Scan VMware

VMware scan mode connects to vCenter to enumerate all managed VMs, collect hypervisor-level metadata, and scan each guest OS directly. It captures VMware-specific data (including historical CPU and memory performance and AVS sizing inputs) that Physical scan mode cannot collect.

Not sure if VMware scan is right for you?

Use VMware scan if you have vCenter credentials and want full hypervisor metadata and performance history.

If your VMs are managed by Hyper-V or Nutanix, or if you are scanning standalone physical servers, use the Physical scan instead.

If you have VMware VMs but no vCenter access, Physical scan can still collect guest OS data, but VMware-specific metrics will not be available.

Never scan the same machine using both VMware mode and Physical scan mode.
Mixing modes creates duplicate records and inaccurate reporting in Dr Migrate. One machine, one scan mode, always.

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 VMware environment (vCenter servers and VMs).

Verify System Requirements

Ensure the Jumpbox has: - Network access to vCenter servers (for vCenter API connectivity) - Network access to ESXi hosts (required for VM operations and metrics collection) - Network access to target VMs (for guest-level scanning) - 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.

Running as administrator ensures the tool can write to output folders and logs correctly.

If Running DMC.exe Is Blocked

Windows may block executables downloaded from the internet.

  1. Right-click the .exe file
  2. Select Properties
  3. Under the General tab, look for the Security section
  4. If you see an Unblock option, tick it
  5. 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 Output Directory and Review Existing Scans

Set Output Directory

Before proceeding with scan configuration, you can specify where scan results will be saved:

  1. Review Default Location: The default output directory is C:\temp
  2. Change Directory (optional): - Click the Browse button next to the output directory field - Navigate to your desired directory - Select the folder and click OK
  3. Verify Path: Confirm the path displayed in the input field is correct

Output Directory Purpose: All scan results, logs, and metadata will be saved to this directory. The path you set here applies to all scan types (VMware, Physical, Database Assessment).

Default Location: If not changed, scans will be saved to C:\temp. You can change this at any time before starting a scan.

Review Existing Scans

The "Existing Scans Found" section displays any previous scan results in the selected output directory:

  • If scans are found: You'll see a count of available scans (e.g., "1 scans found in C:\temp") and a table listing scan details
  • If no scans are found: The section displays "No previous scans found in this directory"

Scan Discovery: Database Assessment can automatically discover SQL Server instances from previous VMware or Physical scans stored in this directory. If you've completed infrastructure scans, they will be available for SQL Server discovery.

Scan Management: After completing scans, you can return to this screen to review, export, and manage your scan results. Use the checkboxes to select scans for export, then click "Export Selected Scans" or "Download Offline Report".

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.

See System & Access Requirements for more information on specific permissions required.

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.

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

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.

It is highly recommended that you review the connection status, of each vCenter you add to ensure that the health, permissions, and connectivity are all correct before you move through to the next step.

Add Guest Credentials

Windows 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:

  1. Click Add Windows button

  2. Enter the Username (domain or local admin account)

  3. Enter the Password for authentication

  4. Provide a Friendly Name (e.g., "Production Windows Servers")

  5. Click Save

For detailed Windows account requirements, see System & Access Requirements.

Linux Authentication

Linux servers use password-based authentication.

Steps:

  1. Click Add Linux button

  2. Enter the Username (Linux username with sudo access)

  3. Enter the Password for authentication

  4. Provide a Friendly Name (e.g., "Production Linux Servers")

  5. 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 5 servers
Operation Timeout Controls the maximum time a scan operation can run before being terminated 5 minutes
Scan Thresholds CPU Usage (0–95%) Skips scanning if CPU usage exceeds this threshold 85%
Memory Usage (0–95%) Skips scanning if memory usage exceeds this threshold 75%
Windows C:\ Drive (0.1–10 GB) Skips scanning if available disk space is below this threshold 2.0 GB
Linux / Partition (0.1–10 GB) Skips scanning if available disk space is below this threshold 2.0 GB
Linux /tmp Partition (0.1–1.0 GB) Skips scanning if available disk space is below this threshold 0.1 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.

CSV files can be edited with free tools like VS Code or Notepad++ for easier bulk editing.

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.

