Vmware hack - Fix the "You cannot use the vSphere Client to edit the settings of virtual machines of version 10 or higher"

I ran into this error message when importing a vm that was created on VMWare workstation to vSphere ESXi 5.5. I got this message:

To create a workaround for this, you'll need to modify the .vmx text file that is on the ESXi server.

First you'll need to turn on ssh access to the server.

Under Configuration -> Security Profile -> Properties

Check the SSH Server to allow incoming connections and start the service.

Next SSH to the ESXi server with your credentials.


cd to the datastore of your vms.

cd /vmfs/volumes/datastore1/

cd to the VM image. Use "Quotes" if there are spaces in your vm name.

cd "Win 2008 Serv (DB3)"

Next edit the .vmx file

vi "Win 2008 Serv (DB3)"

Look for virtualHW.version

.encoding = "UTF-8"
config.version = "8"
virtualHW.version = "10"
change the virtualHW.version from "10" to "8"

Save the changes.

Go back to the vSphere GUI.





Power off the VM image. Then right click and remove the VM from inventory.

Then go back to your SSH connection and reregister the image to bring it back online with the new changes.
Here's the command to reregister.

vim-cmd solo/registervm path-to-vm/VM.vmx





Example:
vim-cmd solo/registervm /vmfs/volumes/53bc3b04-5e592400-c6f3-f8bc124b4cea/Win 2008 Serv (DB3)/Win\ 2008\ Serv\ \(DB3\).vmx

It should editable after that.

Juniper olive console port issue

So I decided to try out the Juniper olive I've been hearing about. I looked online and noticed how people were able to create a virtual Junos device on a virtualization platform like VMWare ESXi. The one problem that all the users were having was that the images were meant to be installed onto an actual router and configuring the device meant connecting to it via a console port. The problem there is that in a virtual platform, there is no physical access to the console port.

What you end up seeing on the video console is this message:

If only you could modify the image so that the /boot/loader.conf file so instead of reading:

console="comconsole"

it could be modify to project on the video console.

console="comconsole, vidconsole"

I found out that VMWare has the ability to allow remote serial connectivity through telnet. First you add a serial port.

Then in the pull down menu, you choose network.

Next you select Direction and choose Server. In the port URL you'll need to map the port number to a new value that is not a well know port number. I chose 10026. You add the url

telnet://:<your_port_number>

Then after you spin up the VM. You access the new VM by telneting to the Host Server's IP and the custom port number you created. It may take a while, but eventually you'll get a prompt.

My_Mac% telnet 10.11.39.145 10026
Trying 10.11.39.145...
Connected to 10.11.39.145.
Escape character is '^]'.


Amnesiac (ttyd0)

login:root



Next you can edit the /boot/loader.conf file or add an IP address and turn on telnet/ssh service on the Virtual Junos so you can directly access the device through a management port.