Apply a backup plan to protect a VMware VM

VMware VMs are captured in their entirety using VMware API calls. You manage a VM by assigning a template and a resource profile to it to define the backup plan to capture the entire VM.

When a backup/recovery appliance associates a backup template with an entire VM it isn't aware of VM content so no application-specific actions are performed.

When an entire virtual server is captured, a fully functional virtual server (operating system, applications and their data) is captured. Having a copy of the entire virtual server ensures that the data can be accessed fast and without issues. Since the image presented is a fully functional virtual server, it can be migrated to a new, permanent location if needed. Capturing whole virtual servers allows groups of virtual servers and their applications to be managed with a single backup template. See Application Backup or capture wizard for information on how to discover VMware VMs.

Use the following instructions to apply a backup plan to protect VMware VM.

1. Click the App Manager tab and select the Applications option from the drop-down list. The Applications page opens.

2. Select the VM that you want to manage, and then choose Manage Backup Plan from the drop-down list at the bottom right corner of the page. The Manage Backup Plan page opens.

3. From the Manage Backup Plan page, choose from the Template and Profile drop-down lists:

   • Template. An existing backup template that includes policies to define the snapshot, direct to onvault, or replication of the application data.

   • Profile. An existing resource profile that defines the resources used to store the data of the application as snapshot or replicated images.

     The Manage Backup Plan page shows a view of the policies assigned to the selected applications in the backup plan policy map. Management comes from the template policies and profiles that you designed in the backup plans.

4. Click Apply Backup Plan. The Apply backup plan page opens.

5. Configure the application's details and settings or policy overrides settings.

   • Application Settings. Apply application-specific settings when managing a VM. Application settings may be useful or required in certain circumstances. See Configure application settings for protecting VM data for details.

   • Policy Overrides. Override specific policy settings previously configured in the selected backup template. See Configure policy overrides for details.

   Note: You can override policy settings only if the policy template Allow Overrides on Policy Settings property has been set to Yes .

6. Click Apply Backup Plan to apply the backup template and resource profile. A success message opens.

7. Click Okay.

   If you back up a workload to a backup/recovery appliance that would exceed its recommended storage capacity or snapshot limit, you will see a notification with a recommendation to back up the data to a different backup/recovery appliance.

   Caution: Exceeding the capacity of a backup/recovery appliance can lead to failed jobs and unprotected data and failed restore operations.

   The application may not get backed up until the scheduled job runs according to the hours of operations defined in the backup template. For example, if at 10:00 (UTC) you assign a template that has hours of operation from 02:00 to 05:00 (UTC), then the first job won't start until the appliance has an available job slot at 02:00 (UTC) of the following day. To run a job immediately, see perform an on-demand capture.

   Note: All policies start and end times are in UTC time zone.

   To change backup plan settings for the application, see Modify backup plan management of a managed application. To disable a backup plan, see Removing backup plan management of an application.

Note: To reset one or more application settings back to its default state, click the Reset to Default checkbox to the right of the selection you want to reset, or click Reset All to Default to reset all application selections back to their default state.