Hyper-V How to Export VM to Network Share

Can you export Hyper-V VM to network share?

Exporting a virtual machine to OVF/OVA is one of virtual machine backup measures. By exporting a Hyper-V VM, you can create a copy of its VHD files, VM configuration files, and snapshots. And they can be imported to a VM on the original host or another host.

You may want to store the exported files to a network share, to restore entire VM on another machine or just keep the backup files more secure. Can Hyper-V export VM to network share be down on Hyper-V Manager?

In fact, on earlier versions of Hyper-V, you cannot directly export VM to network share. However, things changed since the release of Windows Server 2012.

Staring from Windows Server 2012, you can select a network share as storage destination when specify the where you wan to store the exported files. But what you still need to note is that you can only export 1 VM at a time.

In this article, I will introduce 2 ways of how to export multiple VMs or single VM to network share.

An easy way to export multiple VMs to network share (free)

Using the export and import features on Hyper-V Manager, you can only export one VM at a time. If you want Hyper-V export VM to network drive at scale, third-party software can better help you.

AOMEI Cyber Backup is a professional free virtual machine backup software. It allows you to centrally manage the image-level backup and restore of all VMs on multiple Hyper-V hosts or VMware ESXi hosts. In addition, it has the following benefits.

✦ Image-level Multiple VMs Backup: independent image-level VM backups can be restored to new VMs.
✦ Offsite Storage: you can back up/export VMs to network share or NAS device within LAN.
✦ Automated Execution: automate daily, weekly, or monthly backups and notified by email.
✦ Perpetual Free: you can use AOMEI Cyber Backup Free Edition with no time limit.

AOMEI Cyber Backup supports Hyper-V in Windows 8/8.1/10/11, Windows Server/Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2012 R2 and later versions.

Next, I will demonstrate how Hyper-V export VM to network share with simply 3 steps. You can click the following button to download the freeware.

*You can choose to install this VM backup software on either Windows or Linux system.

3 easy steps to export multiple Hyper-V VMs to network share

1. Bind Devices: Access AOMEI Cyber Backup web client, navigate to Source Device > VMware ESXi > + Add VMware ESXi to add a host, and then click … > Bind Device.

Note: Once bound the host you do not need to repeat this step later.

2. Create Backup Task: Navigate to Backup Task > + Create New Task, and then set the Task Name, Backup Type, Device, Target, and Schedule.

• Device: cover multiple VMs on the host in one backup task.
• Target: selecting to back up to a network share. Used paths will be saved in Favorite Storage for handy selection.

• Schedule: performing full, differential or incremental backup, and automate execution daily, weekly or monthly according to the frequency you specified.

3. Start Backup: You can select to Add the schedule and start backup now, or Add the schedule only.

Created backup tasks will be listed and monitored separately, for restoring, progress checking and schedule changing.

While the Free Edition covers most of VM backup needs, you can also upgrade to Premium Edition to enjoy:
▶ Batch VM backup: batch backup large numbers of VMs managed by vCenter Server or on standalone ESXi hosts.
▶ Backup cleanup: Configure a retention policy to auto delete old backup files and save storage space.
▶ Restore to new location: Create a new VM in the same or another datastore/host directly from the backup, saves the trouble of re-configuring the new VM.

How to export VM to network share via native feature

1. Launch Hyper-V Manager. Right-click on the name of the target VM, and select Export…

2. In the pop-up window, click Browse to specify a network share as the storage destination to the exported files.

3. You can monitor the export progress under State.

When it’s accomplished, you will find 3 folders, the VM configuration files, the snapshots, and the Hyper-V VHD on network share folder.

Summary

The Export and import features allow you to migrate virtual machines from one Hyper-V host to another. In this article, I introduced 2 ways of Hyper-V export VM to network share.

If you only need to export several Hyper-V VMs, the native export and import features would be enough. But if you still want to export or backup multiple Hyper-V VMs, AOMEI Cyber Backup definitely worth a try!