Vm installation

[nichy]

Hi,

I have installed the ESXi 5.0 in a server. Now I have to create virtual machines on this platform. I would not manually create it, instead I would use the image of an existing VM (with all the necessary tools included, which is for a project).

My question is how do I create the virtual machine with the existing image? What are the steps that I have to take?

Is it by creating the structure of the VM (hard disk space, ram space, etc,) and then boot the created structure with the vm image I have?

Thanks,

Aigini

[weinstein5]

Welcome to the Community - Where did the image come from? was it another ESXi host? Was the VM exported as an OVF image?

[nichy]

Yes it was from another ESXi host, and I am only assuming that VM is also an OVF image, because the VM is a VMWare product.

Does it make a difference whether or not the VM was exported as an OVF image?

[weinstein5]

No it does not make a difference if it was exported as an OVF or not - it is just as an OVF it is easier to move - if it is not an OVF than as long as you at least the VMDK file - which is the virtual disk - you can copy that to the other ESXi host you than can build a new VM pointing to the VMDK -

[nichy]

No that image is not exported as OVF. By the way, to confirm, the question I asked in my first post, I have to create the structure of the VM, and then just deploy the VM by booting it in the created structure?

[nichy]

I came across an article that explains how to install the VM on ESXi using an existing vmdk file.

Now the problem I have is that I have multiple .vmdk files. How do I install with all of the .vmdk files?

Also, as a note, this article says :

When you select the existing .vmdk file(s) to create the virtual machine, these files are locked and are not available to other virtual machines that may want to use them. Therefore, if you want to continue using the virtual disks ( .vmdk) with your current virtual machine, you must make a copy of the .vmdk file(s).

What does this mean? Correct me if I am wrong, but does this mean that I have to make a copy of the .vmdk files, so that when I want to build the next virtual machine, I can use them? So how many times do I have to make the copy of the .vmdk files? If I want to create 6 VMs, I have to copy the .vmdk files 6 times?