VMware Backup Plan

MSP360 Managed Backup features virtual machine backup and restore on ESXi server (a part of VMware vSphere).

This chapter covers the following topics:

• Create VMware Backup Plan
  • Welcome
  • Where to Back Up
  • Connect to Host
  • Virtual Machines
  • Application Processing Options
  • Select Virtual Disks
  • Advanced Settings
  • Backup Consistency Check
  • Compression and Encryption Options
  • Schedule Options
  • Retention Policy, GFS and Object Lock
  • Pre/Post Actions
  • Notifications
• Run Backup Plan
• Edit Backup Plan
• Clone Backup Plan
• Delete Backup Plan

Create VMware Backup Plan

1. Open the Management Console.
2. On Computers select Remote Management if you use legacy main menu, or open Backup > Computers page in the new main menu.
3. Find the required computer, then click the Configure icon in the Backup Plan Status column.
4. On the side panel, click + or +Add New Plan, then select the VMware item.

Welcome

Name the backup plan.

Click Next.

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Where to Back Up

Select the backup destination for the plan.

Click Next.

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Connect to Host

Specify the credentials to the ESXi server to back up.

Click Next.

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What to Back Up

Select virtual machines to include in the backup plan.

The following options are available:

• Back up all virtual machines. Select this option to include all virtual machines on the ESXi host in the backup plan
• Back up only running virtual machines. Select this option to back up virtual machines running at the moment of the backup plan execution
• Back up selected virtual machines. Select virtual machines to back up manually

Click Next.

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Configure Application-Consistent Backups (BETA)

You can configure the Application processing options after the Select Virtual Machines step of the VMware backup wizard. These options can be configured separately for each virtual machine.

By default, the Try application processing setting is set. you can change it, if necessary.

The following options are available:

• Try application processing. Back up virtual machines 'as is' if failed. Once this option is selected, virtual machines are backed up one by one. Using the installed VMware Tools, the state of applications running on virtual machines is checked, then a snapshot is made and an application-consistent backup is performed. In case an application-consistent snapshot is not made for some reason, a regular snapshot is done for this virtual machine.
• Require successful application processing. Skip virtual machines if failed. Once this option is selected, virtual machines with applications that did not flush pending I/O operations from memory to disks, are skipped and an appropriate warning is displayed for a user.
• Disable application processing. Back up virtual machines 'as is'. Once this option is selected, regular VM snapshots are done without quiescing.

Click Next.

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Advanced Settings

Advanced settings depends on Backup Agent Version. As of Backup Agent version 7.9, the application prosessing options are available on the separate step: Application Processing Options.

Backup Agent 7.9 or Higher

• Select the Use Changed Block Tracking check box to apply the changed block tracking feature. In most cases, this feature increases the backup speed.

Backup Agent 7.8 or Lower

Customize backup settings for virtual machines in the backup plan.

The following options are available:

• Try application processing. Back up virtual machines 'as is' if failed. Once this option is selected, virtual machines are backed up one by one. Using the installed VMware Tools, the state of applications running on virtual machines is checked, then a snapshot is made and an application-consistent backup is performed. In case an application-consistent snapshot is not made for some reason, a regular snapshot is done for this virtual machine.
• Require successful application processing. Skip virtual machines if failed. Once this option is selected, virtual machines with applications that did not flush pending I/O operations from memory to disks, are skipped and an appropriate warning is displayed for a user.
• Disable application processing. Back up virtual machines 'as is'. Once this option is selected, regular VM snapshots are done without quiescing.
• Select the Use Changed Block Tracking check box to apply the changed block tracking feature. In most cases, this feature increases the backup speed.

Click Next.

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Select Virtual Disks

Select virtual disks to include in the backup plan. You can include all VM disks into the backup plan or select specific ones.

Selected NTFS disks can be expanded to exclude some files or folders from backup. In case the disk cannot be listed, the content cannot be viewed and such disk can be excluded from backup as a whole.

Click Next.

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Backup Consistency Check

Enable or skip the full consistency check.

Click Next.

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Compression and Encryption Options

Specify compression and encryption options for the backup plan. The following options are available:

• Enable compression. Enable this option to apply the compression mechanism for data in the backup plan. This may reduce the backup size significantly
• Enable encryption. Select this option to use AES encryption for the backup plan
• If you enabled encryption, select the encryption algorithm in the Algorithm drop-down menu. The following key lengths are available:
  • 128 bit
  • 192 bit
  • 256 bit
• In the Password field, specify the encryption password, then confirm it. Mind to keep the encryption password in a safe place. Pay attention, if Password Recovery Service is not enabled in the Management Consile, then if the encryption password is lost or forgotten, the encrypted backup cannot be restored.
• In the Hint field, enter some information that could help you to recall the encryption password in case you forget it. Do not skip this field, it can help in case you forget the password

In case the backup destination is Amazon S3, some options related to AWS storage only are available:

• Use Server Side Encryption. Select this check box if you want to use the server-side encryption provided by AWS. To learn more, refer to the Protecting Data Using Server-Side Encryption with Amazon S3-Managed Encryption Keys (SSE-S3) article
• In the Storage Class drop-down list, select the Amazon S3 storage class for the backup plan. To learn more about S3 storage classes, refer to the Amazon S3 Storage Classes chapter.

Click Next.

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Schedule Options

Specify the backup plan schedule settings.

