Copying from one ESXi server to another

[rweisernj1]

Hi,

I have 2 ESXi servers, IPs 10.0.0.10 and 10.0.0.20.  I have multiple VM servers created on .10 that I want to duplicate on .20.

How do I do this?

Thanks,

Rick

[scott28tt]

@rweisernj1 

What is your use case? Backups? Copies to do some work on without affecting the originals?

Is it a one off thing, or a regular requirement?

Do you have vCenter Server managing the 2 hosts?

[rweisernj1]

Hi Scott,

We need to be able to clone for testing and also for backups.  This will happen on a regular basis.

I don't have vCenter. I do have Workstatiion Pro 15.5, but this will only let me copy from vmWorkstastion to an ESXi server not between ESXi Servers.

[rweisernj1]

Hi Scott,

Will VM Workstation Pro 16 do the job?

Rick

[rweisernj1]

Can someone please tell me how to move esxi vms from one esxi host to another?

Will Workstation Pro v16 do this?

[scott28tt]

@rweisernj1 

You could do any one of these:

1. Copy the files using SCP
2. Export and import the VMs with the OVF format
3. Deploy vCenter Server and use the "clone" functionality
4. Deploy vCenter Server and use some backup or replication software
5. Convert the VMs with vCenter Converter Standalone

And there are probably many other methods too.

[rweisernj1]

Hi Scott,

THanks for replying.

1. I don't know what SCP is.

2. I have tried the Export but when I load the exported files to the other ESXi host, I can't start the new host. Its says something like the file is corrupted. I only have Windows 10 so the file may be getting corrupted when I download it.

3. vCenter is very expensive. I am a small business and with everything going on, I can't afford it at  this point.

Do you know if workstation pro 16 will do this for me better than Workstation v15.5?

[a_p_]

An option that I've used several times in the past is to use VMware's free OVFTool.
See https://www.virtuallyghetto.com/2012/06/how-to-copy-vms-directly-between-esxi.html

André

[berndweyand]

or try fastscp -then you have nothing to do with the commandline using scp : https://www.veeam.com/de/vmware-esxi-fastscp.html

[rweisernj1]

This is a great option, but I am using the free version of ESXi and Veeam will not copy or replicate on this version.