new to vm

[flexin]

Hi guys,

I'm looking to virtualise a current server which is running windows 2008.

the server is pretty vital to the infrastructure and cant be offline for long.

how can i install vmware onto the physical box and run the existing windows as a vm?

any docs you guys can point me to to help with this conversion

[WebMaster]

Hi Flexin,

Thanks for joining Virtualization.net and welcome!

You will need another server, install vmware esxi on it and then do P2V conversion of the current server. Once you've done P2V (physical to Virtual) conversion, and you make sure the server is running without issues in virtual environment, go ahead and make the other server vmware ready by installing esxi.

If I do P2V conversion, I like to keep physical box untouched for week or two, just in case. Better be safe then sorry, right?

[flexin]

i have done some reading and can i not create a single vm file which i can hold on a workstation then format the physical server and load the hypervisor then load up the vm image i created?

if this is possible what will i need to create the vm image and whats the possibillity of rollback if it went sideways ?