Methods and systems for converting a related group of physical machines to virtual machines

A system comprising:

• a plurality of physical computers;
• a memory;
• and
• a processor programmed to:
• receive a request to virtualize the plurality of physical computers into virtual computers;
• access a script from the memory, the script defining an execution sequence of virtualization operations to be executed in order to virtualize each of the plurality of physical computers into the virtual computers at a point in time, the sequence of operations being based on:
• a) relationship data for the plurality of physical computers, the relationship data identifying parameters that define communication information needed to communicate between the plurality of physical computers and maintain interrelationships that existed between the plurality of physical computers when virtualizing the physical computers into the virtual computers, and b) each hosting machine designated to define the virtual computers for each of the plurality of physical computers;
• and
• virtualize the plurality of physical computers into the virtual computers at the point in time by executing the execution sequence of virtualization operations.

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

• receive a request to virtualize the plurality of physical computers into virtual computers;
• access a script from the memory, the script defining an execution sequence of virtualization operations to be executed in order to virtualize each of the plurality of physical computers into the virtual computers at a point in time, the sequence of operations being based on:
• a) relationship data for the plurality of physical computers, the relationship data identifying parameters that define communication information needed to communicate between the plurality of physical computers and maintain interrelationships that existed between the plurality of physical computers when virtualizing the physical computers into the virtual computers, and b) each hosting machine designated to define the virtual computers for each of the plurality of physical computers;
• and
• virtualize the plurality of physical computers into the virtual computers at the point in time by executing the execution sequence of virtualization operations.