How to Backup ESXi VMs in 3 steps

Backing up virtual machines (VMs) is a critical practice for both individuals and organizations managing virtual environments. VMware ESXi stands as a popular platform for hosting VMs, particularly on Windows-based systems. Regularly backing up your ESXi VMs is a key strategy to mitigate the risks associated with data loss. By maintaining up-to-date backups, you can ensure that, in the event of data loss or system failure, you can quickly recover and regain access to your VMs.

This article aims to provide a comprehensive guide on the various methods available for backing up VMs in a VMware ESXi Servers. These methods may range from using built-in VMware tools to third-party software solutions, each offering different features and levels of data protection. We'll explore these options in detail, discussing their advantages, potential limitations, and best use cases. Understanding these backup strategies is essential for maintaining the integrity and availability of your virtual machines, thereby safeguarding your digital assets.

Backup options for VMware ESXi

You can either choose to use the proprietary backup utility offered by VMware via its VCenter platform to back up your VM data and host configuration or look to a third-party backup software to help out. Alternatively, you can download the VMs’ VMDK files and export them to another storage location to serve as backup copies of the VMs.

However, using a third-party software program looks to be the best way to go about backing up your VMware ESXi hosts and VM data. These programs offer a more intuitive interface, along with many handy features and tools for VM backup and recovery. For a newbie, using a software program is easier and more understandable; notwithstanding, even professionals use programs.

How to Backup VMware ESXi Virtual Machines

Out of the many possible ways to back up your ESXi VMs, we have outlined the best three methods to do that. These methods are effective and pretty easy to practice – ensure to pay attention to every detail explained below.

Method 2: Export the Virtual Machine to OVF Template

The Open Virtualization Format (OVF) file format offers wide support for sharing and managing VM files. Some IT guys use the OVF template to create new virtual machines. OVF files are archived, so they are smaller in size and faster to download. When you export a VM’s data as OVF, everything about the VM will be included in the exported file.

The OVF Template is supported by VMware ESXi and XenServer platforms. So, you can back up your VM from ESXi and export it to XenServer without facing compatibility issues. Typically, the OVF format contains metadata info, configuration data file, and the XML file stored in vCenter. Below is a guide to help you work around this backup method.

Guide:

• Log in to your VMware vCenter and select the VM you want to export its data.
• Right-click on the virtual machine and select Template from the menu options
• Choose the “Export OVF Template” option
• Name the task and click OK.
• The VM files will be downloaded to your machine

How to Backup VMware ESXi Host Configuration?

Backing up your ESXi host configuration saves you the time and energy to reconfigure a new host if need be. More so, backing up your ESXi host is not much of a big deal, there are three different methods to go about this, and the methods are safe to practice – however, a bit advanced and require familiarity with CLI interfaces.

Using ESXi Command Line

• Firstly, you have to enable Secure Shell (SSH) so you can connect to your ESXi host
• ESXi host configurations are actually saved hourly to the /bootblank/state.tgz file, hence, you need to sync your current ESXi host configuration with the persistent storage (the /bootblank/state.tgz file). The command to trigger this synchronization is:
• # vim-cmd hostsvc/firmware/sync_config
• Then, after the synching, proceed to back up the ESXi host configuration using this command:
• # vim-cmd hostsvc/firmware/backup_config

Note: this command will output a URL, which you’re to copy into a web browser to download the backed-up ESXi host configuration. In the provided URL, replace the “*” with your host’s ESXi host IP before running it on a web browser to download the content.

Using VMware Power CLI

• Download and install the VMware Power CLI module, launch it as an Admin, and run this code to connect your ESXi host:
• Connect-VIServer ESXi_IP_address -user user_name -password your_password
• (replace the bolded words with the actual details)
• To backup your ESXi VM after the server has been connected, run this command:
• vicfg-cfgbackup --server=ESXi_host_IP_address --username=root -s output_file_name
• (remember to replace the bolded words too)

These commands will back up your VM in tgz format and save it in your indicated output directory.

Using vSphere CLI

• Install and set up the vSphere CLI, then run it as an Administrator.
• Enter this command to backup your ESXi VM:
• vicfg-cfgbackup --server= ESXi_host_IP_address --username=root -s output_file_name
• If you’re using Windows OS, run CMD as an Admin and navigate to C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware vSphere CLI\bin

(Note: the 64-bit version installs in C:\Program Files, while the 32-bit version installs in C:\Program Files (x86)).

• When in the CLI folder, run the backup command:

vicfg-cfgbackup.pl --server=ESXi_host_IP_address --username=root -s output_file_name