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Configure VMWare Backup

Overview

Backup of Virtual Machines available under VMWare Server/VCenter is supported using VMWare Plugin. The plugin uses VMWare API's to backup the selected Guest OSes and then upload it to the backup server. provides an agentless backup of virtual machines. The client can be installed in any machine to backup the Virtual Machines

How to get here in the Web Console?
 In the top menu, select: "Backup -> Plugin Backups -> VMWare".

VMWare Server Settings

The "Add VMWare Server Settings" page is used to configure the backup with VMWare Server/VCenter. The client uses the credentials to connect to the VMWare server/VCenter while listing the database(s) or while taking VMWare backup.

  • Select VMWare Server for backup
    This choice-box lists all the VMWare Servers/VCenters added in the client installation. Select the VMWare Server/VCenter to which the backup client should connect to. will connect to the VMWare server/VCenter and list the Guest OSes registered in this VMWare Server to enable you to configure backup schedules for the virtual machines.

  • Add VMWare Servers: Select this option to access the VMWare Server/VCenter with a user name and password that the VMWare Server manages.

  • Host Name
    Specify the VMWare Server/VCenter (Host OS) name here.

  • Port Number
    Enter a valid VMWare Infrastructure webserver port number, on which you have installed VMWare Servers. This option need to be set for the VMWare host versions below ESX 3.x. The default VMWare Infrastructure webserver port is 8333.

  • User Name
    Specify the user name for the added VMWare Server/VCenter here.

  • Password
    Specify the password here.

  • Next Button
    If all the authentication parameters are correctly set in 'Add VMWare Servers' then clicking the 'Back to VMWare Backup page' will take you to select the VMWare Server to backup. Once you select the VMWare Server/VCenter, click 'Next' button. This will take you to the VMWare Server Backup Configuration page.

Configure Backup Schedule

Step 1: Schedule Name

The first step in configuring a backup is to give a name for the backup schedule. The backup schedule name will uniquely identify the backup. While restoring your backup data, you need to choose the data to be restored using its schedule name.

Step 2: Select Guest OS(es)

On the left side of the "VMWare Backup Schedule" Page, is the tree with a list of DataStores and the Guest OSes available in the VMWare Server. Select the DataStore/Guest OS that needs to be backed up as part of this schedule.

Step 3: Set Basic Configuration

Backup Type

Same Machine When large amount of data has to be backed up, it might take significant amount of time to transfer all the data to a remote backup server over WAN/Internet. You can take the backup to a local external drive connected to the client machine and then physically move the external drive to the backup server location to migrate the data into the backup server. In such cases, you can select the backup type to be 'Same Machine'. Once the data is migrated to the backup server using the Server Side Seed Backup Migration, you will have to perform Seed Backup Migration (under Settings -> Seed Backup Migration) in the client machine to make it to run its backups to the remote server directly thereafter.

Local Backup location: Enter the location/directory path where the backup is to be stored in the same machine. This location should be accessible to the client and should have enough free disk space for the backup data. You can copy data from this location to the backup server as seed backup data.

NOTE: Retention policies will not apply for a local backup. The Retention policies configured for this backup schedule will work only if the backup data is migrated into a backup server (seed backup).

Remote Server - Select this option if you want the backup data to be transferred to a backup server directly when the backup schedule runs.

Select Backup Server :

This is the list of peers/backup servers in which the backup data can be stored. Once the backup server is selected, you cannot change the server name. In case the backup server name or IP address is to be changed in future, you can change it from the Seed Backup Migration page. The client will run the backup to the selected backup server.

Test connectivity Before you select the backup server for this backup schedule, you can check the connectivity to backup server. also checks the different settings configured in the backup server for this client and confirms if this client can backup to the chosen backup server or not.

Add Backup Server- If you don't see a particular backup server listed, you need to first add it by following this link before you can select it for this backup schedule.

Backup Process Type

File Streaming - When you select 'File Streaming' option, the VMWare machine backup will be uploaded directly from the VMWare host OS to the configured backup server. You need not specify the dump location to store the dumps locally and wait for the uploads. This option is therefore recommended when the backup server is in the same location (LAN) as the VMWare machines where network interruption is minimal.

