VMWare ESXi how to import a HDD from another ESXi foreign disk

esxcfg-volume -l  - list volumes, find UUID

VMFS3 UUID/label:  4dd52c33-b742ddde-cdc1-001e670402c1/SBS-Datastore

Can mount:  Yes

Can resignature:  Yes

Extent name:  naa.6003005700ed60001666bf1f70936030:1     range: 0 - 476671 (MB)

esxcfg-volume -M 4dd52c33-b742ddde-cdc1-001e670402c1

You need to tell it to detect the existing datastore: 

esxcfg-advcfg -s 1 /LVM/EnableResignature

esxcfg-advcfg -s 0 /LVM/DisallowSnapshotLun

Scan the volume:

esxcfg-rescan vmhba0 && esxcfg-rescan vmhba1

vmhba0 and vmhba1 are the volumes on your system.

Then login with the vi client:

Configuration ->Storage

Select Rescan

Which will scan for:

New storage adapters.

Scan for new VMFS volumes.

Click Refresh

Then go back to the summary and change the name of datastore from

snap-blah

To:

datastore1 or whatever name you want. 

Then turn the resignature option off.

esxcfg-advcfg -s 0 /LVM/EnableResignature

esxcfg-advcfg -s 1 /LVM/DisallowSnapshotLun

We create a 5 GB volume to install esxi on, so we can reinstall esxi without affecting the existing datastore(s).