How do I import and export virtual machines in Virtual Machine Manager?
How do I import and export virtual machines in Virtual Machine Manager?
Purpose
This article introduces the requirements and steps for importing virtual machines into Virtual Machine Manager from other hypervisors and exporting them from Virtual Machine Manager.
Environment
Supported operation systems
Refer to Virtual Machine Manager Supported Operating Systems on Synology’s website. Memory size or drive space suggestions for different guest operating systems:
Operating Systems |
Memory Size |
Drive Space |
---|---|---|
Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows Server | - | 20 GB |
Windows 10 (64-bit) | 2 GB | - |
CentOS 7.0 and later | 1 GB | - |
OpenSUSE | - | 100 GB |
Ubuntu | 2 GB | - |
Supported format of importing and exporting virtual machine
Virtual machines with virtual disks larger than 2 TB are not supported for export or import.
- Importing:
Format
Details
Open Virtual Appliance (OVA)
Supports importing images with multiple disks.
VMware Virtual Machine Disk (VMDK)1
Compatible with VMware ESXi and VMware vSphere virtualization products.
Fixed and Dynamic Virtual Hard Disk (VHD/VHDX)
Compatible with Microsoft Hyper-V and Citrix Xen virtualization products.
Virtual Disk Image (VDI)
Compatible with VirtualBox virtualization products.
Raw image (IMG)
Contains sector-by-sector contents of a disk.
- Exporting:
- Open Virtual Appliance (OVA)
Supported virtual disk interface
- IDE
- SATA
- VirtIO
Supported virtual network card
- VirtIO
- e1000
- RTL8139
Resolution
Import virtual machines from other hypervisors into Virtual Machine Manager
You can import virtual machines in OVA files or disk images (VMDK/VHD/VHDX/VDI/IMG) to Virtual Machine Manager.
- Export the OVA file or the disk image from the original hypervisor.2
- If you exported an OVA file, proceed to step 2.
- If you want to import a disk image:
- Go to Virtual Machine Manager > Image > Disk Image, and click Add.
- Upload the disk image.
- Select the storage on which you want to store the image.
- Go to Virtual Machine Manager > Virtual Machine, and click Create > Import.
- Select Import from OVA files or disk images.
- Follow the steps in To create a virtual machine to finish.
Export virtual machines from Virtual Machine Manager
- Go to Virtual Machine Manager > Virtual Machine.
- Power off the virtual machine.
- Click Action > Export.
- Select the shared folder as the exported destination.3
Notes:
- VMDK with VMFS3 is supported. VMFS5 and VMFS6 are not supported.
- Before exporting from other hypervisors, check the following notes:
- Select an Export mode that is compatible with the operating system of the hypervisor you want to import to.