VMware and veeam backup and fastSCP

That's correct if you use Veeam FastSCP to download the entire folder, but make sure also the Virtual Machine is also powered OFF.

and then connect to the new ESX server, and to complete a restore, upload the folder to the datastore, and then browse the datastore using the datastore browser, select the VMX file, right click and select add to Inventory.

If you have a licensed version of ESX/ESXi, you may want to consider the following Backup Scripts, which will backup your VMs automatically. But this is backup only.

1. ghettoVCB

http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-8760 ((Will work on FREE ESXi, no licensed required.)

(can be performed whilst the virtual machine is live or powered on)

2. ghettoVCBg2  

http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-9843 (needs licensed version of ESX/ESXi)

(can be performed whilst the virtual machine is live or powered on)


3. Scripts and NFS backup

http://communities.vmware.com/message/1029047 (Will work on FREE ESXi, no licensed required.)
(can be performed whilst the virtual machine is live or powered on)

4. VMware Converter Standalone 4.3

http://downloads.vmware.com/d/info/datacenter_downloads/vmware_vcenter_converter_standalone/4_0

VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 4.x Documentation

http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/converter_pubs.html

VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 4.3 User Guide

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/convsa_43_guide.pdf

With VMware Converter you can convert and copy a Virtual Machine to another datastore, this advantage is you can do this whilst the virtual machine is Online or Powered-Up.

5. Veeam FastSCP (http://www.veeam.com/vmware-esxi-fastscp.html)

Fast Virtual Machine / File Transfer. Faster than WinSCP and other SCP-based tools as it uses full network capacity. The Veeam FastSCP engine also features traffic compression and empty block removal for best file copy performance.

You can use FastSCP to connect to the ESX/ESXi server, and download the entire virtual machine folder/directory to the current workstation or server, where yov've connected from. You must ensure that the virtual machines are powered off to complete this operation.

6. Datastore browser

The datastore browser is included in the vSphere GUI Client, and enables you access to the datastore, virtual machines are stored on. You can simple use the cut and paste, or download/upload options to backup and restore virtual machines. Again to copy a virtual machine, the virtual machine must be powered off.

Restoring with options 5 and 6, above, you must add the Virtual Machine manually to the inventory, by selecting the vmx file in the datastore browser, right click on the *.vmx file, and select "Add to Inventory".

Using ESX 4.1 in production and in test network. It looks like with veeam backup and fastSCP I can onlu copy folders...veeam backup and replication has more features

Veeam Backup and REplication v5 is a FULL Backup Product.

Veeam FastSCP, is just a faster version of WinSCP (Secure FTP).

Yep...you can only copy, and as mentioned above, you can only do so with the VM powered off. If you're just going between hosts though, it may be simpler to use vCenter Converter Standalone. This way, the source (copied) VM doesn't have to be powered down...it can stay up, and you don't have to use the Datastore Browser to add it to inventory...it'll already be added after the 'conversion' (copy). During the conversion, just rename the VM and so as not to have a name conflict on your network, assuming your test netwk is on the same subnet.

I have the vCenter Converter Standalone 4.1 and 4.3 downloaded and have been using it to convert vm's and my laptop to vm....cool stuff. Thanks for the input....off to testing I go.

If you use Veeam for the backup and restore, I think it will take care of the registration of the VM for you.   Also, if you are using the demo, then you should be able to use the SureBackup functionality of Veeam B&R, which creates a copy of the vm from the backup file(s) and then powers it on in a fenced in environment and tests it for basic functionality.