Cloning ESXi from SD-Card to SSD/HDD

[WuGeDe]

Hi there
Is it possible to clone the ESXi installation from SD-card to SSD/HDD?
I have done it only the other way yet -> HDD to SD-card

If possible could anyone please post a how-to!?
Any help is much appreciated!
Thanks in advance!

[Techstarts]

Have you tried Mark's blog? https://virtualhobbit.com/2015/11/20/cloning-the-esxi-boot-volume/

I believe you just have to be careful with Identify the disk.

Or you can simple backup ESXi configuration and restore back.

[depping]

Do note, vmware does not officially support this process. And personally I feel reinstalling and reconfiguring typically is just as "easy".

[pkvmw · Accepted solution]

An alternative would be:

1. Taking a configuration backup of ESXi
2. Reinstall ESXi with the same build version on the SSD
3. Restore the configuration backup

To backup and restore the configuration see https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2042141

[Techstarts]

While cloning an ESXi boot device in order to speed up the deployment of servers has been a practice for some customers, this workflow is not at all supported by VMware. This is because our ESXi’s operating system expects that each server will have a unique System Universally Unique Identifier (UUID). Cloning an ESXi boot device will also replicate that System UUID, which can lead to VMFS corruption

Above statement from the below KB Article, hopefully will prevent/scare anyone to do follow this method.

https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/84280

[smfranzen]

It's not difficult to perform the backup, re-install and restore process as described, but I don't get the objection to the cloning process.  The article and excerpt referenced is clearly talking about cloning for deployment.  That would create multiple hosts with the same UUID.  This question is about MIGRATION to SSD.  In this case, what is the problem with retaining the same unique UUID from the host?   I haven't done this before, but my concern would be the requirement for the same build for a re-install and restore.  If you did a clone, you wouldn't have to worry about that.  I know there are a couple of imaging tools that specifically address the migration with the ability to resize for a larger target and I've also seen reference to an alignment for optimization reference in at least one article.  

[continuum]

> I know there are a couple of imaging tools that specifically address the migration with the ability to resize for a larger target and I've also seen reference to an alignment for optimization reference in at least one article. 

Do you have a link to a tool that can clone and resize ESXi-installations ? Such an option would indeed be interesting.
Ulli

[dbutch1976]

Hello,

I have three ESXi 8 VMhosts which are configured as a three-node vSAN. Is the backup/restore method mentioned above compatible with hosts which are participating in VSAN?

Thanks.