The following options are available:

• Select the No schedule option to run the backup plan manually
• Select the Forever Forward Incremental option to apply the Forever Forward Incremental (FFI) schedule, then specify the schedule parameters
• If you want the backup plan to run incremental backups on a constant periodic basis, select the Recurring (incremental) option, click Edit, then specify the settings for incremental backup plan runs
• If you want the backup plan to run full backups on a constant periodic basis, select the Execute full backup (synthetic full if possible) option, click Edit, then specify the settings for full backup plan runs
• To stop the backup plan in case if it continues suspiciously long, select the Stop the plan if it runs for... option, then specify the backup plan's maximum duration
• Select the Run Missed Scheduled Plan Immediately When Computer Starts Up option to run the plan that was not executed while the computer was down

Recurring Schedule for Incremental Backups

You can set the periodic run intervals for incremental backups. Select if the backup plan runs on a daily or monthly basis, then specify the recurrence parameters and start time. Click Save. You can check your settings at the bottom of the step page.

Recurring Schedule for Full Backups

You can set the periodic run intervals for full backups. Specify if the full backup plan runs on a daily or monthly basis, then specify the recurrence parameters and start time. Click Save. You can check your settings at the bottom of the step page.

Click Next.

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Retention Policy, GFS and Object Lock

Specify the retention policy and GFS retention policy for the backup plan.

The following options are available:

• Do not purge. Select this option to keep all your backup runs
• Keep backup for. Select this option to limit the period while backup contents are kept in the backup storage, then specify the period

To apply the GFS retention policy for the backup plan, select the Enable GFS check box, then customize the GFS retention policy by enabling the required keeping periods (weekly, monthly and yearly purge delays).

If your backup destination supports the Object Lock (Immutability) feature, you can enable it in this step. Select the Object Lock (Immutability) check box and confirm enabling this feature.

Retention Policy with Forever Forward Incremental Schedule

If on the Schedule step you selected the Forever Forward Incremental schedule, the Retention Policy step has different settings.

The Keep backup for value defines the period Restore Points with the Forever Forward Incremental schedule are kept. If their retention period expires, these Restore Points are merged into a full backup (with Forever Forward Incremental only one full backup is kept on backup storage).

Enable the **Intelligent Retention option (highly recommended). Intelligent Retention is based on the following approach: each time the backup plan is executed, backup storage parameters are checked and the retention period for the full backup is set in such a way that it is kept on backup storage for the minimum period based on the storage provider data deletion conditions. Analysis of backup storage parameters is performed automatically, you do not need to do anything.

Click Next.

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Pre / Post Actions (optional)

Specify the actions to be executed before and/or after the backup plan run. Note that this step may be absent if pre/post actions are disabled by the provider.

• To specify the action that will be performed before the backup plan starts, select Execute this command before backup runs check box
• In the field below, specify the path to the script to be executed before the backup plan
• Specify the conditions of the script's execution:
  • Select the Do not run the backup plan if the pre-backup action fails option if you do not want the backup plan to run if the pre-backup script fails
  • Select the Run the backup plan if the pre-backup action fails option if you want the backup plan to run regardless of the pre-backup script execution result
• To specify the action to be performed after the backup plan is completed, select Execute this command after backup completes check box
  • Select the Execute post-backup action only if the backup completes successfully option if you want to run it only if the backup plan is completed without any errors or warnings (the Success status)
  • Select the Execute the post-backup action regardless of the backup result option if you want the script to execute regardless of the backup plan execution results
• To chain the backup plan with another plan, select Execute following plan after backup completes: check box, then select the plan name in the drop-down menu
  • Select the Run the selected plan if this backup completes with success option if you want to run the specified plan only if the backup plan completes without error or warnings
  • Select the Run the selected plan regardless of this backup plan completion result to execute the chained plan in any case
  • Select the Force full backup option to execute a full backup for the chained plan

Click Next.

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Notifications

Specify notification settings for backup plan results. You can use the company notification settings or customize them as needed: specify the required recipients and customize the notifications on different backup plan results: Success Failure Warning

Select User receives a notification email when backup completes if you want to notify your users about the backup plan results. You can select whether users will be notified about backup failure or any backup result.

If you want the backup plan record to be added to Windows Event Log, select Add entry to Windows Event Log when backup completes check box

• Select the When backup fails option if you want to receive the notification message in case of the backup plan failure
• Select the In all cases option if you want the entry to be put in Windows Event Log in any case.

Click the Next, then click Save to finish the wizard.

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Run Backup Plan

To Run the Existing Backup Plan

1. On Computers select Remote Management if you use legacy main menu, or open Backup > Computers page in the new main menu.
2. Find a required computer, then click the Settings icon.
3. In the drop-down menu, select Show Plans.
4. In the side panel, find the plan to run, then click on it.
5. Click the Play button.

Edit Backup Plan

To Edit the Existing Backup Plan

1. On Computers select Remote Management if you use legacy main menu, or open Backup > Computers page in the new main menu.
2. Find the required computer, then click the Configure icon in the Backup Plan Status column.
3. On the side panel, expand the plan you want to edit, then click Edit.
4. Once you made the required changes, click Save.

Clone Backup Plan

To Clone the Existing Backup Plan

1. On Computers select Remote Management if you use legacy main menu, or open Backup > Computers page in the new main menu.
2. Find the required computer, then click the Configure icon in the Backup Plan Status column.
3. On the side panel, expand the plan you want to clone, then click Clone.
4. In the field below, specify the name for the plan clone.
5. Click Save.

Delete Backup Plan

To Delete the Existing Backup Plan

1. On Computers select Remote Management if you use legacy main menu, or open Backup > Computers page in the new main menu.
2. Find the required computer, then click the Configure icon in the Backup Plan Status column.
3. On the side panel, expand the plan you want to delete, then click Delete.
4. In the dialog box, click OK to confirm the deletion.