Scan VMware
Pre-Requisites
Download DMC Package
Download the DMC package from your Dr Migrate instance.
Prepare Windows Jumpbox VM
Prepare a Windows-based Jumpbox VM with access to your target environment (physical servers).
Verify System Requirements
Ensure the Jumpbox has:
- Network access to target physical servers
- At least 20 GB free disk space
Review Access Requirements
For details, see the System and Access Requirements section.
Launch DMC and Enter License Key
Run DMC.exe from your installation directory as Administrator.
If Running DMC.exe Is Blocked
- Right-click the
.exefile - Select Properties
- Under the General tab, look for the Security section
- If you see an Unblock option, tick it
- Click Apply and OK
Input License Key
Input the license key you received when downloading DMC.
Select VMware Mode
Click VMware to start configuring your VMware scan.
Configure
- DMC is specifically designed to allow a customer Administrator to securely utilise their admin credentials for a one-time operation.
- All credentials are stored in memory only and never persist beyond execution.
- Credential requirements are tailored for one-time use, allowing administrators to securely employ their personal credentials.
Add vCenter Details
Begin by adding one or more vCenters that you wish to target for scanning.
Select Add vCenter button.
Enter vCenter Credentials
Enter the vCenter Host and associated Username and Password with sufficient permission to perform the scan.
Initial vCenter connection screen
Click Next after you have added all target vCenters.
DMC will validate access for the vCenters that have been added and provide a detailed report.
vCenter connection status report
Click the Status button to show the connection report.
This report provides:
- vCenter Health: Overall system status and performance
- Permissions: Access rights verification for the provided credentials
- Connectivity: Network communication status
Tip
A failure in the vCenter health connection is not a critical error.
It is an optional feature that provides additional insights but is not required for the scan to function.
Add Guest Credentials
DMC supports different authentication methods depending on the guest operating system. Windows servers use password authentication, while Linux servers support both password and SSH key authentication.
Windows Server Authentication
Windows servers require password-based authentication
Important: DMC requires credentials that can access the guest operating system of each server, not just domain-level access.
- Domain-joined servers: Use a domain account with local admin rights, or a domain admin account
- Workgroup servers: Use a local administrator account
- Mixed environments: Add multiple credential sets for different domains or workgroups
Each credential set must use the same authentication method for all target servers.
Steps:
- Click Add Windows button
- Enter the Username (domain or local admin account)
- Enter the Password for authentication
- Provide a Friendly Name (e.g., “Production Windows Servers”)
- Click Save
Linux Server Authentication
Linux servers support both password and SSH key authentication methods.
Password Authentication
Traditional username/password combination suitable for environments where SSH keys aren’t configured.
Steps:
- Click Add Linux button
- Select Password authentication method
- Enter the Username (Linux username with sudo access)
- Enter the Password for authentication
- Provide a Friendly Name (e.g., “Production Linux Servers”)
- Click Save
SSH Key Authentication (Recommended)
More secure authentication method using SSH private keys. No password management required.
Steps:
- Click Add Linux button
- Select SSH Key authentication method
- Enter the Username (Linux username with sudo access)
- Upload your SSH Private Key file
- Provide a Friendly Name (e.g., “SSH Key Linux Servers”)
- Click Save
Validate Guest Credentials
Click Next. DMC will validate the entered credentials on a subset of your servers. Any invalid credentials are flagged.
Click Continue after validation completes.
Settings
Customize scan settings as required. These settings provide control over scan thresholds.
Configure Settings
| Category | Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | Output Path | Directory where scan results and logs are saved | C:\temp |
| Max Concurrent Servers | Number of servers processed concurrently | 20 servers | |
| Operation Timeout | Controls the maximum time a scan operation can run before being terminated | 5 minutes | |
| Scan Thresholds | CPU Usage (0–90%) | Skips scanning if CPU usage exceeds this threshold | 85% |
| Memory Usage (0–85%) | Skips scanning if memory usage exceeds this threshold | 75% | |
Windows C:\ Drive (1–10 GB) |
Skips scanning if available disk space is below this threshold | 5.0 GB | |
Linux / Partition (1–10 GB) |
Skips scanning if available disk space is below this threshold | 5.0 GB | |
Linux /tmp Partition (0.1–1.0 GB) |
Skips scanning if available disk space is below this threshold | 0.5 GB |
Click Next to proceed to the scan phase.
Scan
Now that you have successfully configured DMC, you can proceed to scanning your estate.
Review Servers
Options for managing server scope:
- Export CSV: Download detected servers, edit externally, then re-import.
- Import CSV: Upload a pre-edited list of servers to include.
- Manual Selection: Use checkboxes, search, and OS filters to select servers.
Once satisfied, click Save to confirm the scan scope, then click Run Scan.
Monitor Progress
Progress updates in real time with a Console Output log.
Total scan duration varies with the Max Concurrent Servers setting.
Results
With the scan completed, you can finalize results and upload them to the Migrate platform.
Scan Summary
The summary highlights:
- Scan Overview – total duration, VM count, success/failure status
- VM Scan Status – full, partial, or failed scans (color-coded)
- Error Summary – common reasons (e.g., missing credentials, low disk)
- Per-vCenter Results – grouped scan outcomes
- Full scans = guest + hypervisor data
- Partial scans = hypervisor-only data
- No VM scanned unless pre-scan checks (CPU/memory/disk) are passed
Offline Troubleshooting Report
Click Download Offline Report to generate a standalone .html summary for troubleshooting.
Capabilities:
- Filter VMs by status, OS, vCenter, power state, error
- View contextual error messages and scan phase icons
- Export filtered results to
.csv
Transformation strategy and migration recommendations are provided in the SaaS platform.
Finalize Scan
Click Save and Encrypt Scan Results.
Record the ZIP Password and Decryption Key — these cannot be recovered later.
- ZIP Password – encrypts the results ZIP (for extraction)
- Decryption Key – used when uploading to Dr Migrate
Upload Your Scans
You can now upload the Environment file and ZIP to Dr Migrate.