VMsphere Backup While VM is Live

[Standard_Install]

Hello,

I am attempting to understand the method in which I will be backing up my VM Client. I am currently using a ESXI 5.1 host with only 1 VM client running off of said host. My goal at this moment would be to take a a copy of the VM client while it remains online. I have already integrated my VSphere into my Veeam B&R and I'm presented with several options to fulfill my backup request. I am just unsure if any of these will bring down the VM client.

Also, will these backups produce a full copy of the VMDK and keep it as VMDK or always produce a VBK/VIB/VBM.

Thanks,

M.

[jmmarton]

Backups can be done with the VM is live. We'll simply snap the VM and then backup from the snapshot, then commit the snapshot at the end. Backups are stored in Veeam backup file formats. The first full backup is a VBK, then subsequent forward incremental backups are stored as VIB. There is one VBM for the job which stores metadata about the job.

Joe

[MichaelCade]

A good resource to the possible steps when it comes to backups can be found here - https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backu ... tml?ver=95

[cby]

Joe

Veeam uses the read-only VM as the backup source not the snapshot which holds deltas. Oherwise Veeam will get itself into a state if using deltas that may be updated while backing up. Correct?

[foggy]

Correct, data is being copied from the read-only VMDK while all the changes occurred inside the guest OS are written into the snapshot file.

Back to the OP's request, if you need the VMDK as the target, please consider using Veeam B&R replication that creates an exact copy of the VM in the native VMware vSphere format on a spare host.