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23.4.2. Configuration changes for Windows virtualized guests

Warning

Before converting Windows virtualized guests, ensure that the libguestfs-winsupport and virtio-win packages are installed on the host running virt-v2v. These packages provide support for NTFS and Windows para-virtualized block and network drivers. If you attempt to convert a virtualized guest using NTFS without the libguestfs-winsupport package installed, the conversion will fail. If you attempt to convert a virtualized guest running Windows without the virtio-win package installed, the conversion will fail giving an error message concerning missing files.
virt-v2v can convert virtualized guests running Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008. The conversion process for virtualized guests running Windows is slightly to different to the process for virtualized guests running Linux. Windows virtualized guest images are converted as follows:
  1. virt-v2v installs virtio block drivers.
  2. virt-v2v installs the CDUpgrader utility.
  3. virt-v2v makes registry changes to include the virtio block drivers in the CriticalDeviceDatabase section of the registry, and ensure the CDUpgrader service is started at the next boot.
At this point, virt-v2v has completed the conversion. The converted virtualized guest is now bootable, but does not yet have all the drivers installed necessary to function correctly. The conversion must be finished by the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager. The Manager performs the following steps:
  1. The virtualized guest is imported and run on the Manager. See the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Servers Administration Guide for details.

    Important

    The first boot stage can take several minutes to run, and must not be interrupted. It will run automatically without any administrator intervention other than starting the virtualized guest. To ensure the process is not interrupted, no user should login to the virtualized guest until it has quiesced. You can check for this in the Manager GUI.
  2. The Manager attaches the Guest Tools CD to the virtual machine.

    Note

    The Guest Tools ISO must be uploaded using the ISO Uploader for this step to succeed. See Preparing to convert a virtualized guest running Windows for instructions.
  3. CDUpgrader detects the Guest Tools CD and installs all the virtio drivers from it, including a re-install of the virtio block drivers.