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Thanks, wanted to avoid that but guess it can't be helped.<br />
#1 and #4 you mean the vCenter config right? How would I do that?<br />
<br />
The VMs themselves wouldn't be affected by the removal of the ESXi OS right? As long as the disks they are on have no issues, I can just reinstall ESXi on the same server and re-register the VMs?
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<blockquote>
#1 and #4 you mean the vCenter config right? How would I do that?
</blockquote>
<br />
No. vCenter Server configuration is stored in the vCenter Server database. The ESXi host &nbsp;configuration is stored on the host.<br />
<br />
backup/restore &nbsp;is covered here<br />
<br />
<a href="https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2042141" rel="ugc nofollow">https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2042141</a><br />
<br />

<blockquote>
The VMs themselves wouldn't be affected by the removal of the ESXi OS right? As long as the disks they are on have no issues, I can just reinstall ESXi on the same server and re-register the VMs?
</blockquote>
<br />
Correct. Just make sure you select PRESERVE and do not overwrite the VMFS datastore.
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Ok, this seems straightforward. On that link there is a note about a bootbank file. <br />
Any chance this would be needed?<br />
<br />

<blockquote>
Correct. Just make sure you select PRESERVE and do not overwrite the VMFS datastore.
</blockquote>
<br />
Is this option presented during the ESXi config restore or is it when adding the VM back to inventory?
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<blockquote>
Is this option presented during the ESXi config restore or is it when adding the VM back to inventory?
</blockquote>
<br />
neither, when you install ESXi to your spinning disks. Which to be honest with you I would not recommend, install to USB or SD card, as it was designed to do.<br />
<br />
and make sure you have good valid VM backups, just in case you make a mistake and destroy your VMs or datastore!
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Thanks! Yes, backups are step 0. :)
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Some ESXi hosts were set up several years ago in what seems to be a 'temporary' fashion.<br />
One Host has all datastores in RAID0.<br />
The other host, all but one are RAID0, and of course ESXi was installed on one of the RAID0.<br />
<br />
I checked this in vCenter by going to Configuration -&gt; Hardware -&gt; Storage -&gt; Device View and looking for the devices with 'VMware Diagnostic' and 'Legacy MBR' partitions. This is the right way to check where ESXi is installed, right?<br />
<br />
So now I want to fix this by making these datastores at least RAID1. The VM's I can handle migrating them between datastores as I swap disks but I'm not sure how this would be done for the ESXi install itself.<br />
<br />
Is there a way to move the install to another datastore?<br />
<br />
Ideally, I'd like to copy the install to another datastore and then test ESXi boots from that location before I swap out the current disks. Is that possible?
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Some ESXi hosts were set up several years ago in what seems to be a 'temporary' fashion.
One Host has all datastores in RAID0.
The other host, all but one are RAID0, and of course ESXi was installed on one of the RAID0.

I checked this in vCenter by going to Configuration -> Hardware -> Storage -> Device View and looking for the devices with 'VMware Diagnostic' and 'Legacy MBR' partitions. This is the right way to check where ESXi is installed, right?

So now I want to fix this by making these datastores at least RAID1. The VM's I can handle migrating them between datastores as I swap disks but I'm not sure how this would be done for the ESXi install itself.

Is there a way to move the install to another datastore?

Ideally, I'd like to copy the install to another datastore and then test ESXi boots from that location before I swap out the current disks. Is that possible?

Changing hard drive where ESXi is installed and boots from?

Computer data storage, often called storage or memory, is a technology consisting of computer components and recording media used to retain digital data. In addition to local storage devices like CD and DVD readers, hard drives and flash drives, solid state drives can hold enormous amounts of data in a very small device. Cloud services and other new forms of remote storage also add to the capacity of devices and their ability to access more data without building additional data storage into a device.

Storage

Virtualization is the act of creating a virtual (rather than actual) version of something, including (but not limited to) a virtual computer hardware platform, operating system (OS), storage device, or computer network resources. Virtualization is usually the creation of a system that executes separate from the underlying hardware resources, or the creation of an entire desktop for systems located elsewhere, similar to thin clients.

Virtualization

VMware, a software company founded in 1998,  was one of the first commercially successful companies to offer x86 virtualization. The storage company EMC purchased VMware in 1994. Dell Technologies acquired EMC in 2016. VMware’s parent company is now Dell Technologies.

VMware has many software products that run on desktops, Microsoft Windows, Linux, and macOS, which allows the virtualizing of the x86 architecture.  Its enterprise software hypervisor for servers, VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi), is a bare-metal hypervisor that runs directly on the server hardware and does not require an additional underlying operating system.

VMware

Hardware includes cell phones and other digital living devices, tablets, computers, servers, peripherals and components, printers and scanners, gaming consoles, networking hardware such as routers, hubs, switches and modems, storage devices and security equipment such as firewalls and other appliances.