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MSSQL Server Conversion with VMWare Converter

matt — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 03:16:31 +0000

I ran into an issue with VMWare converter hanging while in block conversion mode while trying to virtualize an instance of Microsoft SQL server. It turns out that it’s a known issue in version 4.3 of the standalone converter. My conversion was hanging due to the cluster size of some disks being larger than 4k. It’s very common to use 64k cluster sizes for SQL data volumes and converter was completely hung up while trying to convert those disks. Thankfully there is a workaround.

First you’ll have to stop the conversion by closing converter and stopping the vmware converter services. Then remove the partially imported virtual machine giving you a clean slate from which to start.

To determine which disks are affected run the following command as an administrative user on each drive of the target you’re converting to determine if “Bytes Per Cluster” is larger than 4096:

fsutil fsinfo ntfsinfo c:

If “Bytes Per Cluster” is larger than 4096, you can force a file level copy by reducing the volume size for each volume affected. In my case I simply recreated my conversion task and reduced each affected volume by one gigabyte.

Microsoft Operating Profit By Division

matt — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 01:35:30 +0000

CHART OF THE DAY via Business Insider – Silicon Alley Insider.

…Its profits are still being generated by the same engines that have driven Microsoft for years: Office, Windows, and its server division. (Meanwhile, its entertainment and devices division is only recently profitable again, and its online division is a money pit.)

Microsoft Acknowledges Linux Threat

matt — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 19:41:20 +0000

PC World reports:

Microsoft for the first time has named Linux distributors Red Hat and Canonical as competitors to its Windows client business in its annual filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Additional coverage by TechFlash