GPT/ UEFI Fog 1.20 - Interesting one - Imaging an Entire ESXi server

[Julianh]

This is an interesting one.

I need to image an ESXI server as a whole unit, VMs in it etc.

I know I have GPT and UEFI, I’ll happily turn off whatever I need to in the “bios” to get this working.

I did a brief test with windows 2012, imaged up, but found the image down went onto a the machines second disk, but I didn’t look into it, as this project took priority.

Everything’s brand new. I’ve built an ESXi 5.5 server, free version. 2 internal disks at 500Gb. I’m using Fog 1.2.0, umbuntu 14.04. the client has an UEFI bios, but I’ve set it to legacy. I can image up fine, image down fine, but I get “no boot record” on boot
I’ve attached a screen shot of the image details.

[ATTACH=full]1286[/ATTACH]

I’m not certain if it’s the ESXi or just a problem with a “normal” image with the Boot partition. If I’m honest I suspect the later.
I’ve attached the partition tables from both the original and imaged server, they seem fine.
[ATTACH=full]1288[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]1287[/ATTACH]
I checked the flags and the imaged machine has it’s boot flag set.

Both the source and destination machines are UEFI, and have had the following steps done, as recommended. they don’t image unless you do apparently.

[SIZE=2][B]Under the ADVANCED tab[/B][/SIZE]
[I][SIZE=2]Under the CPU group:[/SIZE][/I]
[SIZE=2]Change [/SIZE][COLOR=#c00000]‘CPB Mode’ [/COLOR][SIZE=2]to DISABLED[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Change [COLOR=#c00000]‘APM Master enable’ [/COLOR]to DISABLED[/SIZE]
[B][SIZE=2]Under the BOOT tab[/SIZE][/B]
[I][SIZE=2]Under the CSM (COMPATIBILITY SUPPORT MODULE) group:[/SIZE][/I]
[SIZE=2]Change [/SIZE][COLOR=#c00000]‘Boot Device Control’ [/COLOR][SIZE=2]to UEFI AND LEGACY OPROM[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Change [COLOR=#c00000]‘Boot from Network Devices’ [/COLOR]to LEGACY OPROM FIRST[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Change [COLOR=#c00000]‘Boot from Storage Devices’ [/COLOR]to BOTH, LEGACY OPROM FIRST[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Change [COLOR=#c00000]‘Boot from PCIe/PCI Expansion Devices’ [/COLOR]to LEGACY OPROM FIRST[/SIZE]
[I][SIZE=2]Under the SECURE BOOT group:[/SIZE][/I]
[SIZE=2]Choose [/SIZE][COLOR=#c00000]‘Key Management’[/COLOR][SIZE=2], select CLEAR SECURE BOOT KEYS[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Save changes and exit.[/SIZE]

I have imaged 2008 MBR using acronis and USB drives fine. not tested this with acronis, I need fog to work.

I have to create 10 images all slightly different. so I’m concerned about space.

Can anyone help me? I’d be very grateful.

Thanks

Julian

[url=“/_imported_xf_attachments/1/1286_image details.JPG?:”]image details.JPG[/url][url=“/_imported_xf_attachments/1/1287_imaged.JPG?:”]imaged.JPG[/url][url=“/_imported_xf_attachments/1/1288_Source.JPG?:”]Source.JPG[/url]

[Mentaloid]

I could test in a few days a few things.
However as one who’s messed with the internals of a ESXi host before… It seems a little overkill (and drive space killing) to use FOG for this. At least for the data drives/partitions. Personally I use the backup method detailed on vmware’s knowledge base to grab a config (state.tgz), and restore the backup to my new host using the reciprocal restore tool (or directly embedding in the new disk using a script I wrote) after modifying the config (including the mac addresses of the nics, this is important especially if you have bonded links).

Anyways, I would suspect this is more likely because of the way the linux image is handled. ESXi has a bootstrap process thats different from most linux installs: it’s a modified syslinux boot strap with the kernel appended as far as I can tell. The boot strap also modifies the disk the first time it’s booted with a few UUID’s. You may have to do a sector/sector copy. Not sure what this looks like with 2 drives installed… again I would have to try this out.

I’ve rambled a bit here: LTS, my suggestion would be to try a sector by sector copy.

Developers, by “Multiple Partitions, all disks, non resizeable” does this mean multiple hard disks, or just separate “disks” as in partitions on the first disk (physical disk)?

[Tom Elliott]

I think it means exactly as the title states.

Multipartition = Multiple Partitions.
All Disk = All disks on the system.