VNX data migration of file server data to Compellent and physical to virtual migration p2v

asking on EMC forum how to migrate to a competitor array ?

It's only a temporary solution to buy us some space and time while we wait for our xtremeio solution. The compellent was a Dell freebie, In any case I would still like to get feedback on a solution.

To clarify... I can’t seem to wrap my mind around this. We don’t use RDM for our virtual servers. I’m being lead to understand that this is an issue with the migration process since we are converting our environment from physical to virtual. What does it matter how we migrate the data from one storage array to the other? Does certain migration options convert the data for compatibility going from physical machines to virtual machines? 

how much data are we talking about ?

If you stood up a brand new VM environment on Compellent and simply robocopy the data from old to new. On the day of cut-over disconnect shares on old env, perform final robocopy. Shutdown old env, re-IP VMs on compellent to be the same as physical servers.

Your suggestion to use RoboCopy is one of the suggestions/options. I would like to understand for my own knowledge what the problem would be using something like SanCopy or PowerPath Migration Enabler to move the data? What implications are there with the method we use to move/copy the data if we could use SanCopy or PowerPath ME? Isn't the concern with the physcial to virtual and how the virtual machine sees the data? I'm trying to understand if this could be accomplished with any of the migration options, not necessarily what would make the most sense? Hope that makes sense.

do you need to migrate block data or file system data (VNX datamovers) ?

The VNX is a Block only storage array. The data itself is file server data currently being presented to physical windows machines. We need to migrate this file server data to the compellent and convert the physical machines to virtual machines. Keep in mind that since we don't use raw devices in VMware the data can't just be migrated and attached to the virtual machines. This is the part I need help with. What options do I have to migrate the data from EMC to Compellent and allow the virtual machines to recognize the data?

take a look at E-Lab navigator to figure out if Compellent is a support target as far as SANCopy is concerned.  In order to use PowerPath migration enabler, both source and target devices have to be under PowerPath control. While Powerpath supports certain 3rd party arrays, i don't think Complellent is one of them. Again check in E-Lab navigator.

If you are not using RDMs, your data is stored within an VMDK file attached to your VM. Today your physical server is storing data on the actual block device (LUN) on VNX. Let's say SANCopy was supported, you would copy the data from block device on VNX to block device on Compellent, what's next ?  How are you going to get to that device from your VM ? One option is to use RDM that will give you direct access to that block device.  If you were using Hyper-V, you can create virtual HBAs for your VMs and they would login to the fabric as if they were physical hosts. You could zone them, mask the LUNs and you are in business.

You are exactly correct with your interpretation. I wasn't sure if there was something built in "as an option" to the storage to storage migration options that would also perform a conversion to format the data correctly. I think I understand now that dynamox suggested host based migration due to its ability to copy the data from one host to another. This will allow me to create a new folder using SAN Storage on the compellent, which is presented to p2v vm as a datastore. The copied data will aquire the vmdk file format since the new folder is a virtual directory that is presented as a virtual share. Thank you both for your time and explanations!

not much, keep it simple and use robocopy (don't forget to use multi-threaded copies  /MT:X option)

how much data are you going to migrate ?

I apologize, only 3-4 TB.