# P2V FreeBSD 8.1



## mururoa (Nov 21, 2010)

hello,
I'm trying to virtualize my FreeBSD 8.1 server.
I know virtualization pretty good so there is no problem on this side.
So I installed a fresh new full zfs FreeBSD on my ESXi. FreeBSD 8.1 RELEASE. Pools have same names each side.
It's booting and no problem there.
Then I tried with not much luck to rsync the existing server to the new VM. I tried to sync all outside /dev and /etc/fstab. When I boot that it starts ok then it cant mountroot. I get the mountroot prompt and when I enter zfs:zroot it wont work better than during the boot itself.
I check with fixit that my pool is there and ok and it is. Well was booting before rsync so no surprise.
I guess I'm transfering files that I should not transfer outside /dev and /etc/fstab.
When I do that on linux I also keep /proc, /sys, /boot and some other (lvm, ...) but I dont know enough FreeBSD/zfs to get the good list.
So, someone can point what I should not transfer or provide some tips for FreeBSD P2V ?


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## graudeejs (Nov 21, 2010)

Did you *zpool set bootfs=*.... on other machine?

This is common pitfall for me  I forget to set it, then need to reboot and fixit with fixit cd


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## mururoa (Nov 21, 2010)

killasmurf86 said:
			
		

> Did you *zpool set bootfs=*.... on other machine?
> 
> This is common pitfall for me  I forget to set it, then need to reboot and fixit with fixit cd



Well, no since both pools have same names.
I should ?


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## graudeejs (Nov 21, 2010)

Do I understand you? You have 2x Virtual servers both have same zpool names?
On new server which doesn't boot you need to set bootfs.


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## mururoa (Nov 21, 2010)

Not exactly.
I have 2 servers, one physical and one virtual.
At start both servers boot and have same zpool names.
Then I rsync physical server onto virtual server but then the virtual server wont boot anymore.


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## phoenix (Nov 21, 2010)

Since you are going from zfs pool to zfs pool, and you want everything to be the same, why not use *zfs send* instead of rsync?  See zfs() man page for details.


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## mururoa (Nov 21, 2010)

phoenix said:
			
		

> Since you are going from zfs pool to zfs pool, and you want everything to be the same, why not use *zfs send* instead of rsync?  See zfs() man page for details.


Well, basically because I didnt know how to use it and I use to P2V linux systems with rsync.
Anyway I managed to succeed in my virtualization.
I restarted the rsync transfering just directories that need to be transfered and avoiding some files like /etc/fstab.
Somehow it didnt complete, beeing stalled, when rsync the whole thing with --exclude-from so I transfered directory by directory and that was ok.


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