When working with remote ESXi hosts, direct console access isn't always available. The vSphere Client (either HTML5 or Windows version) becomes our primary interface. For this scenario, we have:

• ESXi 6.7+ host (remote location)
• USB HDD formatted with VMFS or FAT32/NTFS
• Stopped/ Powered-off VM (recommended for clean export)

First, verify the USB drive is recognized by ESXi:

# SSH into ESXi host (if enabled)
ls -l /vmfs/volumes/
lsusb

Through vSphere Client GUI:

1. Right-click the powered-off VM → Clone → Clone to Template
2. Select "Export OVF Template" format
3. Choose USB drive location (typically appears as datastore)
4. Enable "Include BIOS UUID" if needed for licensing

For advanced users with SSH access:

# Locate VM files
find /vmfs/volumes -name "*.vmx" | grep "VM_NAME"

# Create export directory on USB
mkdir /vmfs/volumes/USB_DRIVE/vm_export

# Use vmkfstools for disk cloning
vmkfstools -i /vmfs/volumes/DATASTORE/VM_NAME/VM_NAME.vmdk \
           /vmfs/volumes/USB_DRIVE/vm_export/VM_NAME.vmdk -d thin

# Copy configuration files
cp /vmfs/volumes/DATASTORE/VM_NAME/*.vmx /vmfs/volumes/USB_DRIVE/vm_export/
cp /vmfs/volumes/DATASTORE/VM_NAME/*.nvram /vmfs/volumes/USB_DRIVE/vm_export/

After export completes:

# Check file integrity
cd /vmfs/volumes/USB_DRIVE/vm_export
sha1sum *.vmdk > checksums.sha1

# Verify disk consistency (for thick provisioned)
vmkfstools -e VM_NAME.vmdk

USB Drive Not Visible:
Check storage adapters in vSphere → Host → Configure → Storage → Storage Adapters

Permission Errors:

chmod -R 777 /vmfs/volumes/USB_DRIVE/vm_export
esxcli storage core claiming reclaim -d naa.xxxxxxxx

Insufficient Space:
Use df -h to verify available space before transfer

Before proceeding, ensure:

• ESXi host version is 6.5 or later (older versions have different procedures)
• VM is completely powered off (not suspended)
• USB drive is formatted with VMFS, FAT32, or NTFS
• You have SSH access enabled on ESXi host (for alternative methods)

The simplest approach for most users:

1. Right-click the powered-off VM in vSphere inventory
2. Select Export... from the context menu
3. In the export dialog:

   Destination Type: Local Disk
   Directory: /vmfs/volumes/usb-drive-name/
   Create separate folder: [Checked]
   

4. Monitor progress in Recent Tasks panel

For advanced users preferring CLI:

# First identify your USB drive datastore
esxcli storage filesystem list

# Then clone the VM (example for VM named 'webserver')
vmkfstools -i "/vmfs/volumes/datastore1/webserver/webserver.vmdk" \
           "/vmfs/volumes/usb-drive/webserver_clone/webserver.vmdk" \
           -d thin

Issue: "Insufficient permissions" error
Fix: Ensure your vSphere user has these privileges:

Datastore.AllocateSpace
VirtualMachine.State.PowerOff
VirtualMachine.Provisioning.Clone

Issue: USB drive not visible
Fix: Run these commands via SSH:

esxcli storage core adapter rescan --all
ls /vmfs/volumes/

For cross-platform compatibility:

ovftool vi://username:password@esxi-host-IP/vm-name \
        /vmfs/volumes/usb-drive-identifier/vm-name.ovf

After completion, verify file integrity:

cd /vmfs/volumes/usb-drive/vm-folder
vmkfstools -e vmname.vmdk | grep "VMFS extent"