Physical to Virtual (P2V) Migration - Baremetal to Awanio VM using ZConverter

Introduction

Physical to Virtual (P2V) is the process of converting an existing physical (baremetal) server into a virtual machine (VM). With ZConverter, Awanio provides a reliable and efficient way to migrate physical workloads into the Awanio virtualization platform with minimal downtime and without reinstalling the operating system or applications.

This feature enables organizations to modernize infrastructure, reduce hardware dependency, and accelerate cloud or HCI adoption.

Why P2V with Awanio + ZConverter?

Migrating from baremetal to Awanio VM brings multiple advantages:

  • Eliminate legacy hardware dependency
  • Improve resource utilization
  • Enable high availability & scalability
  • Simplify backup, DR, and management
  • Reduce operational and maintenance costs

How P2V Migration Works with ZConverter

The general procedure for a P2V migration using ZConverter involves the following high-level steps:

  1. Create VMs in Awanio: One VM for migration target and one VM for Zconverter Manager.

  2. Install ZConverter Agent and ZConverter Manager: An agent is installed on the source physical machine you want to migrate and the target VM, and Zconverter Manager on second VM in Awanio.

  3. Create an Image: The agent captures an image of the source server’s operating system, applications, and data.

  4. Convert and Deploy: The ZConverter software manages the P2V conversion process of the image to the specific virtual machine format required by the target hypervisor.

  5. Verification: The target virtual machine is accessed to confirm normal operation of all services.

Benefits for Customer

1. Zero Rebuild

No need to:

  • Reinstall OS
  • Reconfigure application
  • Re-license software

2. Fast Modernization

  • Move from physical → HCI / cloud in hours, not weeks
  • Ideal for data center consolidation

3. Reduced Risk

  • Proven image-based conversion
  • Rollback possible if needed
  • Non-destructive process

4. Ready for HA and Backup

Once inside Awanio, VM automatically benefits from:

  • High Availability
  • Snapshot
  • Backup integration

Common Use Cases

  1. Legacy Server Modernization

    • Old physical servers migrated into Awanio

  2. Data Center Consolidation

    • Reduce number of physical machines

  3. DR & BCP Implementation

    • Convert physical production server to VM for DR site

  4. Cloud Adoption

    • First step before moving to hybrid or private cloud

Example Scenario

Before:

  • 1 Physical server
  • Single point of failure
  • No snapshot, no HA

After P2V to Awanio:

  • VM running on Awanio cluster
  • Automatic failover
  • Snapshot & backup enabled
  • Easier scaling & management