Hi, newbie question.. 
I have a server I keep at a colo facility that i'm managing remotely via my windows vsphere client. i found a centos4 VM i'd like to use to create a new host on my ESXi server. I've downloaded the zipped file to my windows machine, how do i create a VM on my remote server?
Hi,
if the vm is in a esxi format you will able to upload the vm's files to the esxi datastore (you can use the fastscp or winscp tool) and then using the datastore browser add to the esxi's inventory the vm.
But if for example the vm are from a vmware workstation or server you must use the vmware converter to migrate the vm to the esxi server.
Just install the vmware converter on a windows box, configure as source the vm's files and as destination the esxi server.
Hope this helps 
Regards/Saludos,
Pablo
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Ok, let me clarify something with you. Your ESXi Server is a host, and virtual server are in fact, virtual machine (VM)
With that said, you will need to unzip your CentOS VM package.
Once done, go in you VMware vSphere Client :
- Connect yourself on your Host
- Once Logged, go in the Datastore zone
- Select you Datastore, by default, it is named datastore1.
- Right-Click on it and select Browse Datastore...
- In the Datastore browser, click on the Create a new folder icon
- Name it Temp, Template or whatever you want
- Once created, select this new folder and click on the Upload file to this datastore icon and than select Upload File...
- It's now time to select the files that were part of you zip package, now unzipped.
- Once all files are copied, you'll be ready for the next step.
Second step :
- Still in the VMware vSphere Client, go in the left-pane and select your host
- right-click on it and select New Virtual Machine...
- Choose Custom and follow all the step
- At the Select a disk step, choose Use an existing virtual disk and click Next
- Click on Browse and go select the .vmdk file uploaded in the directory you have created before.
- After that continue to follow all the steps and you'll be ready to start your new VM.
Try that and let me know if it works for you.
note : sorry, I know I have poor english but I just want to help
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