10886 » Virtual Server 2005 Migration Toolkit. (09-Oct-06)

A free, downloadable tool for Virtual Server 2005, Virtual Server Migration Toolkit (VSMT) simplifies the migration of an operating system and installed applications from a physical server to a server running within a virtual machine that is provided and managed by Virtual Server 2005. With Virtual Server 2005, you can set up multiple virtual machines running different operating systems and applications on the same physical computer.

The Virtual Server 2005 Migration Toolkit page contains the following overview:

IT departments are looking for ways to increase operational efficiencies by implementing Virtual Server 2005 in development and test environments, targeted production workloads, and legacy application scenarios. One of the key steps in a successful Virtual Server 2005 deployment strategy is simplifying the process of converting physical servers to virtual machines.

You can use VSMT to create images of physical computers and deploy them in virtual machines running on Virtual Server 2005. With VSMT, you can migrate source computers running the following operating systems to virtual machines in Virtual Server 2005:

•	Windows NT 4.0 Server with Service Pack (SP) 6a, Standard and Enterprise Editions
•	Windows 2000 Server SP 4 or later
•	Windows 2000 Advanced Server SP 4 or later
•	Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition and Enterprise Edition

Note: VSMT is intended to be used by IT professionals and consultants and requires use of a combination of native and add-on tools for Windows Server 2003. Users of VSMT should have proficiency with Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), PXE, and Windows Server 2003 Automated Deployment Services (ADS). Additionally, you must have knowledge of the operating system that you are migrating, some scripting knowledge, and knowledge of the legacy hardware environment from which you are migrating.

For more information about VSMT, see the VSMT FAQ page.