in a later posting if helpful.

What I don't know: if the source VM was up to date in terms of Windows updates. Might play a role as well.

Any hints welcome, I have to come up with a working procedure for migrating ~20 VMs from there.

 

[LnxBil]

Any hints welcome, I have to come up with a working procedure for migrating ~20 VMs from there.

What about the backup and restore route? If the backup solution supports both hypervisors, that could also go well.

I spent hours yesterday with different approaches, booting via IDE ... inserting drivers via DISM ... installing drivers in the Xen environment etc
Tried various vCPUs, found hints to set OS to Vista etc etc

You haven't mentioned this way so I ask: have you tried booting the windows install iso and trying to fix it from there?

 

[sgw]

No backup solution in place yet that handles both worlds.

The PVE is a test environment, the customer plans to migrate to a PVE on new hardware that isn't purchased yet.
While we choose the hardware, I try to test the migration of the VMs.

Haven't tried fixing via ISO, no. I tried loading drivers via recovery mode and inserting them via DISM.

And in another approach the Xen-admin exported a VM after removing xentools and installing virtio drivers (as mentioned).

I have upgraded the PVE this night but so far haven't rebooted yet, so I am running on kernel 6.8.12-8-pve still (uptime ~180 days).

Just mentioning. I don't assume it's a debian- or PVE-issue ...

The xen-server also runs on Intel CPU, same as the PVE. I don't understand yet on which layer this fails.

 

[sgw]

Let me add: I also tried to import the ovf written by Xen. Just to try to build "the same hardware". Didn't help.

The VMs are simple. They even use IDE in Xen .. and as far as I know, you can't even choose very specific vCPUs there.

(that stuff is rather outdated there, it's not even the latest Xen. Maybe that's also part of this ..)

 

[LnxBil]

I don't understand yet on which layer this fails.

On errors after import, it is almost exclusively the lack of driver support in the guest. Just installing the driver there may not be enough. I have no idea if this is still the case, but for a change from IDE to SCSI virtio, you needed to add the driver, add another disk just for installing the drivers so that it will work, remove the additional disk and the reattach the main disk as scsi.

 

[sgw]

On errors after import, it is almost exclusively the lack of driver support in the guest. Just installing the driver there may not be enough. I have no idea if this is still the case, but for a change from IDE to SCSI virtio, you needed to add the driver, add another disk just for installing the drivers so that it will work, remove the additional disk and the reattach the main disk as scsi.

Yes, I remember this sequence also. But right now I don't see how I would do that. It doesn't even boot with IDE drives. Thanks anyway.