In this article, I show you how to migrate the VMWare image of Teradata Express Edition on a Level 1 hypervisor.
Teradata offers the Express Edition for various Level 2 hypervisors (VirtualBox, VMWare, UTM, etc.) for download, but this is not the same as virtualization on Level 1.
For example, if you want to run your Teradata Express on a different machine (server) than the one you are working on, you have to install the operating system (e.g., Linux) and additionally the VMWare Player (or VirtualBox) there. Especially concerning the resources (main memory), this is not an ideal solution. You must also forward port 1025 to the virtual machine (the default port over which Teradata communicates). Also, the backup possibilities of your virtual machine are very limited with the free versions of the level 2 hypervisors. The advantages of a level 1 hypervisor that runs directly on the hardware instead of an operating system should not be underestimated.
If you are already using Teradata Express Edition for the VMWare Player, you can migrate it as is. Otherwise, I recommend you download the image from the Teradata website:
https://downloads.teradata.com/download/database/teradata-express/vmware
We will use Proxmox as a level 1 hypervisor. This is free and ideal for consumer hardware, i.e., you can use any old computer you don’t need anymore. The system requirements can be found on the Proxmox homepage, but they are minimal. Here is the download link for Proxmox:
https://www.proxmox.com/en/downloads/category/iso-images-pve
The details on how to install Proxmox on your computer can be found on the Proxmox website. If you have questions, you can always leave a message in the comments or email me.
Prerequisites
Depending on whether you are working on a Windows or Mac, you will need different software for this process. However, this is all available for free.
I recommend using Putty to log in to the Proxmox server via SSH on Windows. On Mac, you already have the terminal by default:
Furthermore, you need an SFTP client. On Windows, I recommend WinSCP. On Mac, I use the Forklift File Manager, but that’s a matter of taste:
https://winscp.net/eng/download.php
That’s all you need. So let’s start with the migration.
The Migration Process
After installing Proxmox, the first step is to copy the .vmdk files of your Teradata Express Edition virtual machine from your local PC to the Proxmox server. We do this in Windows using WinSCP (or any other SFTP client); there are countless clients to choose from on Mac.
The destination directory on the Proxmox server is /var/lib/vz/images
Below this path, you must create a directory that will hold your files. 109 is the directory I want to use for my virtual machine on the Proxmox server. You can choose, of course, any other number:
/var/lib/vz/images/109
In VMWare Player, your Teradata Express Edition consists of 3 disks:
VantageExpress17.20_Sles12-disk1.vmdk
VantageExpress17.20_Sles12-disk2.vmdk
VantageExpress17.20_Sles12-disk3.vmdkFirst, we upload these 3 files to our Proxmox server in the directory we just created. Next, we rename these files on the Proxmox Server how it is shown below:
vm-109-disk-1.vmdk
vm-109-disk-2.vmdk
vm-109-disk-3.vmdkIn Proxmox, we create a new virtual machine, “109” with enough memory (8GB is enough for Teradata, if you want to use Viewpoint, it should be 16GB).
When creating the virtual machine, make sure that the option “Do not use any media” is selected under the “OS” tab, and of course, as the operating system, you need to choose Linux. The disk size must be selected so that at least your VMWare disks have room. I have set 200GB. Depending on what you want to do with your Teradata, you can choose the space, larger or smaller. Memory size I would choose at least 8GB. In my installation, I choose 2 sockets and 4 cores for the CPU.
You can leave the network settings as they are. The virtual machine will then be accessible on your home network. I went one step further and set port forwarding for 1025 on my router. So my Teradata is also accessible when I am not at home.
Next, you need to log in to ProxMox using SSH. On Mac, you can do this with Terminal; on Windows, you can use putty.
Go to the folder /var/lib/vz/images/109, where your vmdk files are located. We now need to convert them using the following command (local is the disk name in Proxmox, where you store your images. Ensure that it is the correct name in your case by going to the Proxmox menu Datacenter/Storage where all disks are listed)
qm importdisk 109 ./vm-109-disk-1.vmdk local --format qcow2
qm importdisk 109 ./vm-109-disk-2.vmdk local --format qcow2
qm importdisk 109 ./vm-109-disk-3.vmdk local --format qcow2Next, we must assign the new disks in qcow2 format to the virtual machine 109 in the “Hardware Tab”. You have to assign all 3 disks.
Important: To be able to start up Teradata, the disks must be defined as IDE disks, not SCSI. Otherwise you will not be able to boot into Teradata.
In the “Hardware Tab” there is also a menu called “Bios”. Please set the boot order so that the biggest of the 3 disks (which is the main disk containing SLES 12) has the highest priority.
We are done. When you start up the virtual machine in Proxmox, you will have a fully functional Teradata System up and running with all the cool features Proxmox and Level1 Hypervisors offer.
I know this was a lot of information, and you might get stuck during the process with some issues. Don’t hesitate to leave me a comment below this blog post, and I will help you.