2.4 Configuring PlateSpin Migrate Default Options

Default options control PlateSpin Migrate’s global settings and its default behavior. Configure the default options following installation or to reflect changes in your environment.

2.4.1 Configuring Application Defaults (Tools > Options)

General Options

Use this tab to restore default settings, clear saved credentials, and to specify the locations of executable files for external applications you can launch from within the PlateSpin Migrate Client user interface. To access this dialog box in the PlateSpin Migrate Client, click Tools > Options.

Restore Defaults: When this option is selected, PlateSpin Migrate resets the job configuration method (launches the Actions dialog box after a drag-and-drop) and resumes checking for software updates on the Client startup.

Clear Saved Credentials: Removes stored usernames and passwords for source and target machines.

External Application Settings: Use the adjacent Browse buttons to locate application executables.

Restore Defaults: Resets the paths to their defaults.

Notification Service

Use this tab to specify Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server settings for event and job progress notifications. To access this dialog box in the PlateSpin Migrate Client, click Tools > Options.

SMTP Server Settings: Specify your SMTP server’s IP address, port, and a reply address for e-mail event and progress notifications.

SMTP Account Credentials: Provide valid credentials if your SMTP server requires authentication.

You can also configure migration progress notifications on a per-migration basis. See Section 6.2, Configuring Automatic E-Mail Alerts of Job Status and Progress.

User Activity Logging

Use this tab to specify options related to user activity logging. See Setting Up User Activity Logging.

To access this dialog box in the PlateSpin Migrate Client, click Tools > Options.

Enable Logging: When this option is selected, PlateSpin Migrate logs all user activities.

Maximum file size before rollover (MB): When the size of a log file reaches the specified value, it is rolled over to a new file with a sequential number appended to the name.

Maximum number of files for rollover: When the number of log files reaches the specified value, the system starts overwriting the oldest file each time a rollover is performed.

Default Job Values

Use this tab to specify default migration job values specific to the target virtualization platform. To access this dialog box in the PlateSpin Migrate Client, click Tools > Options.

Target Container Name and Path Details: These variables control naming conventions for target paths and containers. Expand a variable set and click a variable to edit its value. You can edit the following variables:

  • SOURCE_HOSTNAME: Host name of the source computer.

  • IMAGESERVER_LOCATION: Relevant with image server settings; specify this variable in the Image Server Variables section.

  • SOURCE_VOLUME_SERIAL_NUMBER: Volume serial number of the source computer.

Job Conversion Defaults: Use this area to set defaults that affect all migration jobs. You can overwrite these defaults when configuring actual migration jobs.

Reset: Restores default job values.

Update Defaults from Server: Click to retrieve defaults from the PlateSpin Server if available.

Source Service Defaults

Use this tab to select Windows services daemons to stop on the source workload during a Live Transfer migration. See Handling Source Workload Services or Daemons During Live Transfer (Windows and Linux).

To access this dialog box in the PlateSpin Migrate Client, click Tools > Options.

Stop Services during Transfer section: Lists services that are stopped by default. To stop a service during data transfer that uses a specific transfer method by default, select the corresponding check box. A deselected check box means the service remains active during Live Transfer.

All Services section: Lists unique services on all discovered machines. Click Add to add a selected service from the lower section to the upper section and set it to stop during the migration.

Update Defaults from Server: Retrieves defaults from PlateSpin Server.

Target Service Defaults

Use this tab to select Windows services whose mode on the target is to be different from that of the source. See Handling the Startup Mode of Services (Windows Targets).

To access this dialog box in the PlateSpin Migrate Client, click Tools > Options.

Configure Services section: Lists services and their target startup modes. Select the Restore After Conversion check box to use the selected mode during the migration. The service is then restored to match the source after the migration is complete and the target machine is ready to run.

All Services section: Lists unique services on all discovered machines. Click Add to add a service to the upper section. Use the Mode drop-down list to select the service state for the target. This is set during the configuration step of the job.

Remove: Removes a service.

Reset: Clears the upper section. The modes of all services in the target will match those on the source.

2.4.2 Configuring PlateSpin Server Behavior through Configuration Parameters

Some aspects of your PlateSpin Server’s behavior are controlled by configuration parameters that you set on a configuration Web page residing your PlateSpin Server host (https://Your_PlateSpin_Server/platespinconfiguration/).

