Import Data from ESX host

[Nevermore]

I want a ask a simple question here. I had made a ESX 3.5 u2 host. Now I want to import from the virtual machine. I am having a ESX server with access to SAN. Now what is the way to get the data. The SAN is configured. To import larges VMS to the ESX host by a .VMX file. Here I had did some more. In order to increase the capacity of SAN datastore I bound a new LUN on the SAN and assigned it as VMFS3. Then I moved all the files from old datastore to the new. But the issue here is that all VMs after reboot still rely on the old datastore.

[Calvin K]

To import the datastore you will need to restore back the existing vm that was removed from the virtual center. Do this. First select the ESX server in the Virtual Center. Then on the right click on the summary tab on the datastore and select browse datastore. Select the folder in which the VM files are and right click on teh VMX file. Select add to inventory. Give a desired name and location and click next. Then select the host or cluster for the VM and click on next. After choose a resource pool and select next. Now click finish.

[Lillebror]

The best benefit of virtual machines I believe is that you will not loose you VMFS volumes or the VM's once you need to rebuild you ESX host. Here is some tips to imports a mass VMs from the ESX host. The built in ESX console command reduce the time and offer proper functionality. Here in the command console vmware-cmd and the vmware-s option offers you to mass import VMs via some simple scripting. Save the below code in a notepad file and give extension .sh. Place the file on your ESX host and then as root run the file - #./importvms.sh

for i in `find /vmfs/volumes/ -name "*.vmx" `
do
echo "Registering VM $i"
vmware-cmd -s register $i
done

[jesse]

I do not understand that how many VMs are you talking about. If it not a large number the had you ever try to test if you can re-import them. Just remove a VM from the inventory. That does not means that you delete them. The browse the datastore for that VMs file and select it. Follow the wizard and add the VM back to inventory.