Register a Virtual Machine to the vCenter Server Inventory

Products

• VMware vCenter Server
• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

This article details the procedures for registering, or re-registering, a virtual machine (VM) to the inventory within vCenter Server or directly on an ESXi host, utilizing several different methods.

Resolution

A virtual machine can be registered to the inventory via the vSphere Web Client, the VMware Host Client, or the ESXi command line interface (CLI).

Method 1: Using vSphere Web Client (vCenter Server)

• Launch the vSphere Web Client and log in with the appropriate credentials.
• Navigate to the desired ESXi host.
• Select the Configure tab.
• Under Datastores, right-click the appropriate datastore and select Browse Files.
• Locate the VM's directory and find the corresponding .vmx file.
• Right-click the .vmx file and select Register VM.
• Follow the registration wizard to complete the process.
  
  

Method 2: Using VMware Host Client (Direct to ESXi Host)

• Open the VMware Host Client and log in with the appropriate credentials.
• Click Storage in the navigation pane.
• Right-click on the relevant datastore and select Register a VM.
• Browse to the directory where the virtual machine resides.
• Select the .vmx file and click Register to complete the process.
  
  

Method 3: Using ESXi Command Line

• Connect to the ESXi host via SSH as the root user.
• Run the below command to register the VM:
  vim-cmd solo/registervm /vmfs/volumes/<datastore_name>/<VM_directory>/<VM_name>.vmx

Additional Information

• Ensure the .vmx file is intact and not corrupted before attempting registration.
• Upon successful registration, the virtual machine will be accessible through the VMs and Templates view within vCenter Server or directly on the ESXi host.
• This method is commonly employed in scenarios where a virtual machine has been removed from the vCenter Server or ESXi host inventory, but its associated files persist on the datastore.