Cloning image and save it directly to ESXi datastore?

You can't clone it directly, but you can create a backup plan including the 'convert to virtual machine' part and specify to store the resulting VM there.

dev-anon wrote:

You can't clone it directly, but you can create a backup plan including the 'convert to virtual machine' part and specify to store the resulting VM there.

Thanks for your input dev-anon. How do I "specify to store the resulting VM there"? In my destination to save the file, I am not able to select the ESXi datastore. It isnt appearing on my "destination" list. Anyway to access the ESXi datastore via windows? Is Acronis able to do that?

Hi ITAdmin

I believe the details you are after can be found at the following location, also ensure you have the Virtual Edition of ABR11 to make this process nice and easy:
http://www.acronis.com/support/documentation/ABR11/index.html#7364.html

Hello Datastor,

If I do not have the virtual edition, are there any workarounds? You can refer to my attached screenshot. A picture is worth a thousand words. I am unable to browse to the ESXi datastore.

Hi ITAdmin

Unfortunately to interact with EXCi datastore's you do require the virtual edition as the virtual agent (either Virtual Appliance or Windows ESXi Agent) is required to communicate with VMWare.

What might be a good idea is to perhaps look at generating a trial key for ABR11 on the Acronis website and get the requested feature tested and see if it's something you could benefit from, if it is you can always look at the upgrade option to ABR11 virtual edition.

Hello Datastor,

I have downloaded and installed ABR11 Virtual edition in one of the VMs. I am still not able to point the destination to the datastore layer.
I have attached how the setup is like.

I need to store the image in the datastore layer, not in the VM layer.

Is there any step by step guides for Acronis dummies like me.

To use these features, you need to use agentless mode - i.e. install either Agent for ESX(i) on some windows machine (it's not the same as the regular Agent for Windows present in all other editions) and set the ESX host in its machine options (or during installation), or deploy appliance to ESX host. It's described in details in one of these docs -
http://www.acronis.com/download/docs/abr11ve/backingup

After following the guide (Thanks dev-anon), I am unable to deploy agent to my ESXi host.

Received this error message "Failed to deploy agent for ESX(i) to "MYIPAddress"

*IP inside the screenshots has been processed.

Hello ITadmin,

Looking at your initial post - if (for the reason I cannot guess) you want to store .tib files on a ESXi datastore, why not to upload them there using vSphere Client? Acronis will not be able to reach the files though, unless you download them back.

Regarding Agent for ESX(i), do you use a paid ESXi license or free ESXi (VMware vSphere Hypervisor)? Free ESXi is not supported by the agent. Lastly, if the agent deployment fails, you can import the agent from OVF as described here.

Hello Elenal,

- I want to store the conversion of .tib files (.vmdk) on ESXi datastore on a scheduled basis. I do not want to manually upload using vSphere Client.
- Yes I am using a free ESXi license, and I have crated the agent from OVF as described in the link you have provided.

Do see my attached. I have added 100GB of space in the virtual appliance for testing: 1.jpg
But I am still unable to point my backup location to the virtual appliance. : Please see 2.jpg

Any advise is very much appreciated. I have been trying to solve this for months. :(

Hi ITAdmin

Ok this makes sense now, unfortunately what you are trying to do with not work as VMWare will not allow you to use the free edition of ESXi to perform the required tasks. You have to have a paid version of ESXi to get the function you require working.

Alternatively I believe if you install a ESXi server and run it in trial mode (eg, do not enter any 'free' license keys) you will be able to test the functions but as soon as you enter an 'ESXi free license key' into your server it will lock it down and you will loose access so this might be away for you to test it does what you are after and if so look into purchasing a license for your ESXi server if required..

Hi ITAdmin, can I please ask on how this was resolved for you?