Under normal circumstances you should not need to modify these settings unless you are advised to do so by PlateSpin Support. This section provides a number of common use cases along with information on the required procedure.

Use the following procedure for changing and applying any configuration parameters:

  1. From any Web browser, open the https://Your_PlateSpin_Server/platespinconfiguration/tool.

  2. Locate the required server parameter and change its value.

  3. Save and your settings and exit the page.

No reboot or restart of services is required after the change is made in the configuration tool.

The following topics provide information on specific situations, in which you might need to change product behavior using an XML configuration value.

Increasing the Size Limit on Post-migration Actions Uploaded to the PlateSpin Server

By default, PlateSpin Migrate sets a 64 MB upload limit for each individual post-migration action, including its dependencies. See Managing Custom Actions.

You can increase this limit by modifying the configuration setting on the PlateSpin Server’Web configuration tool.

IMPORTANT:Decreasing the default size limit might have a negative impact on the stability of your PlateSpin Server.

  1. From any Web browser, open https://Your_PlateSpin_Server/platespinconfiguration/.

  2. Locate and edit the setting that defines the value of the httpRuntime element’s maxRequestLength attribute:

    maxRequestLength=8192

  3. Replace the existing value with the required new value in kilobytes. For example, to increase the size to 16 MB, replace 8192 with 16384:

    maxRequestLength=16384

  4. Save and your settings and exit the page.

Optimizing Data Transfer over WAN Connections (Windows)

When doing Windows migrations, you can fine-tune your over-the-network data transfer for optimum performance in your specific environment. For example, you might need to control the number of your TCP connections or impose a packet-level compression threshold.

This functionality is supported for migration jobs that use the following data transfer methods:

  • File-level

  • Block-level with Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS)

Fine-tuning is done by modifying configuration parameters that the system reads from settings you make in a configuration tool residing on your PlateSpin Server host.

The following table lists the configuration parameters with two sets of values: the defaults and the values recommended for optimum operation in a high-latency WAN environment.

NOTE:If these values are modified, replication times on high-speed networks, such as Gigabit Ethernet, might be negatively impacted. Before modifying any of these parameters, consider consulting PlateSpin Support first.

Table 2-6 Parameters for Fine-Tuning File-Level Data Transfer Performance

Parameter

Default Value

For High-Latency WANs

fileTransferMinCompressionLimit

Specifies the packet-level compression threshold in bytes.

0

(disabled)

max 65536 (64 KB)

fileTransferCompressionThreadsCount

Controls the number of threads used for packet-level data compression. Ignored if compression is disabled.

Because the compression is CPU-bound, this setting might have a performance impact during Live Transfer.

2

n/a

fileTransferSendReceiveBufferSize

TCP window size setting for file transfer connections; controls the number of bytes sent without TCP acknowledgement.

When the value is set to 0, the default TCP window size is used (8 KB). For custom sizes, specify the size in bytes.

Use the following formula to determine the proper value:

((LINK_SPEED(Mbps)/8)*DELAY(sec))*1000*1000

For example, for a 100 Mbps link with 10 ms latency, the proper buffer size would be:

(100/8)*0.01 * 1000 * 1000 = 125000 bytes

0 (8192 bytes)

max 5242880 (5 MB)

Other Use Cases for Making Modifications in the Web Config Tool (Advanced)

Below is a list of configuration values that might address various environmental or functional issues. Do not use them unless you are advised to do so by PlateSpin Support.

Table 2-7 List of Common Use Cases for changing settings in the Web configuration tool

Issue or Use Case

Value Shown in the Config Tool

Remarks

Discovery/Inventory issues

<add key="UseServiceForCommonInventory" value="true" />
<add key="UseServiceForMigrateInventory" value="false" />
<add key="EarliestWindowsVersionForCommonInventory" value="5.2" />

 

Target boot issues related to drivers

 <add key="TargetMachineRegistryCleanupLevel" value="None" />

 

Controller installation issues on sources (mainly due to environmental restrains)

<add key="InstallControllerUsingService" value="true" />
<add key="RunControllerUnderSameCredsAsRemoteAccess" value="false" />

 

Issues related to database size growth

<add key="PowerConvertDBSizeLimitInBytes" value="4294967296" />
<add key="PlateSpinDBCleanupThresholdPercent" value="80" />
<add key="OFXDBCleanupThresholdInBytes" value="4294967296" />