Parallel Uploading - When this option is selected, you need to specify location/directory path where the VMWare backup dumps are to be stored temporarily before uploading them to the backup server. The size of each snapshot could easily be several GBs in size. Ensure that there is enough disk space in the configured temporary dump location. The backup dumps stored in the temporary location will be deleted once they are transferred successfully to remote backup server. This option is recommended when the backup server and the VMWare machine are in different networks (across a WAN or internet).

Encryption

Password Protect This Backup

This option is to enable or disable encryption of the data that is being backed up. uses a well known encryption algorithm, Blowfish. If enabled, a password has to be specified which will be used for generating the encryption key. Encrypting data ensures that it cannot be read in the destination machine (backup server) where your backup is stored, and is especially relevant for sensitive information.

Password Protection

This option is to enable System Generated Encryption Key or use a Customized Encryption key for encrypting the backup data.

System Generated: The selected files and folders will be encrypted using Blowfish algorithm with a 448 bit encryption key automatically generated by before been backed up. No password will be required while restoring the data.

Custom: This will enable the user to select the custom Encryption Technique, Encryption Key Size and the Encryption Key that needs to be used for encrypting the selected files and folders. Please don't lose the customized encryption key, as the backed up data cannot be restored without this key.

Encryption Technique

supports encryption using Blowfish or Triple DES. The Blowfish is a commonly used open source encryption technique which provides encryption based on the size of the encryption key length (from 64 bits to 448 bits). Higher the number of bits stronger is the encryption. Triple DES is a block cipher formed from the Data Encryption Standard (DES) cipher by using it three times, this technique is also supported by the backup client for encrypting the backup data. By default, Triple DES encryption technique is chosen.

Encryption Key Size

supports encryption using variable length (64 to 448 bits for Blowfish and 192 bits for Triple DES) keys. The key is generated using the password you provide. Basically the longer the key size you give the more difficult it is for someone to decrypt the encrypted files. For normal backup purposes the default 64 bit encryption should be good enough.

Type Password

Provide a password here to generate the encryption key. If the password is forgotten the data can never be recovered as the data cannot be decrypted without this password. So, please ensure that you keep your password in a safe place.

Retention Policies (Optional)

provides the retention feature where backups of multiple versions of a file can be maintain at the backup server. cleans up the version files in the backup server based on two major retention policies:

  1. Version-Based Retention - Retains multiple version files in the backup server based on the version file count.
  2. Time-Based Retention - Retains multiple version files in the backup up server based on the age of the version files.
Retention policy for backed up files

Version-Based Retention

can retain backups of multiple versions of a file based on the version retention count specified. The number of version files to be retained can be specified as any value from 0 to 99 with a default setting of 5. The backup version count can be 0 when the Intelli-Delta Backup is disabled in Advanced Options. This option is useful when you wish to store just the complete latest version of a file.

For example, if the version file retention count is specified as 5, then the backup client retains the latest five version files. These files can be restored from the backup server at any point of time. When the sixth version of the file is created, The backup server automatically deletes the first version.

Note: When Intelli-Delta option is disabled for a backup schedule, The client will back up the entire file if the file was modified since the last backup schedule. In such a case, The client will retain multiple versions of the entire file as per the version retention count configure for that backup.

Time-Based Retention

can retain version files in the backup server based on the age of version files. Default setting is for 5 years, meaning the version files will be retained in the backup server for 5 years and then will be removed automatically. The maximum number of versions that can be created during the retention period can also be optionally further configured. There are two options:

  • Any number of versions can be created within this retention period - This is the default setting. If enabled, retains all the versions created during the specified retention time period.

  • Restrict the maximum number of versions that can be created within this retention period to 'n'. - If this option is enabled, will clean up the version files based on both; retention time period and maximum version file count. For example, if the retention time period is set to 1 month and maximum version file count is 5, will retain only the last five version files created within the last one month and versions older than one month with be deleted.

Step 4: Scheduling (Decide When To Backup)

This field has the following options from which any one can be chosen.

Run Daily

Choose the time at which the backup should run daily. This will execute the backup everyday at the time you have provided. Unless you’ve selected the “Run this Backup each time restarts” option in Advanced Options, it will run at the stipulated time only.

