Table 1-1. Cloning Modes
Data Copy Types Application Description
Volume based Copy volumes from the source
machine to the destination machine.
Volume-based cloning is relatively
slow. File-level cloning is slower than
block-level cloning. Dynamic disks are
converted into basic volumes on the
target virtual machine.
Disk based Create copies of the powered off
source machines, for all types of basic
and dynamic disks.
You cannot select which data to
copy. Disk-based cloning is faster
than volume-based cloning.
Linked clone Use to quickly check compatibility of
VMware images.
Linked cloning is the fastest (but
incomplete) cloning mode that
Converter Standalone supports.
Volume-Based Cloning
During volume-based cloning, volumes from the source machine are copied to the destination
machine. Converter Standalone supports volume-based cloning during hot cloning, and during
the import of existing virtual machines.
During volume-based cloning, all volumes in the destination virtual machine, except LVM2 logical
volumes, are converted to basic volumes, regardless of their type in the corresponding source
volume. LVM2 logical volumes can be preserved as logical volumes during conversion.
Volume-based cloning is performed at the file level or block level, depending on the destination
volume size that you select.
Volume-based cloning at the file level
Performed when you select a size smaller than the original volume for NTFS volumes or you
choose to resize a FAT volume.
For FAT, FAT32, NTFS, ext2, ext3, ext4, XFS, and ReiserFS file systems, Converter Standalone
preserves the file system type during a volume-based cloning at the file level.
Dynamic source disks are read but not preserved during volume-based conversions. Dynamic
disks are converted into basic volumes on the target virtual machine. Volume-based cloning of
dynamic source disks at the file level is supported only for Windows.
Volume-based cloning at the block level
Performed when you choose to preserve the size of the source volume or when you specify
a larger volume size for NTFS source volumes. Volume-based cloning at the block level is
supported only for Windows.
Disk-Based Cloning
Converter Standalone supports disk-based cloning to import existing virtual machines.
Using VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 6.3
VMware, Inc. 15