Where add or how use ESXi host in setup Azure Site Recovery for VMWARE.

To set up Azure Site Recovery (ASR) for VMware using an ESXi host, you need to ensure that you are correctly configuring the connection to your ESXi host. Here are the key steps to follow:

1. Ensure ESXi Host is Managed: Make sure that your ESXi host is properly set up and managed. ASR typically requires a vCenter server for managing multiple ESXi hosts, but it can also work with a standalone ESXi host under certain conditions.
2. Use Correct Credentials: When adding the ESXi host, ensure that you are using the correct credentials. The account must have administrative privileges on the ESXi host.
3. Configuration Server Setup: During the configuration server setup, you need to enter the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) or IP address of the ESXi host. Ensure that you are not mistakenly trying to add it as a vCenter server.
4. Error Handling: The error message you are encountering indicates that the system is expecting a vCenter server rather than an ESXi host. If you are only using an ESXi host, make sure that you are following the specific steps for adding an ESXi host rather than a vCenter server. If necessary, consult the documentation to ensure you are using the correct endpoint and configuration.
5. Documentation Reference: For detailed steps on registering the configuration server and adding the ESXi host, refer to the Azure documentation on setting up Site Recovery for VMware solutions.

If you continue to face issues, consider reaching out to Microsoft technical support for further assistance, as they can provide more tailored help based on your specific setup and error messages.

Hello Paweł Wesołowski,

We understand that you’re trying to enable Azure Site Recovery (ASR) for VMware workloads using the ASR appliance. Your environment has only a standalone ESXi host (no vCenter). When you add the ESXi credentials in the appliance, ASR tries to add a vCenter endpoint and fails with Error AgentErrorCode: InvalidvCenterEndpoint. ASR typically requires either a vCenter or a standalone ESXi host for managing VMs.

In agentless VMware protection, the ASR/Azure Migrate appliance queries vCenter via well‑known APIs (e.g., /sdk) to enumerate VMs and orchestrate snapshots/replication. A standalone ESXi host does not present the same vCenter APIs/metadata ASR expects; the appliance performs endpoint validation and flags InvalidvCenterEndpoint. That’s why your attempt to add ESXi in the “vcenters” resource path fails—the resource type itself is vCenter, not ESXi.

• Make sure your configuration server is set up correctly and can communicate with your ESXi host. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/site-recovery/avs-tutorial-replication
• If you're trying to connect just an ESXi host, ensure that you provide the right endpoint and credentials. Note that certain features of ASR may require vCenter to work properly.
• It’s important that the network settings of your ESXi host allow for communication with both the configuration server and Azure. Ensure that firewall rules and permissions are correctly configured.
• Make sure you have selected the right source (i.e., your ESXi host) in the ASR setup process when configuring replication settings.
• Verify that your ESXi version is compatible with Azure Site Recovery and meets the necessary prerequisites for setup.
• Consider running the relevant Azure diagnostics for VMware-to-Azure scenarios. This can help pinpoint specific causes of replication or synchronization issues.

reference document: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/site-recovery/vmware-azure-manage-vcenter

Hope this helps, thanks