Discover the best practices for ensuring the security of your VM data with our comprehensive guide on how to copy ESXi VM to a USB drive. Safeguard your data on virtual machines effectively and permanently.
Numerous companies deploy virtual environments to enhance IT flexibility and scalability. To guarantee the safety and availability of virtual machines, backup, and migration are frequently required. Creating a copy of your VM on a USB drive provides a backup that can be readily accessed in the event of system failure or data loss. It also enables easy transportation and access of your virtual machine across various machines or locations.
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The 3-2-1 Backup Strategy is a commonly recommended method for safeguarding VM data. This article aims to offer a detailed guide on copying an ESXi VM to a USB drive using the VMware ESXi vCenter and EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise.
Since a significant portion of VM data is stored in the virtual disks, it is essential to download the VMDK files manually. If you have a large number of virtual machines or need to do this frequently to keep the latest copy, then you can choose to use virtual machine backup software to simplify the whole process.
To export and copy a VMDK file to a USB drive using VMware ESXi vCenter, follow these steps:
Step1. After connecting the USB drive to your computer, access the VMware ESXi Web Client.
Step2. Navigate to the virtual machine that contains the VMDK file you want to copy.
Step3. Choose the USB drive as the destination to save the VMDK file.
The Open Virtualization Format (OVF) file format is widely used for sharing and managing VM files. IT professionals often utilize OVF templates to create new virtual machines. The OVF format typically includes metadata info, configuration data files, and an XML file stored in vCenter. The following guide outlines steps to effectively utilize this backup method.
Step1. Log in to your VMware ESXi Web Client and right-click the VM you want to copy. Then select Export.
Stpe2. Choose the Export OVF Template option and click OK to download.
Step3. Specify the USB drive as the destination and click Save.
VMware ESXi vCenter just provides simple file-level backup solutions and the availability of the backup data might influence later recovery jobs. Therefore, it is advisable to consider a professional backup solution for ESXi VMs. EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise is an enterprise-grade backup solution designed specifically for ESXi VMs. Its user-friendly web console allows for effortless creation of backup jobs.
Once you have downloaded and installed EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise on the virtual machine, you can proceed by following the steps to copy the VM to a USB drive.
Step1. Launch EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise, and click New Task to start a new backup.
Step2. Choose a destination for the backup data by clicking on Browse... From there, select Computer to navigate to the storage path on the USB drive you have prepared. Once you have done this, click OK.
Step3. After configuring your backup task, click Proceed to start the backup process for your VMware virtual machine. The backup data will then be securely saved onto your USB drive.
Creating backups of your ESXi VM is crucial for IT administrators, and there are various methods available to achieve this. EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise provides a user-friendly interface along with advanced settings for personalized usage. You can schedule regular backups on a one-time, daily, weekly, or monthly basis, and select from full, incremental, or differential backup options. EaseUS Todo Backup is an exceptional choice for backing up ESXi VMs.
1. What is the best method to copy an ESXi VM to a USB drive?
The best method to copy an ESXi VM to a USB drive is to use EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise to copy the VM files directly to the USB drive.
2. Do I need to power off the VM before copying it to a USB drive?
It is recommended to power off the VM before copying it to a USB drive to avoid any data corruption or loss during the copying process.
3. How do I access the ESXi Shell or SSH?
You can access the ESXi Shell or SSH by enabling it in the ESXi host settings. You will need to login to the ESXi host using the vSphere client or web client to enable the Shell or SSH.
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