vSphere Host Profiles can be exported in order to back up or transport the configuration. The exported data is stored in an XML data file with the .vpf extension. Since this is an XML file, the contents of the file can be viewed using any text editor, so the passwords are not exported into this file. This file can then be imported into vCenter Server as a Host Profile object. Host Profiles can also be duplicated for the purposes of cloning a copy of the Host Profile.