If you are an IT admin and handling VMware Workstation is a part of your job, you will be doing certain activities repeatedly, such as importing, exporting, and cloning the machine. These are essential when deploying programs, testing out network communication, and more. In this post, we will learn how to import, export, and clone VMs in VMware Workstation.
Export a VM in VMware Workstation
To export a VM in VMware Workstation, you need to follow the steps mentioned below.
- In VMware Workstation, you need to turn off the machine.
- Then, export the virtual machine to an OVF file.
- Finally, save the OVF file to your preferred location.
Launch the VMware Workstation by searching it out of the Start Menu. Now, expand the host, right-click on the virtual machine and select Power > Power Off; wait for the machien to turn off completely. Once your machine is off, you need to select it and click on File > Export to OVF. Navigate to the location where you want to store the file, give it an appropriate name.
You will see a status bar where you can see the progress, it might take a little time, so, wait for the process to complete.
Import a VM in VMware Workstation
After learning how to export a virtual machine, we will learn how to import it. For this tutorial, we will be using the same machine that we exported. You need to follow the steps mentioned below to do the same.
- In VMware Workstation, open a new virtual machine.
- Now, navigate to the location where the you have stored the exported OVF file.
- Then, import the OVF file.
First of all, you need to open the VMWare Workstation, then, click on File > Open, you can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + O. Next up, navigate to the location where you have stored the virtual machine export, for me, it was Desktop > Exported VM. Then, select the OVF file and click on Open.
This will open the Import Virtual Machine wizard, enter the name of the virtual machine, and then select the storage path. Once done, acknowledge it, this will trigger the import and you will see the status bar.
Wait for the import to complete, and you can see the virtual machine in the VMware Workstation Library.
Clone a VM in VMware Workstaion
Now let us see how to clone the machine.
In VM cloning, we create a replica of the virtual machine which can be useful for various purposes such as creation of backups, deployment of virtual machines, and other testing purposes. There are two types of cloning.
- Full Clones: We create a virtual machine that is entirely independent of the parent machine. So, if the parent machine is changed after cloning, it will not affect the clone, and vice versa.
- Linked Clones: Here, both machines share a single virtual disk. The clone VM uses the same base disk as the parent, and they are interdependent; therefore, any changes made to the clone will affect the parent, and vice versa.
To do so, follow this procedure.
In VMware Workstation, right-click on the virtual machine in question, and select Manage > Clone. This will trigger the Clone Virtual Machine Wizard, click on Next. If you have any snapshot created, select it, otherwise, go with the default option. In the Clone Method screen, select the type of clone you want to create and then move on. Give the machine a name, and select Finish.
Read: How to import, export, or clone Virtual Machines in Hyper-V
How to Export and import VM in VMware?
You can import a the virtual machine in the form of an OVF file in VMware. This OVF file can be transfered to a different computer. Then, you can use the OVF file to import the machine and the VM will be added to your VMware Virtual Machine Library. To know more, check out the aforementioned guide.
Read: How to use Host Configured Printer on VMware Workstation VM
How to clone a VM in VMware Workstation?
To clone a VM in VMware Workstation, you need to right-click on the virtual machine and select Manage > Clone. This will trigger the Clone wizard, you just need to follow the on-screen instruction to complete the process. To know more about the type of cloning, check out the details mentioned earlier.
Also Read: Install Windows Server on VMware Workstation.
