ESXi Host Backup and Restore

ESXi hosts, for the most part, do not need to be backed up. That is because the installation and configuration time on each host is minimal and therefore the time needed to create a backup is often significantly longer than just reinstalling the software. To ease the configuration burden, host profiles can be used to create a baseline of the host configuration such that it can be applied to multiple hosts and checked for compliance.

Host profiles eliminate per-host, manual, or user interface-based host configuration and maintain configuration consistency and correctness across the data center through policies.

Host Profiles Usage Model

Host profile tasks are performed in the following workflow order. An existing vSphere installation with at least one properly configured host must exist.

1. Set up and configure the host that will be used as the reference host. A reference host is the host from which the profile is created.
2. Create a profile using the designated reference host.
3. Attach a host or cluster to the profile.
4. Check the host's compliance to the reference host's profile. If all hosts are compliant with the reference host, they are correctly configured.
5. Apply the host profile of the reference host to other hosts or clusters of hosts.