Backup File Server to DAS

Dashrender

@dafyre said:

@IT-ADMIN said:

so you told me that if i P2V i must disconnect the P from internet, isn't it ?? otherwise the system will be blacklisted ??

Completely shut the P off. If the P and V are on at the same time with the same IP address, it will cause network problems.

yes i know about the IP conflict, i'm talking about the licensing, if both are online windows will detect that there are 2 computers using the same license, isn't it ??

No, this really isn't an issue. Typically, once a machine is registered, assuming the underlying hardware doesn't change to much, it won't check the license again.

Here's what I'd do. I'd P2V, then turn off the P, and turn on the V. If the V won't re-authorize, then shut it off and delete it, and turn the P back on. If the V does re-authorize, or not even bother to check, then you are fine, and you and format the P.

IT-ADMIN

do you know a P2V tool that do not ask for the key for the V after finishing the P2V ??

Dashrender

It has nothing to do with the tool. It's up to Windows to decide if it will ask or not.

For example, you could replace the motherboard in the server you have now, and it might ask you to re-authorize. It's completely up to Windows.

coliver

@Dashrender said:

It has nothing to do with the tool. It's up to Windows to decide if it will ask or not.

For example, you could replace the motherboard in the server you have now, and it might ask you to re-authorize. It's completely up to Windows.

You could add RAM and windows would ask you to re-authorize... or replace a CPU, which did happen to me.

Dashrender

You asked about restoring your backup onto an identical server, that too could trigger a re-authorization prompt.

All those things said, you weren't worried about them yesterday, I wouldn't be worried about them today (and by you I mean your company).

I'd do the P2V following the general steps I mentioned above. The worst that happens is you spent some hours and gained the knowledge that it wouldn't work.. .but at best, you've migrated everything to a VM, and freed up a server for something else.

dafyre

@IT-ADMIN The worst case scenario is that you P2V, and if it triggers a windows activation on the V, you shut it down and bring the P back up and nothing has changed.

IT-ADMIN

@dafyre said:

@IT-ADMIN The worst case scenario is that you P2V, and if it triggers a windows activation on the V, you shut it down and bring the P back up and nothing has changed.

wow, like usual your suggestion are very awesome, thank you @dafyre

JaredBusch

@Dashrender every single P2V i have ever done has caused Windows to drop its authentic status and require reactivation. I have never seen it stay activated.

IT-ADMIN

@Dashrender said:

You asked about restoring your backup onto an identical server, that too could trigger a re-authorization prompt.

All those things said, you weren't worried about them yesterday, I wouldn't be worried about them today (and by you I mean your company).

I'd do the P2V following the general steps I mentioned above. The worst that happens is you spent some hours and gained the knowledge that it wouldn't work.. .but at best, you've migrated everything to a VM, and freed up a server for something else.

thank you very much for your clarification

Dashrender

@JaredBusch said:

@Dashrender every single P2V i have ever done has caused Windows to drop its authentic status and require reactivation. I have never seen it stay activated.

OK - I've only done one, about 8 years ago.. so I just don't recall.

IT-ADMIN

@JaredBusch said:

@Dashrender every single P2V i have ever done has caused Windows to drop its authentic status and require reactivation. I have never seen it stay activated.

i get shocked, my dream to visualize is broken

JaredBusch

@IT-ADMIN said:

@JaredBusch said:

@Dashrender every single P2V i have ever done has caused Windows to drop its authentic status and require reactivation. I have never seen it stay activated.

i get shocked, my dream to visualize is broken

Are you servers licensed now? I thought they were. I thought it was only your desktop stuff that was not licensed.
There is no reason the key should fail to reactivate on the new (virtual) hardware.

Dashrender

@IT-ADMIN said:

i get shocked, my dream to visualize is broken

FYI, it's virtualize, not visualize I'm guessing your browser's spell check doesn't know the word. you need to add it.

IT-ADMIN

@Dashrender said:

@IT-ADMIN said:

i get shocked, my dream to visualize is broken

FYI, it's virtualize, not visualize I'm guessing your browser's spell check doesn't know the word. you need to add it.

hhhhh yes you are right, my auto-corrector doesn't know virtualize

IT-ADMIN

@JaredBusch said:

@IT-ADMIN said:

@JaredBusch said:

@Dashrender every single P2V i have ever done has caused Windows to drop its authentic status and require reactivation. I have never seen it stay activated.

i get shocked, my dream to visualize is broken

Are you servers licensed now? I thought they were. I thought it was only your desktop stuff that was not licensed.
There is no reason the key should fail to reactivate on the new (virtual) hardware.

unfortunately i don't have the windows server 2008 R2 key, when i start working in this company i found 2 windows servers that are activated but i don't have the key
so i think there is no chance to activate the V again

JaredBusch

@IT-ADMIN said:

@JaredBusch said:

@IT-ADMIN said:

@JaredBusch said:

@Dashrender every single P2V i have ever done has caused Windows to drop its authentic status and require reactivation. I have never seen it stay activated.

i get shocked, my dream to visualize is broken

Are you servers licensed now? I thought they were. I thought it was only your desktop stuff that was not licensed.
There is no reason the key should fail to reactivate on the new (virtual) hardware.

unfortunately i don't have the windows server 2008 R2 key, when i start working in this company i found 2 windows servers that are activated but i don't have the key
so i think there is no chance to activate the V again

save this as displaykey.vbs and then double click on it.

Set WshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
MsgBox ConvertToKey(WshShell.RegRead("HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\DigitalProductId"))

Function ConvertToKey(Key)
Const KeyOffset = 52
i = 28
Chars = "BCDFGHJKMPQRTVWXY2346789"
Do
Cur = 0
x = 14
Do
Cur = Cur * 256
Cur = Key(x + KeyOffset) + Cur
Key(x + KeyOffset) = (Cur \ 24) And 255
Cur = Cur Mod 24
x = x -1
Loop While x >= 0
i = i -1
KeyOutput = Mid(Chars, Cur + 1, 1) & KeyOutput
If (((29 - i) Mod 6) = 0) And (i <> -1) Then
i = i -1
KeyOutput = "-" & KeyOutput
End If
Loop While i >= 0
ConvertToKey = KeyOutput
End Function

JaredBusch

I would still test a P2V in such a way that your current server could still be turned back on in case it does not activate.

IT-ADMIN

so i will past this in a text file and save as displaykey.vbs and run it on my server, isn't it ??

DustinB3403

@IT-ADMIN Yes.

IT-ADMIN

@JaredBusch said:

I would still test a P2V in such a way that your current server could still be turned back on in case it does not activate.

can i run this on my windows 7 for trial, because i'm fear this script would do something on the server