Frequently Asked Questions

VMware

VMware

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Does IDrive support incremental backups for VMware virtual machines?
How do I disable Change Block Tracking (CBT) for VMware backup?
Which ports are required by the IDrive application to perform backup and restore operations?
How do I test the VMware connectivity to port 902?
How can I backup my VMware virtual machine(s)?
How do I view and backup virtual machines from vCenter?
Can I backup VMware virtual machines to a network mapped drive or NAS drive?
How do I backup VMware virtual machines to a network computer?
How do I perform backup of VMware virtual machines to a network location or network-attached storage?
What are the system requirements for IDrive VMware backup?
Do I need to turn off or shutdown the Virtual machine(s) in VMware manager to take a backup?
How secure is data transfer during backup/restore using IDrive VMware backup?
How do I restore virtual machine(s) to the VMware Server?
How can I restore VMware virtual machines from a network location?
Can I restore VMware virtual machines from a network mapped drive or NAS drive?
Is there a need for an additional/external storage volume for VMware backup?
Can I attach a VMDK file from IDrive VMware Backup to a different VMware server?
Can I upload the backed up VMDK file using 'vsphere client/web interface' to attach to VMware ESXi?
Does VMware ESXi require a license version to perform backups?
What is the maximum hard disk size of a VM that I can backup?

Does IDrive support incremental backups for VMware virtual machines?

Yes, after the initial full backup subsequent backups with IDrive are incremental. To perform incremental backup, enable Change Block Tracking (CBT).

To enable CBT,

  1. Power off the virtual machine.
  2. Right-click the virtual machine and click 'Edit Settings'.
  3. Click the 'Options' tab.
  4. Click 'General' under the 'Advanced' section, and then click 'Configuration Parameters'. The Configuration Parameters dialog box appears.
  5. Click 'Add Row'.
  6. Add the ctkEnabled parameter, and then set its value to true.
  7. Click 'Add Row', add scsi0:0.ctkEnabled, and set its value to true.

Note: scsi0:0 in scsi0:0.ctkEnabled indicates the SCSI device assigned to the hard disk, which is added to the virtual machine. Every hard disk added to the virtual machine is given a SCSI device similar to scsi0:0, scsi0:1, or scsi 1:1. The CBT option is either enabled or disabled on each disk.

How do I disable Change Block Tracking (CBT) for VMware backup?

To disable CBT for VMware backup,

  1. Power off the virtual machine.
  2. Right-click the virtual machine and click 'Edit Settings'.
  3. Click 'Options'.
  4. Under the 'Advanced section', click 'General' and then click 'Configuration Parameters'. The 'Configuration Parameters' dialog opens.
  5. Set the 'ctkEnabled' parameter to false for the desired SCSI disk(s).
  6. Power on the virtual machine.

Which ports are required by the IDrive application to perform backup and restore operations?

Ports 443 and 902 should be open and accessible on the source host to perform backup and restore operations.

How do I test the VMware connectivity to port 902?

To test Port 902 on an ESXi host, execute the following command:

C:\>telnet server 902

How can I backup my VMware virtual machine(s)?

To backup your VMware virtual machine(s),

  1. Log in to the IDrive application and click the 'Server Backup' tab.
  2. In the VMware Backup section, click 'Backup'. The VMware login screen appears.

  3. Select the 'ESXi 5.5/ 6.0 / 6.5 / 6.7 / 7.0 / 8.0' radio button.
  4. Enter valid credentials and click 'Login to ESXi'.

  5. Select the 'Local Backup + Cloud Backup' or the 'Local Backup Only' radio button.
  6. Select the virtual machine(s) from the list and specify a temporary path for the local backup.
  7. Click 'Schedule Now'. The Schedule backup screen appears where you can schedule the backup for any future day and time or perform an immediate backup of the selected virtual machine(s).

How do I view and backup virtual machines from vCenter?

To backup multiple ESXi virtual machines,

  1. Log in to the IDrive application and click the 'Server Backup' tab.
  2. In the VMware Backup section, click Backup. The VMware login screen appears.

  3. Select the 'vCenter' radio button.
  4. Enter IP address, Username, Password, and click 'Login to vCenter'.

  5. Select the 'Local Backup + Cloud Backup' or the 'Local Backup Only' radio button.
  6. Select the virtual machine(s) from the list and specify the temporary path for the local backup.
  7. Click 'Schedule Now'. The Schedule backup screen is displayed where you can schedule the backup for any future day and time or perform an immediate backup of the selected virtual machines.

