To create a copy of a running virtual machine in the vSphere Client, what action must an administrator perform?

To create a copy of a running virtual machine using the vSphere Client, the action of right-clicking the virtual machine and selecting "Clone" followed by "Clone to Virtual Machine" is the correct procedure. This process allows an administrator to create an exact duplicate of the virtual machine in its current state, including its configuration, virtual disks, and settings.

When cloning a VM, the administrator can specify various options, such as whether to customize the clone's network settings or to create a full clone or a linked clone. This functionality is essential for tasks such as creating backups, preparing a new environment for testing, or scaling applications by deploying multiple instances of a VM.

The other choices provided do not fulfill the task of directly cloning a running virtual machine to create an additional working instance. Cloning to a template or converting a template to a VM pertains to different workflows, which do not apply to the immediate needs of duplicating a running VM. Thus, the correct option emphasizes the direct cloning process vital for VM management within vSphere.