ESXi to Proxmox - Deathraymind/HomeLab GitHub Wiki

1. Export the VM from ESXi:

   • Using the ESXi web interface or vSphere client, export the VM to an OVF (Open Virtualization Format) file. This will create an OVF file along with associated virtual disk files.

2. Organize Your Files:

   • Create a folder on your local system to organize the downloaded files from ESXi. Place the OVF file and its associated virtual disk files (usually in a separate folder) into this directory.

3. Copy Files to Proxmox Host:

   • Use the scp command to copy the VM files to your Proxmox host securely. Replace the following placeholders:
     • <local_directory>: The local directory where you placed the OVF and virtual disk files.
     • <proxmox_ip>: The IP address of your Proxmox host.
     • <proxmox_directory>: The destination directory on your Proxmox host where you want to copy the VM files.
   • Run the following command:

     scp -r <local_directory> root@<proxmox_ip>:<proxmox_directory>

4. SSH into Proxmox Host:

   • Open a terminal on your local system and SSH into your Proxmox host using the following command:

     ssh root@<proxmox_ip>

   • Replace <proxmox_ip> with the IP address of your Proxmox host. You'll need to enter your Proxmox host's root password when prompted.

5. Import the VM into Proxmox:

   • Once you are connected to your Proxmox host via SSH, use the qm importovf command to import the VM. Replace the following placeholders:
     • <vm_id>: The unique ID you want to assign to the imported VM in Proxmox.
     • <proxmox_directory>: The directory on your Proxmox host where you copied the VM files.
     • <ovf_file>: The name of the OVF file you want to import.
   • Run the following command:

     qm importovf <vm_id> /<proxmox_directory>/<ovf_file> local-lvm

   • You will first need to download the ovftool.bundle on your Proxmox to get this command. Google how to do and where to get it.
   • Replace <vm_id>, <proxmox_directory>, and <ovf_file> with the appropriate values for your setup. The local-lvm parameter specifies the storage pool where the VM will be provisioned.

6. Verify and Start the VM:

   • After the import is successful, you can verify the VM's existence by running the following command:

     qm list

   • This will display a list of VMs, including the one you just imported. Note down the VM ID.
   • To start the imported VM, use the following command, replacing <vm_id> with the ID of the imported VM:

     qm start <vm_id>

Your imported VM should now be running in Proxmox.

These instructions should help you migrate a VM from ESXi to Proxmox. Please make sure to replace the placeholders with your actual values. Additionally, it's important to have backups and be cautious when performing such migrations to avoid data loss or configuration issues.