Each server typically requires ~45 seconds.
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: - Status Bar – unified metrics showing scan status, duration, VMs scanned, Physical Servers scanned (if applicable), and SQL Servers scanned (if applicable) - Scan Status Chart – bar chart showing full, partial, or failed scans (color-coded)
- Error Summary Chart – bar chart showing common error categories (e.g., credentials, network, agent, access, other) - Scan Results Per Discovery Target – table showing grouped scan outcomes per vCenter or discovery target with Full/Partial/Failed/Total counts

  • Full scans = guest + hypervisor data
  • Partial scans = hypervisor-only data
  • No VM scanned unless pre-scan checks (CPU/memory/disk) are passed

SQL Server Discovery

During your VMware scan, DMC automatically discovers SQL Server instances installed on your VMs. When SQL Server installations are detected, DMC collects detailed information about each instance.

What Was Discovered: - SQL Server instances are automatically detected when found during the scan - Detailed information is collected for each SQL Server instance - Instance details include: hostname, instance name, edition, version, port, and configuration

Important: This VMware scan discovers SQL Server instances. SQL Server assessment can be performed after infrastructure discovery by completing additional steps using the separate Database Assessment mode.

Next Step: Database Assessment (Required for SQL Assessment)

To assess your discovered SQL Server instances for migration readiness, you must complete a separate Database Assessment workflow.

When to Proceed: You can start Database Assessment immediately after completing your VMware scan, or return to it later. Your discovered SQL Server instances will be available whenever you run a Database Scan.

What You Need to Do: 1. Navigate back to the scan target selection page (click the back arrow or use the navigation menu) 2. Select Database Assessment as the scan target 3. Click Discover SQL Servers: this automatically loads SQL Server instances from your scan results 4. Add SQL Server credentials (Windows Integrated or SQL Server Authentication): these are different from the guest OS credentials used in VMware scans 5. Map credentials to SQL Server instances: assign the appropriate credentials to each SQL Server instance 6. Run Database Scan: execute the assessment to evaluate migration readiness

Important: SQL Server assessment can be performed after completing your VMware scan. Follow the complete Database Assessment workflow, which includes adding SQL Server-specific credentials and mapping them to instances.

For complete step-by-step instructions on assessing SQL Server instances, including credential management and assessment execution, see the Database Assessment documentation.

Offline Troubleshooting Report

Click Download Offline Report to generate a standalone .html summary for troubleshooting.

Capabilities: - Filter by ESXi Host (vCenter) and search by VM Name or Error Description - View VM details including VM Name, OS Type, Error Description, Log Path, and Resolution - Sortable columns for easy organization - Pagination (10 items per page) for large result sets - Clickable log file links to open individual VM logs - Export filtered results to .csv

See Offline Troubleshooting Report Guide for detailed usage.

This report is for diagnostics only.
Transformation strategy and migration recommendations are provided in the SaaS platform.

Finalise Scan

Click Finalise Scan to return to the scan target selection screen, where you can export your scan results and download the offline report.

Export and Download Results

After clicking Finalise Scan, you'll be returned to the scan target selection screen. Here you can manage your completed scans:

Review Existing Scans

The "Existing Scans Found" section displays all completed scans in your output directory:

  • Scan Count: Shows the total number of scans found (e.g., "1 scans found in C:\temp")
  • Scan Details Table: Lists each scan with:
  • Scan Details: Scan type (VMware Scan, Physical Scan, etc.) and unique identifier
  • Servers: Number of servers scanned
  • Version: DMC version used (e.g., "DMC 1.1.5")
  • Date & Time: When the scan was completed
  • Selection: Use checkboxes to select which scans you want to export

Scan Management: You can select multiple scans to export together, or export them individually. Selected scans will be packaged into a single encrypted ZIP file.

Export Selected Scans

  1. Select the scan from the list of discovered scans by checking the box next to it
  2. Click Export Selected Scans (the button shows the count of selected scans, e.g., "Export Selected Scans (1)")
  3. Name the Scan: Enter a descriptive friendly name for the export in the modal dialog

After export completes, you'll see: - ZIP Password – encrypts the results ZIP (for extraction)
- Decryption Key – used when uploading to Dr Migrate

Important: Record the ZIP Password and Decryption Key immediately. These cannot be recovered once DMC closes.

Download Offline Report

Click Download Offline Report to generate a standalone .html troubleshooting report for the selected scan(s).

The offline report includes the same capabilities as described in the Offline Troubleshooting Report section above.

Upload Your Scans

After exporting your scans, you can upload the Environment file and ZIP to Dr Migrate.

Upload DMC scans

Step-by-step guide to upload your DMC scan data into the Dr Migrate platform.

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