SharePoint Solutions Tips: How to Import and Export Virtual Machines in Windows Hyper-V Server

Today I am writing about “How to Import and Export Virtual Machines in Windows Hyper-V Server” step by step with screen shots.

As we are knowing now a days there is trend for Virtual servers, using virtual server we can save Money, Administrator tasks, Instead of using Host server, we can use our server on virtual hosted server, the servility & reliability of Hyper v server is better than hosted server.

As we have mentioned in my blog how to create and deployed the server on Hyper V servers, here I am going to describe about exporting and importing virtual machines.

Using import and export feature, we can create a new virtual machine with the same configuration of an existing machine in Hyper-V.

The exported virtual machine files or VHD are saved in the server, and we can be reused as many time as we want to create new VM.

So let’s start from begging and will be describing all details with screen shots:

Login to the server or system where hyper v machines is deployed.
Now search for Hyper V manager on the machine and click on the same to open

Once Hyper-V manager is opening, now click on the server to Connect Hyper-V server from Hyper-V Manger -> Right click on your virtual machine and select the export option.
If we have hosted the same in local server, it will be showing on the same; see below

Now select any one of the server which you want to export, and right click on the same. Here select Export option from the option came from Right click. See below:

It will open start with specify where you want to save the files, select your path by clicking on browse option and select path where you want to save the file.

Please note that you can export a virtual machine even when it is in “On” or turn off state. But prefer server should be down to export properly, also delete unwanted snapshot from the same to avoid the issue in importing the same.

Once all done, click on export and wait for time till exporting is done we can see the progress status from status bar.

Once exporting completing export operation we can see the virtual machine files in destination folder. This folder will contain Snapshots (In case if you have snapshot), Virtual Disks and Virtual machine files.

To import the VM, you need to copy all these three folders to the other server.

Import Virtual Machine in Hyper-V

Now we will discuss and see the steps to import the Virtual machines in Hyper-V Manager step by step with screen shots.

We are using Importing a virtual machine registers the virtual machine with the Hyper-V host. we can import back into the host, or new host and reuse the same server settings. If we are importing to the same exported server.

The Import Virtual Machine wizard also helps us fix mismatches that can exist when moving from one machine to another. This is commonly differences in physical hardware, such as memory, virtual switches, and virtual processors.

Below are the step by to import the same:

Copy the VM Files: We need to Copy the exported Virtual machine files and folders to your local server before we start import a virtual machine. See the above option how we have exported machine and saved the file.
Just for example we are trying to export windows server
Before importing virtual machine, we have Copied Windows server exported machine files from the machine to the server.
Import Virtual Machine Menu Option, now click in Hyper-V Manger and select the added server and right click on the same, we will getting option called Import Virtual machines

Once selected above option, we will get new Import virtual machine wizard.
First option, we will get before you begin, just select Next.

On the next page, we will get Locate folder here we need to select Virtual Machine by selecting browse option and select copied exported server.

Select the VM to Import: After selecting the path, it will show the machine name in import virtual Machine page. Select machine and click next.

Choose Import Type: on clicking next we will get option called choose import type.

Here we need select the Import mode as per your requirement. Please note that transferred files can be used again to clone machines only using “Copy The virtual machine (create a new unique ID)” option.

This has the following three options:

Restore the virtual machine

Copy the virtual machine (In our example, we are going to select this option)

Select above option and click on next, on the next page Select the Virtual Machine storage location path to store virtual machine files. Here accept the default values here. If we want to change the location, select the “Store the virtual machine in a different location” checkbox. Currently we are going with default feature.

Once clicked on next option we will get choose storage folders, here select the folder path to store Virtual machine Hard disk. This will be your storage location.