If I try to deploy from the vmx file, I get a vm with the name 'unknown (inva. It depends on your situation if this is good enough for you. I have a vmdk file and vmx file (and all the other files from someone elses datastore) copied onto my own data store. Advantage of this solution is that you can test the restore for each image offsite without disturbing your initial VM in any way. Restore steps are the same, but in reverse order.
For more details, see explanation and example in case of FreeNAS and for the VMware-related part also the old ghettoVCB backup script. Unofficial way:Ī potential alternative (unsupported by VMware) works only if you have an ACID-compliant file system with snapshot support underneath it (for example ZFS).
According to VMware specs, before copying, moving or downloading a VM (vmdk files), you need to consolidate/remove all existing VM snapshots and then power off the VM, no shortcuts here.