Can I backup VMware virtual machines to a network mapped drive or NAS drive?

Yes, you can backup VMware virtual machines to a network mapped drive or NAS drive. While choosing a local backup path, select the network mapped drive / NAS drive and provide the necessary authentication.

To backup your VMware virtual machine(s) to a network mapped / NAS drive,

  1. Log in to the IDrive application and click the 'Server Backup' tab.
  2. In the VMware Backup section, click ‘Backup’. The VMware login screen appears.

  3. Select the 'ESXi 5.5 / 6.0 / 6.5 / 6.7 / 7.0 / 8.0 ' or vCenter radio button.
  4. Enter valid credentials and click 'Login to ESXi/VCenter'.

  5. Select the 'Local Backup + Cloud Backup' or the 'Local Backup Only' radio button.
  6. Select the virtual machine(s) from the list.
  7. Select the network mapped drive / NAS drive as the location for creating the virtual machine backup and click 'Schedule Now'.
  8. Enter your username and password to authenticate network mapped drive / NAS drive and click ‘Authenticate’.
  9. The Schedule backup screen appears where you can schedule the backup for any future day and time or perform an immediate backup of the selected virtual machine(s).

How do I backup VMware virtual machines to a network computer?

To backup your VMware virtual machines to a computer on the local network,

  1. Go to the 'Server Backup' tab.
  2. Under 'VMware Backup', click 'Backup'.
  3. Select radio button 'ESXi 5.5 / 6.0 / 6.5 / 6.7 / 7.0 / 8.0' or 'vCenter', as required.
  4. Enter the server IP address, username, and password and click 'Login to ESXi/vCenter'.
  5. Choose the backup option 'Local Backup + Cloud Backup' or 'Local Backup Only'.
  6. Select the virtual machine(s) for backup from the list which appears.
  7. Click against 'VMware local backup temporary path'.
  8. In the popup window that appears, click 'Network'. Double-click and select the required computer from the list of network computers.
  9. You may be prompted to authorized access. Enter the username and password to proceed.
  10. Click 'Schedule Now'.
  11. The Schedule backup screen appears where you can schedule the backup for any future day and time or perform an immediate backup of the selected virtual machine(s).

How do I perform backup of VMware virtual machines to a network location or network-attached storage?

To backup your VMware virtual machines to the network,

  1. Go to the 'Server Backup' tab.
  2. Under the 'VMware Backup' section, click 'Backup'.
  3. Select radio button 'ESXi 5.5 / 6.0 / 6.5 / 6.7 / 7.0 / 8.0' or 'vCenter', as required.
  4. Enter the IP address, username, and password of the server and click 'Login to ESXi/vCenter'.
  5. Select the 'Local Backup + Cloud Backup' or the 'Local Backup Only' radio button.
  6. Select the required virtual machine(s) from the list which appears.
  7. Click 'Verify access to network location for backup'. This will open the 'Network Details' pop-up.
  8. Enter your NAS/Network UNC path (''\\IP Address or Computer name\dir''), username and password to validate.
  9. Click 'Schedule Now'.
  10. The Schedule backup screen appears where you can schedule the backup for any future day and time or perform an immediate backup of the selected virtual machine(s).

What are the system requirements for IDrive VMware backup?

The system requirements for IDrive VMware backup are:

  • ESXi (5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 6.7, 7.0, 8.0), vCenter (6.0, 6.5, 6.7, 7.0, 8.0)
  • Windows 64 bit operating system
  • 2 GB RAM
  • Sufficient hard disk space to store the virtual machine files for temporary backup and restore

Do I need to turn off or shutdown the virtual machine(s) in VMware manager to take a backup?

No, you do not have to shut down your active virtual machine(s) to perform a backup. IDrive enables you to backup virtual machine(s) in their running state.

How secure is data transfer during backup/restore using IDrive VMware backup?

IDrive uses military grade 256-bit AES encryption to encrypt all data transferred during a backup / restore operation using IDrive VMware Backup.

How do I restore virtual machine(s) to the VMware server?

To restore virtual machine(s) to the VMware server,

  1. Log in to the IDrive application and click the 'Restore' tab.
  2. Locate and select the 'IDVMwareBackup' folder in your IDrive account.
  3. Click 'Restore Now' to restore the 'IDVMwareBackup' folder to the local computer.
  4. Once the 'IDVMwareBackup' folder has been successfully restored, click the 'Server Backup' tab.
  5. In the VMware section, click 'Restore'. The VMware login screen appears.

