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VMware vCenter Converter is one of the most widely used tools for physical-to-virtual (P2V) and virtual-to-virtual (V2V) migrations in VMware environments. Whether you’re migrating legacy physical servers to VMware ESXi, consolidating workloads, or moving virtual machines from another platform, Converter simplifies the migration process with minimal downtime.
Is it free?
vCenter Converter is an official P2V and V2V converter, and it is free to download and use. But you should know that:
1. Download requires a registered account on the Broadcom Support Portal.
2. support entitlement, and downloadable versions may vary depending on your organization’s account status and VMware licensing agreements. Broadcom currently distributes Converter through its official software download portal.
Note: What is Converter, vSphere Converter, and Converter standalone?
These refer to the same tool: VMware vCenter Converter Standalone. It was called vSphere Converter, but the current official name is vCenter Converter Standalone. “Standalone” is to emphasize that this is an independently installed tool that does not require vCenter to run.
This guide explains what VMware vCenter Converter is, where to download it, how to install it safely, and how to perform both P2V and V2V migrations successfully.
You will need to download and install it from Broadcom. Before downloading and installing it, check the supported operating systems:
►Supported installation platform (where Converter runs):
►Source system support:
►Target platform support:
Note: 4K Native (4Kn) disk drives are not supported
Step 1. Visit the Broadcom Support Portal (https://support.broadcom.com/). Log in with your registered account.
Step 2. Navigate to “My Downloads” > “Free Software Downloads”.
Step 3. Search for “VMware vCenter Converter” or “VMware Converter Standalone”.
Step 4. Locate the latest version, accept the terms, and download.
Step 1. Launch the installer on a Windows management workstation.
Step 2. Accept the license agreement.
Step 3. Choose the installation directory.
Step 4. Install Converter components.
Step 5. Launch VMware vCenter Converter Standalone.
Most administrators install Converter on a dedicated management workstation rather than directly on production servers.
Next, we will guide you how to use it to perform P2V or V2P conversion. It is suggested that to create a full system backup or VM backup for your source system, in case of any error.
Step 1. Run VMware vCenter Converter as an administrator on the management machine where it is installed.
Step 2. From the top menu, click “Convert machine” to launch the conversion wizard.
Step 3. When the wizard is open. Choose “Powered on” and select “Remote Windows machine”. Then enter the IP address or name, user name, and Password.
A powered-on machine is for running a physical machine. And the source does not need to be shut down.
Step 4. You will be told that an agent will be installed and be asked to automatically or manually uninstall the vCenter Converter agent after the import succeeds. And select the “Yes” button.
After the agent installation complete, you will see the source machine details.
Step 5. In this window, select destination type, choose “VMware Infrastructure virtual machine.” If your VM is managed by vCenter, enter the server IP, user name, and password. Enter “Next”.
Note: If you want to convert VMware ESXi VMs to VMware Workstation, just choose “VMware Workstation or other VMware virtual machine”.
Step 6. Then select a data center and VM name to store the destination VMware VMs. And click “Next”.
Step 7. Choose a datastore that is connected to the selected datacenter and select a virtual machine version. And make sure it has enough space to keep the VM and click “Next”.
Step 8. In this “Options” step, you can set up the parameters for the conversion task:
Step 9. Now you will see the conversion details in this Summary step. Click “Finish” if everything is fine.
Now the P2V conversion will start and wait for the process to get finished. Then power on the destination VM you will see a VM named with “converted”.
Performing V2V conversion much similar with P2V conversion, but there are subtle differences.
Step 1. Just run VMware vCenter Converter as an administrator. And click “Convert Machine” from the top menu to run the conversion wizard.
Step 2. In the source system, choose “Powered off” as the source type. And choose “VMware Workstation or other VMware virtual machine”. Browse and select a source VM or image. Click “Next”.
Step 3. Choose “VMware Infrastructure virtual machine” as the destination type. Enter server, username and password. And click “Next”.
Step 4. Then, just like P2V conversion, set up the Destination Virtual Machine, Destination Location, and Options
Step5. Check all the settings in the Summary. And click “Finish” to submit the task.
Cause: Insufficient free space on the target datastore, or Helper VM network issues.
Solution: Check the available space on the target datastore. For Linux P2V, verify Helper VM network configuration.
Cause: The Helper VM automatically receives an IPv6 address while the environment is not configured for IPv6, or it cannot obtain an IPv4 address automatically.
Solution:
Cause: Required ports are blocked by firewalls.
Solution: Validate if the required ports are open for VMware vCenter Converter. Reference Broadcom KB articles for the specific port requirements.
Cause: Mismatched disk controller driver.
Solution:
Cause: Source machine uses UEFI, but the target VM is configured with BIOS firmware. Note that Converter does not copy UEFI variables to the destination.
Solution: Edit the VM settings and change the firmware from BIOS to EFI. Only the current UEFI boot entry is copied.
Cause: The Converter Standalone Agent/Server/Worker services are in a starting or stopped state.
Solution: Check and ensure the following services are in “Running” state:
Cause: Previously, selecting a network-mapped drive with a drive letter as the destination VM location would cause conversion failures.
Solution: Version 9.0 now requires UNC paths instead of network-mapped drives for network share destinations.
VMware vCenter Converter remains a useful tool for basic P2V and V2V migrations. However, it was designed primarily as a machine conversion utility rather than a complete enterprise migration platform.
Organizations planning large-scale data center modernization projects often encounter challenges that go beyond simple machine conversion, including:
– Cross-platform migrations
– Bulk migration of hundreds of servers
– Automated migration workflows
– Application dependency management
– Migration scheduling and orchestration
– Centralized project visibility and reporting
– Minimal-downtime migration requirements
In these scenarios, a dedicated migration platform such as i2Migration may be a better fit.
i2Migration, developed by Information2 software, unified migration platform for enterprise workload migration projects. It provides real-time, non-disruptive migration across physical, virtual, and cloud environments and supports a broader range of migration scenarios than VMware vCenter Converter alone.
Key capabilities:
You can request a 60-day free trial:
VMware vCenter Converter is a reliable tool for P2V and V2V migrations, helping organizations move physical and virtual workloads into VMware environments. By following best practices for planning, testing, and post-migration validation, IT teams can minimize downtime and migration risks.
For larger migration projects involving multiple workloads, cross-platform environments, or data center modernization initiatives, solutions like i2Migration can provide additional automation, scalability, and centralized management to streamline the migration process.