Run Weekly

Choose the time and the day of the week the backup should run. will execute the backup every week on the particular day and time chosen. Note that you can select multiple days of the week if you wish to run the backup on multiple days of the week. Unless you’ve selected the “Run this Backup each time restarts” option in Advanced Options, it will run at the stipulated time/day only.

Run Monthly

Choose the time and day of the month the backup should run. will run the backup every month on the particular day and time chosen, it will run at the stipulated time/day only.

Run Once Only

Choosing this option will do the backup only once immediately. The backup will then be put into ‘suspended mode’. If you wish to run this backup again, you’ll have to manually select it from the List Backup Schedules page.

Step 5: Additional Full Backups

Typically, you would do a full backup the first time you backup your data and thereafter only do incremental backups. However, like in a typical enterprise scenario, if you want to run full backups periodically and run the incremental backups in between two full backups, then you can configure the scheduling for how to run the full backups here.

For Run Daily backups, the Additional Full Backup settings will allow you to configure daily/weekly/monthly additional full backups. For weekly and monthly backups, only Monthly additional full backups are possible.

Additionally you can specify the maximum number of full backups that need to be stored in the server. For example if you configured a weekly backup and additionally if you configure a monthly full backup, then it will take a full backup the first time and then weekly do an incremental backup. The next month, it will do a new full backup and subsequently run the weekly incremental backup over this full backup. After 6 months you will have 6 separate full backups in the backup server along with weekly incremental versions under each of the 6 full backups. If your policy is to retain only backup data for 6 months, then you can configure "Store maximum of 6 full backups" here. On the 7th month, after finishing the 7th full backup, will delete the first full backup along with its weekly incremental backups thus retaining always the last 6 month backups.

Advanced Options (Optional)

If you want to configure some additional advanced options - like, CPU utilization, Compression settings, etc. click on the Advanced Options button.

Advanced Backup Schedule Settings

There are three options here on how the backup should be scheduled.

Run this backup each time restarts - If you enable this option by checking the checkbox, then this backup schedule will be run every time is restarted or the machine is rebooted irrespective of the actual schedule time of this backup schedule. This is to ensure that any modified or new files created when was down are backed up as soon as possible.

Run this backup immediately after saving this configuration (thereafter, Backups will be scheduled as per the schedule stipulated) - If you enable this option, then this backup schedule will be executed once immediately after you save this backup schedule – even if it's not yet ‘time’ as per the schedule. For example if you configure a daily backup at 10.00 AM but you configured the backup at 8.00 AM, then the backup schedule will be run once immediately (8.00 AM) and then as per schedule (e.g. daily at 10.00 AM).

Attempt to run this backup every 5 minutes in case of non completion because of a problem (Network error etc.) - If enabled, the user can choose to reschedule this backup every 5/10/15/20/25/30 minutes, whenever an attempted backup is incomplete because of a network error, server crash etc. The number of times the backup will be rescheduled (due to an error) can be configured to be in between 1-5 or unlimited, with the default setting as 5. This is to ensure that an incomplete backup is completed as soon as possible without waiting for the next actual schedule time. Note that this option is enabled by default.

Data Integrity Check - supports data integrity check where the data sent from the client machine is verified for integrity at the backup server. When a file's integrity check fails, flags that file as skipped and the file is then again backed up during the next backup schedule.

Perform Synthetic Full Backup for files when the size of the incremental backup of a file exceeds certain % of the size of the initial full backup of the file - By default Synthetic Full Backup will be run when the size of the incremental exceeds 80% of the original backup data. A very low value will lead to too many Synthetic Full Backups been run and all those versions need to be maintained in the backup server. A very large value could lead to Synthetic Backups not running at all.

Other Backup Settings

Set CPU Utilization

For each backup schedule, you can also specify the CPU utilization level as Low, Medium or High. When you set the CPU Utilization to high, the backup will be really fast - but the backup process may affect the speed of other active applications. If CPU utilization is set to Low, the backup will take longer but will be done in a non-intrusive manner allowing you to comfortably work on the computer as the backup continues in the background. In general for a continuous backup, it is best to set the CPU utilization to Medium or Low. For backups which are done every day or every week in ‘off-hours’, the CPU utilization can be set to High. Actual performance is obviously a function of your individual machine and your network. We encourage you to experiment with different settings to figure what works best for you.