  6. Enter valid credentials and click 'Login to ESXi'.

  7. Browse and select the 'IDVMwareBackup' folder (restored earlier from your IDrive account).
  8. Select the virtual machine(s) you want to restore to your VMware server.
  9. Click 'Restore Now' to restore the virtual machine(s) to the VMware server.

How can I restore VMware virtual machines from a network location?

To restore a virtual machine from a network computer,

  1. Go to the 'Server Backup' tab and click 'Restore' in the VMware section.
  2. Enter the 'IP address', 'Username', 'Password', and click 'Login to ESXi'.
  3. Browse the 'IDVMwareBackup'' backup folder from the network computer (download the 'IDVMwareBackup' folder from your IDrive account to a network computer).
  4. Click . The 'Browse My Computer' popup will appear.
  5. Click 'Network' and double-click the required computer.
  6. Enter your username and password for network authentication.
  7. Select the 'IDVMwareBackup' folder from the network location.
  8. Select the virtual machine(s) you want to restore to your VMware server and click 'Restore Now'.
    A popup will appear to inform you to power off the virtual machine before continuing with the restore operation. Click 'Continue'.

On successful completion of the restore operation, a restore summary will be displayed.

To restore a virtual machine from a network / NAS location,

  1. Go to the 'Server Backup' tab and click 'Restore' in the VMware section.
  2. Enter 'IP address', 'Username', 'Password', and click 'Login to ESXi'.
  3. Browse the 'IDVMwareBackup'' backup folder from the network computer (download the 'IDVMwareBackup' folder from your IDrive account to a network / NAS location.
  4. Click 'Verify access to network location for restore'. The 'Network Details' popup will appear.
  5. Enter the UNC path ("\\IP Address or Computer name\dir") of network / NAS location, your username and password for network authentication.
  6. Select the 'IDVMwareBackup' folder from the network location.
  7. Select the virtual machine(s) you want to restore to your VMware server and click 'Restore Now'.
  8. A popup reminder will inform you to power off the virtual machine before continuing with the restore operation. Click 'Continue'.

On successful completion of the restore operation, a restore summary will be displayed.

Can I restore VMware virtual machines from a network mapped drive or NAS drive?

Yes, IDrive lets you restore VMware virtual machines from a local path, including network mapped and NAS drives.

To restore virtual machine(s) to the VMware server from a network mapped drive or NAS,

  1. Go to the 'Server Backup' tab of IDrive application.
  2. In the VMware section, click 'Restore'. The VMware login screen appears.

  3. Enter valid credentials and click 'Login to ESXi'.

  4. Browse and select the 'IDVMwareBackup' folder saved in your network mapped / NAS drive.
  5. Select the virtual machine(s) you want to restore to your VMware server.
  6. Click 'Restore Now' to restore the virtual machine(s) to the VMware server.

  7. A popup reminder will inform you to power off the virtual machine before continuing with the restore. Click 'Continue'.
  8. Provide network drive credentials and click 'Authenticate'.
  9. On successful completion of the restore, a restore summary will be displayed.

Is there a need for an additional/external storage volume for VMware backup?

No. However, do ensure that the temporary location that you select while scheduling the VMware backup has sufficient disk space to hold the selected items, during the backup process.

Can I attach a VMDK file from IDrive VMware Backup to a different VMware server?

Yes, you can attach a VMDK file from IDrive VMware backup to a different VMware server.

Can I upload the backed up VMDK file using 'vsphere client/web interface' to attach to VMware ESXi?

Yes, you can upload the backed up VMDK file to ESXi using vsphere client. However, you need to convert the monolithic sparse VMDK file to thin disk after uploading, using 'vmkfstools', to attach to VMware.

Run the following command to convert the monolithic sparse vmdk file:
vmkfstools - i "Source vmdk path" "destination vmdk path after conversion"
For example: vmkfstools -i /vmfs/volumes/datastore1/centos/centos.vmdk" "/vmfs/volumes/datastore1/centos/centosafterconvert.vmdk"

Does VMware ESXi require a license version to perform backups?

Yes, VMware ESXi requires a license version to create snapshots and to perform backups.

What is the maximum hard disk size of a VM that I can backup?

You can perform VMware backup of hard disks up to 2 TB in size.

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