How to Clone VM on VMware ESXi with Snapshot

Gap updated on May 09, 2024 to Backup and Recovery | How-to Articles

Are you seeking assistance with efficiently cloning VMware? If so, you've come to the right place. This page provides a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to help you navigate through the VMware cloning process.

Virtualization has become a crucial component of modern IT infrastructure thanks to its flexibility and efficient use of resources. By cloning a VM, you guarantee that each clone is an exact replica of the original, thus ensuring consistency throughout your IT environment. This feature is especially advantageous for testing and development purposes, where identical conditions are essential. This blog post explains how to clone existing VMware virtual machines on ESXi servers using different methods with Snapshot and EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise.

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What is VM Snapshot?

A VM snapshot is a point-in-time image of a virtual machine's disk and memory state. It allows you to capture the current state of a VM, including its data, settings, and configuration, so that you can revert back to that exact state later if needed. Snapshots are useful for creating backups, testing software changes, and rolling back changes in case of errors or issues.

A VM snapshot does not affect the virtual machine itself, but it can be beneficial in environments where you frequently need to revert to a specific VM state. Instead of creating multiple VMs, a snapshot allows you to easily roll back to a previous state. This can be useful for creating safe restoration points before upgrades or configuration changes. If any issues arise, you can quickly revert to the snapshot. In development and testing environments, snapshots can be handy for creating multiple VMs with similar configurations for testing. They can also serve as secure rollback points when making iterative code changes and testing them.

How to Clone VM from Snapshot on VMware ESXi

To clone a virtual machine from a snapshot on VMware ESXi, follow these steps:
1.Log into the VMware Web Client. In the inventory pane, navigate to the virtual machine that you want to clone from a snapshot.

2. Right-click on the virtual machine and select Manage Snapshots from the context menu.

3. In the pop-up Snapshot Manager, select Take Snapshot and wait for the process to finish. When you need to recover VM with the snapshot, just click Restore snapshot on the toolbar. Then you will get a new VM at a specific point in time.

How to Clone VM on VMware ESXi from EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise

EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise is a professional disaster recovery solution for virtual environments. Compared with the solution that utilizes vSphere Web Client, the configurations can be a lot easier. To clone the VM using EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise, do the following:

1. After downloading and installing EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise on the virtual machine, click New Task to start configuring the backup task.

2. Click Browse... to select the destination where you want to save the backup of the virtual machine.

3. Start the backup process and wait for it to complete. Once the backup process is finished, you will have a complete backup of the selected virtual machine saved in the specified destination.

Conclusion

While snapshots provide convenient short-term data protection, they are not a substitute for a proper backup system. Snapshots only capture changes to the original virtual disk and do not fully protect the IT environment. In the event of a severe disaster affecting the virtual machine, snapshots alone may not be sufficient to recover the VM.

EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise offers comprehensive protection for virtual environments, allowing you to choose a specific recovery point for VM recovery similar to using a snapshot. Make sure to take advantage of the free trial.

FAQs for How to Clone VM on VMware ESXi

1. What is cloning a virtual machine in VMware ESXi?
Cloning a virtual machine in VMware ESXi involves creating an exact copy of an existing VM, including its configuration, operating system, and data.

2. How do I clone a VM on VMware ESXi?
You can clone a VM on VMware ESXi using tools like VMware vSphere Client, or EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise.

3. Why would I want to clone a VM on VMware ESXi?
Cloning a VM allows you to create duplicate instances for testing, development, backup, disaster recovery, or scaling purposes without affecting the original VM.