The ESXi 5.5 backup configuration should be performed on regular basis in order to guarantee a quick restore with the most recent setup.
To perform the host backup, two easy ways can be used: using the vMA appliance or Windows CLI.
Backup using vMA
To back up the ESXi configuration using vMA, connect to the appliance and run the command:
vicfg-cfgbackup --server=esxi_ip_address --username=root -s path_backup_filename
# vicfg-cfgbackup --server=lab-esxi01 --username=root -s lab-esxi01_backup.txt
Backup the ESXi hosts in the network running the same command. Check the backup in the directory defined in the CLI command:
Backup using Windows
From Windows, open the Command Prompt and navigate to the CLI directory.
C:\>cd \Program Files\VMware\VMware vSphere CLI\bin
Run the command:
vicfg-cfgbackup.pl --server=esxi_ip_address --username=root -s path_backup_filename
C:\>vicfg-cfgbackup.pl --server=10.0.0.1 --username=root -s lab-esxi01_config.txt
Backup the ESXi hosts in the network running the same command. Looking at the backup directory defined in the CLI command, you can find the config files just saved.
Backing up the host configuration only it's a good approach to the disaster recovery plan. It isn't worth it to backup the entire ESXi for some reasons:
- the configuration restore process takes seconds.
- you save lot of space in the backup storage.
- latest release of the ESXi can be used for the installation (avoid patching).
- the host downtime is minimal.
