How to use existing ESXi host image on a new cluster with the same hardware
Article ID: 449791
Updated On:
Products
Issue/Introduction
Looking to use a standard ESXi Host image from a host in your environment when a new cluster is being created.
Environment
vCenter 7.x
vCenter 8.x
Resolution
1. Right-Click at the Datacenter Level and select create a new cluster
2. Select the "Manage all hosts in the cluster with a Single Image" Checkbox, this works great when the same Server hardware is being used on the new hosts in the cluster being created.
3. Select Radial button "Import Image from an existing host in the vCenter inventory" and press NEXT
4. In the next menu under Select Image, select the Host you want to use for the image and select NEXT and Finish.
5. Once Completed the new Cluster will be created and the image that was extracted will be present as the baseline.
Additional Information
Alternate Option:
The above process can also be used if it had manually installed VMware vibs on a host and are wanting to use that image for Single Image Remediation, a few more steps would need to be completed
1. Once the process above has been completed, go to the Cluster > Next the Updates Tab > Image > Select the Ellipsis and in the dropdown select Export.
2. In the Export Image menu Select JSON > Then press EXPORT >Next a JSON file will be downloaded to your Download location
Ex:
3. Go to the Cluster tab under Updates > Press the Ellipsis and in the dropdown select Import > In the Import Image you will select Browse > Select the JSON file that was previously downloaded and Select NEXT
4. Then the Updates tab Image menu will show the Image that was Imported > Next select Validate and once that is finished Press Save
5. An Image compliance task will be generated and once it completes it will provide you the option to Remediate the host(s)
6. From the Image Compliance section you can go through the process to Remediate the host(s) with the newly Imported Image
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