VMware ESXi - How to Import and Export OVF Files

KB ID 0000562 Dtd 26/01/12

Problem

I've not touched OVF Files since VMware VI3, and as I had to do some work on one of my company's SAN's today, and my colleague's VM was sat in there. I thought I'd use OVF to temporarily backup the Virtual Machine, then after I'd finished messing about with the SAN, I used the OVF file to restore the machine back again.

I prefer to think of OVF files as "Zip" files for Virtual Machines and Virtual Appliances. There are two things you will want to do with an OVF Template;

1. Export a VM to an OVF Template

2. Import an OVF Template (Note: VMware call this "Deploy an OVF Template")

Note: There are tools for OVF templates for other VMware virtualisation products, this is just for vSphere / ESX.

Solution

Export a Virtual Machine to OVF

1. Connect to your host with the VI client > With your virtual machine powered off > Select it > File > Export > Export to OVF Template.

2. Select a location to save the files to > OK.

3. Depending on the size of the VM this can take a while.

4. It will give you the following message when it's finished.

5. Here are the files that it has created.

Import / Deploy an OVF Template to a Virtual Machine

1. To create a VM from an OVF template, connect to your host with the VI client > File > Deploy OVF Template.

2. Browse to the location that the .ovf file is stored > Next.

3. Read the details > Next.

4. Give the new VM a name > Next.

5. Select the disk format (Thick or Thin) you want the new VM to use.

What does Lazy Zeroed and Eager Zeroed Mean?

Data on disks is stored as a 1 (one) or a 0 (zero), so if all the blocks on the disk are set to zero, when you put data on the disk, it only has half the work to do (i.e. write the ones). Eager Zeroed, puts zeros on all the blocks on the disks straight away, Lazy Zeroed puts all zeroes in a block the first time the block is read.

6. Read the summary, and if you want to power on the VM on completion, tick the box > Finish.

7. Depending upon the amount of data this can take a while.

8. It will give you the following message when it's finished.

9. And here is your VM, imported, powered up, and working.