Error 0x80070057 when importing VM from Server 2008R2 to Server 2012 R2

Question

Hello.  I am using SCVMM 2012 to export a Windows 7 desktop from a 2008R2 HyperV server, to a 2012R2 HyperV server.  The job fails at step 1.5 (Import Hyper-V virtual machine) in the SCVMM log.  The error message is:
Error (2901)
The operation did not complete successfully because of a parameter or call sequence that is not valid.  the parameter is incorrect (0x80070057)
Recommended Action
Ensure that the parameters are valid, and then try the operation again.
I've found the KB968968 regarding "ScopeOfResidence" and that isn't the problem here.  the EXP file that is created on my target server has no data between the [VALUE][/VALUE] tags for this element.
When I try to manually import from the target server using HyperV manager rather than SCVMM, I browse to the folder where the VHD and subfolders containing the EXP file are located and I get "Hyper-V did not find virtual machines to import from location
"G:\my\path\to\this\VHD" "  Same thing when I browse to any subordinate folder such as the Virtual Machines folder or the GUID folder underneath that.

Answer 1

Hello Connor,
Please advise if you followed below best practices?
If you are upgrading from Hyper-V 2008/R2 to Hyper-V 2012 R2.
The first option is to Shut down all Hyper-V virtual machines on the WS2008R2 host, then stop the Hyper-V Virtual Machine Management service. Finally copy all virtual machines that you want to migrate to WS2012R2 Hyper-V host, and then Import the Virtual
Machines.
The second option is, if you already exported the VMs and you don’t have 2008R2 Hyper-V host anymore.
The exported Hyper-V virtual machines from 2008 R2 host copy them into Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V and import them, then simple copy the VMs to Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V and import them. The server with Hyper-V 2012 is only used to perform the import
process thus allowing the VM to be copied into Hyper-V 2012 R2.
The reason why is the following:
In Windows Server 2012 Microsoft introduced a new WMI namespace (root\virtualization\v2) which is much better import/export model – allowing you to effectively just copy the virtual machine folder (with the VM’s XML configuration file inside it) as well
as the VM’s VHDs and then import them directly. Microsoft maintained version 1 WMI namespace in Windows 2012 which is allowed for importing Windows Server 2008/R2 VM’s on 2012.
In Windows Server 2012 R2 Microsoft removed the old version 1 namespace which means we can’t import directly virtual machines that were exported from Windows Server 2008/R2.
Hope this help.
Regards,
Charbel Nemnom
MCSA, MCSE, MCS, MCITP
Blog: www.charbelnemnom.com
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