====== Convert a VMWare VMDK disk image to Xen HVM  ======
[[http://linux.cloudibee.com/2008/11/vmware-to-xen-conversion]]

Here are the steps for converting Vmware windows/linux guest to Xen format. You need qemu-img tool (from the qemu-utils package) for the conversion.

==== Extra Step for Converting a Vmware Windows VM Guest ====
You first have to ensure that your image has IDE drivers installed (see [[http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314082|Microsoft kb314082]])

===== Conversion steps =====

==== Check the format of the vmware vmdk file ====
Halt the vmware VM.
<code>
# qemu-img info FreeNAS-9.2.1.5-RELEASE-x64.vmdk
image: FreeNAS-9.2.1.5-RELEASE-x64.vmdk
file format: vmdk
virtual size: 1.9G (2000027648 bytes)
disk size: 846M
</code>

If the file format is “raw”, we do not need to convert the image file using qemu-img convert, just rename to file with the .img extension. If it is not “raw”, use “qemu-img” to convert the image to raw format.

==== Convert Using qemu-img ====
<code>
# qemu-img convert FreeNAS-9.2.1.5-RELEASE-x64.vmdk -O raw /var/opt/localImg/FreeNAS-9.2.1.5-RELEASE-x64.img
</code>

==== Create Xen Config File ====
Create the Xen config file in **/etc/xen/guest22**, with the renamed/converted image file as disk.
<code>
disk = [ 'file:/volumes/guest22/guest22.img,hda,w' ]
</code>

==== Boot up the Xen domU Guest ====
It should boot up fine.