Backup VM

[messy303]

Hi

I am running 5 VMs in free ESXi (version 4). Now the problem is I don't know which file should I copy to backup VM. I couldn't get the location of virtual machine in ESXi. I am not using any network storage device. Hmm... if i am not wrong, In case of VMware server there is vmdk file. we can easily run VM downloaded from internet. But what do we do incase of ESXi?

Thank you in advance.

[golddiggie]

Browse the datastore (summary tab for the host, select the datastore where the VM lives), and copy the directory (you should copy all the files, or at least the ones with.vmx, .vmdk for suffixes... If you can power off the VM, then all except the log files should be copied (they can be too, but they are not as important)... When you're in the Datastore Browser, you'll see the menu bar item "Download a file from this datastore to your local machine". With that, you'll be able to select any drives local to the computer you're connecting to the host through the vSphere Client application. That includes network shares that are mounted as well as external drives (obviously internal ones too)...

VMware VCP4

Home Brewer

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[idle-jam]

The above works only if the virtual machine is powered off. In case you need a hot backup the options available are:

1) vizioncore vranger or veeam backup (paid)

2) in built OS native backup software

3) http://www.virtuallyghetto.com/2010/07/script-updated-ghettovcb-and.html (this is free hot vmdk backup)

4) we've seen someone doing vmware converter V2V backup (not recommended unless it's once time weekly or monthly backup)

iDLE-jAM | VCP 2, VCP 3 & VCP 4

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[AndreTheGiant]

The VM folder is enough. But when the VM is powered on, some files are locked.

See also:

Andre