Help with converting a physical server to a virtual

centosboy · 08-19-2010, 03:10 AM

Hi all.

I am using vmware vcentre converter standalone to convert a physical server to a virtual server.
Physical server uses ide drives and runs centos 3.4

Over on the virtual server we are using the native vmware scsi.

Upon booting the new virtual server, i am seeing:

Code:

VFS: Cannot open root device "LABEL=/" or 00:00
Please append a correct "root=" boot option
Kernel panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on 00:00

contents of grub.conf on virtual server

Code:

# grub.conf generated by anaconda
#
# Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file
# NOTICE:  You have a /boot partition.  This means that
#          all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /boot/, eg.
#          root (hd0,0)
#          kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/hda2
#          initrd /initrd-version.img
#boot=/dev/hda
default=0
timeout=10
splashimage=(hd0,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
title CentOS (2.4.21-27.0.2.EL)
		 root (hd0,0)
		 kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.21-27.0.2.EL ro root=LABEL=/
		 initrd /initrd-2.4.21-27.0.2.EL.img
#		 initrd /initrd-2.4.21-27.0.3.EL-row.img
title CentOS-3 (2.4.21-27.0.1.EL)
		 root (hd0,0)
		 kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.21-27.0.1.EL ro root=LABEL=/ 
		 initrd /initrd-2.4.21-27.0.1.EL.img

fstab on virtual server

Code:

LABEL=/                 /                       ext3    defaults        1 1
LABEL=/backup           /backup                 ext3    defaults        1 2
LABEL=/boot             /boot                   ext3    defaults        1 2
none                    /dev/pts                devpts  gid=5,mode=620  0 0
none                    /proc                   proc    defaults        0 0
none                    /dev/shm                tmpfs   defaults        0 0
/dev/hda3               swap                    swap    defaults        0 0
/dev/cdrom              /mnt/cdrom              udf,iso9660 noauto,owner,kudzu,ro 0 0
/dev/fd0                /mnt/floppy             auto    noauto,owner,kudzu 0 0

fdisk on virtual server

Code:

Disk /dev/sda: 81.9 GB, 81989591040 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9968 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot    Start       End    Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *         1        13    104391   83  Linux
/dev/sda2            14      9899  79409295   83  Linux
/dev/sda3          9900      9964    522112+  82  Linux swap

Disk /dev/sdb: 40.0 GB, 40040663040 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4868 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot    Start       End    Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1   *         1      4865  39078081   83  Linux

Things i have tried so far:

Boot into rescue mode.
grub-install /dev/sda1

assign root=/dev/sda1 as boot device

Nothing has worked so far.
Does anyone have any ideas or can anyone spot from looking at the configs what i need to change?

ZAMO · 08-19-2010, 03:18 PM

Normally we do a driver change in VM . We need to right click the VM node(which should be down) and to choose the proper driver for the SCSI.

centosboy · 08-20-2010, 02:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZAMO

Normally we do a driver change in VM . We need to right click the VM node(which should be down) and to choose the proper driver for the SCSI.

Im not sure how this helps me.
During the p2v conversion, LSI logic drivers are used/installed.
Could you expand a bit??

r3sistance · 08-20-2010, 03:15 PM

Just as a quick one...

perhaps trying interrupting grub when booting and changing the following line...

kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.21-27.0.2.EL ro root=LABEL=/

to

kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.21-27.0.2.EL ro root=/dev/sda1

if that changes things, it might be during the conversion of the drives, the partitions lost their labels (usually set with e2label). I would advise not changing anything on the written images right now (unless you have reasonable back-ups that is) until we can establish the exact cause.