Required VMware vCenter Converter ports
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Required VMware vCenter Converter ports

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Article ID: 316580

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Updated On:

Products

VMware

Issue/Introduction

This article describes the ports required to be open for VMware vCenter Converter.

Following the article and ensuring the ports are open ensures that common firewall configurations in your environment are compatible with Converter.


Symptoms:
You may receive these errors, which can indicate blocked ports:
  • Unable to contact the specified host
  • The host is not available, there is a network configuration problem, or the management services on the host are not responding
  • Failed to connect to peer
  • Error: Failed to connect to server
  • The operation failed
  • Incorrect user credentials
  • Unable to SSH to the source machine
  • Please check if a firewall is blocking access to the SSH daemon on the source machine
  • Failed to clone the volume
  • Unable to connect
  • FAILED: The request refers to an unexpected or unknown type
  • Failed to connect ISO image to remote VM
  • FAILED: unable to obtain the IP address of the helper virtual machine
  • ssh: Could not resolve hostname
  • Name or service not known
  • FAILED: An error occurred during the conversion
  • Unable to obtain IP addresss of helper virtual machine
  • A general system error occurred: unknown internal error
  • A file I/O error occurred while accessing


Environment

VMware vCenter Converter 4.0.x
VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 5.1.x
VMware vCenter Converter 4.1.x
VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 5.0.x
VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 6.0.x
VMware vCenter Converter 4.2.x
VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 5.5.x
VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 4.3.x
VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 4.0.x

Resolution

VMware vCenter Converter fails if one or more required ports are blocked. Follow the section that matches your conversion scenario.
 
In this article, these terms are used:
 
Source computerThe physical or virtual machine that is being converted.
Converter serverThe server portion of VMware vCenter Converter. In a typical installation, both the Converter server and Converter client are installed at the same location. By default, this is the installation method that is used.
Converter clientThe client portion of VMware vCenter Converter. In a custom installation, the Converter client can be installed to a different computer than the Converter server.
VirtualCenterThe VirtualCenter computer that is being used as the conversion destination, if such was chosen.
ESXThe VMware ESX host that is being used as the conversion destination, if one is chosen, or the ESX host that is hosting the target virtual machine.
Fileshare pathThe path to a virtual machine's .vmx file, if the source is an existing or standalone virtual machine, or the path to a directory if the destination is to be a standalone virtual machine.
Standalone virtual machineA virtual machine that is being managed by a VMware product other than VMware ESX.
Helper virtual machineWhen converting a powered on Linux operating system (P2V), this is the target virtual machine that is being used temporarily for the purpose of copying files from the source computer. It uses the TCP/IP information that is entered in the Converter wizard for the target virtual machine. Ensure that this IP address can communicate directly with the source computer.
 
 
Notes:
  • If you perform a corrective action, determine if the problems initially encountered are still being experienced.
  • To test port connectivity, do so from a command or shell prompt. For more information, see Opening a command or shell prompt (1003892).
  • To test TCP port connectivity use the telnet command. For more information, see Testing port connectivity with Telnet (1003487).
  • To test UDP port connectivity from Linux or MacOS use the traceroute command. For more information, see a traceroute man page.
  • To test UDP port connectivity from Windows use the Portqry utility. For more information, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base article 310099.
  • For powered-on Windows conversions to vCenter destinations, Proxy Mode feature in Converter 6.0 is introduced. By selecting this option, no direct connectivity is required from the source machine to the destination ESX host.

    Note: The preceding links were correct as of March 15, 2009. If you find a link is broken, provide feedback and a VMware employee will update the link.
Converting a powered on Windows operating system (P2V)
 
Source
Destination
TCP Ports
UDP Ports
Notes
Converter server
Source computer
445, 139, 9089 or9090
137, 138
If the source computer uses NetBIOS, port 445 is not required. If NetBIOS is not being used, ports 137, 138, and 139 are not required. If in doubt, ensure that none of the ports are blocked.
Port 9089 is used for Converter Standalone versions,and 9090 isused for the Converter plugin.

Note: Unless you have installed Converter server to the source computer, the account used for authentication to the source computer must have a password, the source computer must have network file sharing enabled, and it cannot be using Simple File Sharing.
Converter server
VirtualCenter
443 
Only required if the conversion target is VirtualCenter.
Converter client
Converter server
443
 Only required if a custom installation was performed and the Converter server and client portions are on different computers.
Source computer
ESX/ESXi
443, 902
 If the conversion destination is vCenter Server, only port 902 is required from the source to the ESX/ESXi host management IP.
 
Converting a powered on Linux operating system (P2V)

Note: These are the default ports. If custom ports were used when installing vCenter Server, these will need to be changed to match your environment.
 
Source
Destination
TCP Ports
Notes
Converter server
Source computer
22
The Converter server must be able to establish an SSH connection with the source computer.
Converter client
Converter server
443
Only required if a custom installation was performed and the Converter server and client portions are on different computers.
Converter server
VirtualCenter
443
Only required if the conversion target is VirtualCenter.
Converter server
ESX/ESXi
443, 902, 903
If the conversion destination is vCenter Server, only port 902 is required from the source to the ESX/ESXi host management IP.
Converter server
Helper virtual machine
443
 
Helper virtual machine
Source computer
22
The helper virtual machine must be able to establish an SSH connection with the source computer. By default the helper virtual machine gets its IP address assigned by DHCP. If there is no DHCP server available on the network chosen for the target virtual machine you must manually assign it an IP address.
 
Converting an existing virtual machine (V2V)

Note: These are the default ports. If custom ports were used when installing vCenter Server, these will need to be changed to match your environment.
 
Source
Destination
TCP Ports
UDP Ports
Notes
Converter server
Fileshare path
445, 139
137, 138
This is only required for standalone virtual machine sources or destinations.
If the computer hosting the source or destination path uses NetBIOS, port 445 is not required. If NetBIOS is not being used, ports 137, 138, and 139 are not required. If in doubt, ensure that none of the ports are blocked.
Converter client
Converter server
443
 
Only required if a custom installation was performed and the Converter server and client portions are on different computers.
Converter server
VirtualCenter
443 
Only required if the target is VirtualCenter.
Converter server
ESX/ESXi
443, 902
 If the conversion destination is vCenter Server, only port 902 is required from the source to the ESX/ESXi host management IP.
 
 


Additional Information

For translated versions of this article, see:
Testing port connectivity with Telnet
Opening a command or shell prompt
Portas necessárias do VMware vCenter Converter
Puertos de VMware vCenter Converter requeridos
必要な VMware vCenter Converter ポート
需要使用的 VMware vCenter Converter 4.x/5.x 端口

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