Set Compression

If compression is enabled, data will be compressed in the client before it is uploaded into the backup server.

Enable - Compresses the data before backing it up. It might reduce the rate at which the client can send data to the backup server but it might save significant bandwidth and time when the data is backed up to a remote server over a WAN/Internet with limited bandwidth speed. Also, this saves disk space in the backup server.

No Compression - This option is suitable (fastest) for backing up data within a local network where bandwidth is not the limitation, but occupies more space on destination machine as no compression is being done.

Intelli-Delta Backup

When a backup schedule is executed, checks if the file has changed since the last backup. If yes, then can either backup the full file all over again or can backup only the modified content (incremental). If "Intelli-Delta Backup" is set to ENABLE, only modified content in a file is backed up. If set to DISABLE, the full file will be backed up every time the schedule runs. Needless to say, an incremental backup is faster.

Saving the configured backup

Once all the Guest OSes to be backed up are chosen and the configuration options are set, you simply need to click on the "Configure/Save Backup” button to activate the backup as per the schedule- on to the configured backup servers.

Troubleshooting Tips

Error While Connecting to the VMWare Server 'server Name'. Reason: Insufficient permissions in host operating system. Show/Hide

Cause : This error is shown if the user name or the password for the VMWare Server is wrong.

Solution :Go to the page 'Backup ->Plugin Backups -> VMWare -> Add VMWare Servers' and edit the credential of the selected VMWare Server and save.

Error while connecting the VMWare Server 'server Name'. Reason: Please check VMware Server configuration settings and also check the VMWare server is up. Show/Hide

Cause : This error is shown if unable to connect to the selected VMWare Server/VCenter or the VMWare Services are not started in the VMWare Servers/Vcenter

Solution :

  1. Check if the selected VMWare Server is up and is accepting connections
  2. Check if all the Services of VMWare are started in the selected VMWare Server
  3. Check the network/firewall settings in the client machine and make sure is able to access the VMWare machine.


Error while dumping backup data in the client. This function cannot be performed because the handle is executing another function. Show/Hide

Cause : This error occurs if already the snapshot process is running for the selected Guest OS.

Solution : Make sure no other third party applications are running snapshots on the Guest OS.


Error while dumping backup data in the client. An error occurred while writing a file; the disk is full. Data has not been saved. Free some space and try again. Show/Hide

Cause : This error wil occur if the location in the client machine where the backup data is dumped doesn't have enough free space to store the snapshots.

Solution : Please free or allocate more space in the dump location in the client machine and schedule again

Error While connecting to the VMWare Server 'server Name'. Reason: Unable to connect to the host. Show/Hide

Cause : This error will occur when is not able to connect to the selected VMWare Server as the VMWare services are not started.

Solution: Please start all the VMWare Services and then try again.

Error while dumping backup data in the client. The virtual machine cannot be found.
 Show/Hide

Cause : This error occurs if the configuration files of the virtual machine is not available or corrupted.

Solution: Please Check the VMWare Configuration files *.vmx and *.vmdk available in the Host OS VMFS file system. You can check this by powering on the particular Guest OS from VSphere Client console - this will give the exact error details of the issue.

Error While Getting VMWare Login Details Reason :The User Name or Password is empty. Please check the added VMWare Server 'VMWare Server' is Edited/Deleted Show/Hide

Cause : This error will be reported, if the name of the added VMWare Server is changed or the VMWare Server is deleted from the 'Added VMWare Server's List.

Solution:

  1. If the added VMWare Server/Vcenter is deleted, add the VMWare Server/VCenter again in 'Add VMWare Server's page and schedule again.

  2. If you have changed the credentials to the added VMWare Servers/VCenter, then edit the already added VMWare Servers/VCenter from the 'Add VMWare Server's' page and provide the credential again.

Limitations

  1. VMware Server version lower than 2.0 are not supported.

  2. VMWare workstation is not supported.

  3. VMWare Server with free licenses are not supported.

  4. Running VMWare backup by running the client on 64-bit Linux Operating Systems is not supported. Make sure the client is installed on 32 bit Linux OS or 32 or 64 bit Windows machine.
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