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Migrate SFW volume to Windows Disk Manager Volume

Marianne
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I used to tell customers: Don't go there. You really do not want to de-install SFW...

We now have a customer where recovery requirements have changed - there is no longer a need for SFW/HA and VVR and wish to uninstall the software.

The big question now is how to preserve the data on the 700 GB SFW volume? 

Is it possible to convert/migrate SFW volume to a Windows Disk Manager volume?

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

mikebounds
Level 6
Partner Accredited

Hi Marianne,

I tested the procedure in comment https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/migrating-veritas-storage-foundation-volume-windows-d...) on VMWare and actually it is perfectly safe to test this on a live system as up until step 10 in the procedure is supported and fairly normal stuff - it is only step 11 which is unsupported and this is done on a copy of the data, so your original data is still intact should step 11 not work.  If running on a live system, then for a test, don't stop the app in step 7, so then you will have a "crash" copy of the data (i.e a copy of the data as it would be if you just powered of the system), and you can mount this copy to check the data is valid - if all is ok, then you can do for real and if you do for real then you can do more vigorous testing of the data by comparing chksum of all the files on original and copy.

The procedure is not that complicated.  In UNIX. when you unencapsulate, then VxVM replaces the private region with the O/S native format - I don't know why this is not made available in Windows, so all I have done is backup the O/S Native format by backing up the MBR (which is just a raw copy of the first part of the disk) and then covert to VxVM and make sure VxVM mirrors to exactly the same location and size that the parition was on - and this is the only complex part.  Then when you break the mirror you just restore the MBR.

If you need to do this after Vision - I can show the procedure on my laptop at Vision.

Mike

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4 REPLIES 4

mikebounds
Level 6
Partner Accredited

Marianne
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited Certified

Hi Mike

I wish I had a lab and the time to test this.... 

As this process need to go hand-in-hand with another Symantec Consulting engagement, I guess we will not be able to use your method.... 
I will certainly bookmark your process and try at a later stage.

Seems a manual copy or backup and restore is the only method that will receive Symantec's blessing!

mikebounds
Level 6
Partner Accredited

Hi Marianne,

I tested the procedure in comment https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/migrating-veritas-storage-foundation-volume-windows-d...) on VMWare and actually it is perfectly safe to test this on a live system as up until step 10 in the procedure is supported and fairly normal stuff - it is only step 11 which is unsupported and this is done on a copy of the data, so your original data is still intact should step 11 not work.  If running on a live system, then for a test, don't stop the app in step 7, so then you will have a "crash" copy of the data (i.e a copy of the data as it would be if you just powered of the system), and you can mount this copy to check the data is valid - if all is ok, then you can do for real and if you do for real then you can do more vigorous testing of the data by comparing chksum of all the files on original and copy.

The procedure is not that complicated.  In UNIX. when you unencapsulate, then VxVM replaces the private region with the O/S native format - I don't know why this is not made available in Windows, so all I have done is backup the O/S Native format by backing up the MBR (which is just a raw copy of the first part of the disk) and then covert to VxVM and make sure VxVM mirrors to exactly the same location and size that the parition was on - and this is the only complex part.  Then when you break the mirror you just restore the MBR.

If you need to do this after Vision - I can show the procedure on my laptop at Vision.

Mike

Marianne
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited Certified

Awesome! Thanks Mike! See you there!