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You can modify virtual machines created with VMware Workstation 2.0 or higher or VMware GSX Server to run on VMware ESX Server.

The virtual machine you want to migrate must be set up on a virtual SCSI disk. You then migrate it to run from a virtual SCSI disk under ESX Server.

Be sure you have enough space on the VMFS disk where you store virtual machines to hold the full size of the source virtual disk. In ESX Server the disk's full size is allocated at the time the virtual disk file is created. In VMware Workstation and GSX Server, the virtual disk file starts smaller and grows to the maximum size as data is added. Thus, a virtual disk defined as a 2GB disk may be contained in a 500MB file. When you migrate the virtual disk to ESX Server, it occupies 2GB of disk space.

When you install VMware Tools in the VMware ESX Server virtual machine, you may set up a new network driver. If you use the vmxnet driver, keep in mind that this driver is not suitable for a virtual machine running under VMware Workstation 2.x or under VMware GSX Server on a Linux host. If you think you may want to use this virtual machine under one of those products at a later time, you may find it convenient to do one of the following:

• Use the vlance network driver.
• If you plan to use the vmxnet driver, make a copy of the virtual machine before you migrate it.

Follow these steps to migrate a virtual machine to VMware ESX Server.

1. Be sure you have access to the files in the directory that holds the source virtual machine. You may be able to mount the source location, or you may prefer to copy the files to a temporary folder on the console operating system.

   If you are not sure where the source files are, open the virtual machine in the VMware product you used to create it, open the Configuration Editor (Settings > Configuration Editor). On a Windows host, click the name of the drive you want to migrate. In the Disk file section, click Choose... to see the location information. On a Linux host, expand the SCSI Drives tree and click the name of the drive you want to migrate. Click Choose... to see the location information.

2. Using a Web browser, log in to the ESX Server machine as root and click Manage Files. Use the file manager in the VMware Management Interface to perform all the file copy steps described below.
3. In the file manager, navigate to the location of the source disk files. Select the main disk (.vmdk or .dsk) file for the virtual disk you are migrating, then click Copy.
4. Navigate to the vmfs folder and open the folder for the VMFS partition where you want to store the virtual disk file. Click Paste.

   A dialog box appears with the message "You are transferring one or more console virtual disks to a VMFS partition. In order for virtual machines to access these disks, they must be converted to the VMFS format. Although you can convert console disks at any time, it is recommended that you do so now."

   The file you are pasting is selected. Click OK.

   The virtual disk is imported to the VMFS partition.

   Note: If you do not see the message about transferring disks, there is a problem with the import. Be sure you are pasting to the correct vmfs folder.

5. Select the newly imported .dsk file, then click Edit Properties.
6. Change the user and group names in the right-hand column so the file's owner and group match those of the user who will run the virtual machine.

   If necessary, change the filename extension to .dsk.

   Click OK.

7. Log out, then log back in as the user who will run the new virtual machine.
8. Create a new virtual machine as described in Creating a New Virtual Machine. When you set the file name for the new virtual machine's disk, be sure to use the virtual disk file you just copied to the VMFS partition.
9. Boot your virtual machine using VMware ESX Server and follow the instructions below for installing VMware Tools and the network driver in the virtual machine.

   Some guest operating systems display messages about detecting hardware changes and require you to reboot the virtual machine. This occurs because VMware ESX Server uses an emulation for chipsets and BIOS that is slightly different from those used by other VMware products.