[Step-by-Step Guide] How to Create vSphere Host Profile in VMware

Applying vSphere host profile can reduce the risk of misconfiguration and also can help you to simplify management, it’s useful in large environments. This article provides you with detailed steps to create vSphere host profile.

Amelia

By Amelia / Updated on January 8, 2025

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VMware vSphere is a virtualization platform that helps you manage, monitor, and automate various aspects of your virtualization infrastructure. Host profiles are one of the features of vSphere that simplify the management of host configurations across a virtual environment and provide a standardized way to maintain consistent and optimal settings for ESXi hosts. In this article, you can learn what a vSphere host profile is, vSphere host profile license requirements, and how to create host profile in VMware.

vsphere host profile

What is vSphere Host Profile

The VMware Host Profile is a configuration template that standardizes and unifies the configuration of all ESXi hosts in a datacenter or cluster by extracting the configuration from one VMware ESXi host and importing it into other ESXi hosts. These standardizations can include networking, storage, security, and other host-related settings. vSphere Host Profile automates the configuration process and minimizes human error.

Additional: vSphere Host Profile License Requirements

The following is a breakdown of the license requirements for vSphere Host Profiles:

▶vSphere Standard: Host Profiles are not available with the vSphere Standard edition.

▶vSphere Enterprise Plus: Host Profiles are included in the vSphere Enterprise Plus edition.

▶vSphere Enterprise: Host Profiles are not available in vSphere Enterprise.

▶vSphere Essentials and vSphere Essentials Plus: Host Profiles are not available with the vSphere Essentials and vSphere Essentials Plus editions.

How to Create Host Profile in VMware

Creating a vSphere Host Profile helps automate the configuration of ESXi hosts to ensure consistency across the infrastructure. This next section describes creating a host profile in VMware vSphere using vCenter Server.

Prerequisites

The following requirements you need to meet if you want to create host profile in VMware:

👉vCenter Server: You must have a vCenter Server (Standard Edition or higher) running in your environment.

👉ESXi Host: At least one ESXi host configured with the required settings is required as a reference host. A host profile will be created based on the configuration of this reference host.

👉vSphere Enterprise Plus or higher: Host Profile is available only in the Enterprise Plus version of vSphere.

Step 1. Log in to the vCenter Server, in the vSphere Client navigate to Hosts and Cluster and select an ESXi host you want to use as the reference host. Right-click the selected host and choose Host Profiles > Extract Host Profile. Then enter Name and Description and click Finish.

extract host profile

Step 2. After creating, the host profile will be listed on the Host Profile page. You can now click Actions > Edit Host Profile to change the environment to meet your needs.

edit host profile

Step 3. Once the host profile is created, you can apply it to one or more ESXi hosts in your environment. Right-click the host or cluster and select Host Profiles > Attach Host Profile.

attach host profile

Step 4. You need to check compliance. If the configuration of the target host is different from the one saved in the host profile, the status is not compliant, and you can apply the host profile to that ESXi host. Click Actions > Check Host Profile Compliance.

check host profile compliance

Step 5. After applying a host profile to other hosts, you need to ensure that those hosts conform to the profile's configuration. Select the ESXi host in the Monitor tab, and click Pre-Check Remediation.

pre-check remediatation

Using Backup Tools to Ensure Virtual Environment Secure

The Host Profile offers significant advantages for managing large-scale ESXi host environments. To simplify the management of numerous virtual machines and enhance their security, consider using AOMEI Cyber Backup.

In VMware environments, an efficient backup solution is crucial to ensure data integrity and a smooth recovery process. AOMEI Cyber Backup is a reliable software that streamlines backup tasks while providing robust protection for your virtual infrastructure.

User-friendly Interface: With an easy-to-use intuitive, you can create a backup task with several clicks without installing any agents.
Fast Disaster Recovery: Instant restore VMware VMs to a usable state, reducing business downtime and financial loss without the need to recreate or reconfigure.
Incremental and Differential Backups: It supports incremental and differential backup strategies, minimizing the backup size while ensuring that changes to virtual machines are captured efficiently.
Centralized Backup: It can perform multiple VM backups simultaneously from a central console.

Download Free TrialVMware ESXi & Hyper-V
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Follow simple steps to backup virtual machines

Step 1. Log in to AOMEI Cyber Backup, navigate to Source Device > VMware > + Add VMware Device to Add vCenter or Standalone ESXi, enter the Device Information and User Information, and click Confirm after finishing.

Bind device

Step 2. Navigate to Backup Task > + Create New Task, then select VMware ESXi Backup as Backup Type. Then set the Task Name, Device, Target, Archive, Schedule, and Cleanup according to your needs.

VMware ESXi backup

  • Device: Since multiple VMs on the host are covered in a single backup task, you need to select the VMs that need to be backed up.

Select virtual machines vCenter

  • Target: You can select to backup to a local path, or a network path. Used paths are saved in favorites for easy selection.

backup to a local path

  • Archive: You can add an Amazon S3 storage and archive VMware Backup versions to this S3 storage.

archive vmware backup

  • Schedule: You can choose to perform full, differential, or incremental backups and have them automatically execute daily, weekly, or monthly basis at a frequency you specify.

schedule backup

  • Backup Cleanup: You can configure a retention policy to auto-delete backup files and save storage space.

backup cleanup

Step 3. Click Start Backup and select Add the schedule and start backup now or Add the schedule only.

FAQs about vSphere Host Profile

Q: How to check ESXi host image profile?

A: From the vSphere Web Client, select the ESXi Host and go to Configure > System > Security Profile. The acceptance level can be viewed in Host Image Profile Acceptance Level.

Q: How do I extract host profile in VMware?

A: Navigate to Host Profile in Active Directory, select Extract Host Profile, choose the appropriate ESXi host, and then enter a name for your new host profile. Next, return to the Host Profiles page select your new profile, and click Edit Host Profile.

Q: How do I change my host profile?

A: Navigate to account > hosts click on your existing host profile and use the tabs to continue building and managing your profile.

Conclusion

VMware vSphere Host Profiles ensure configuration consistency, compliance, and automation, significantly benefiting managing large-scale ESXi host environments. They provide a powerful, efficient solution. By effectively leveraging Host Profiles, you can maintain high levels of operational efficiency throughout your virtualized environment.

Amelia
Amelia · Editor
Amelia is an editor from AOMEI. Trained in professional systems, she specializes in solving problems in enterprise databases, virtual machines, and physical environments. With a high sense of responsibility, she is dedicated to protecting business data and security.