Backing Up Virtual Machines
Table Of Contents
- 1 About this document
- 2 Supported virtualization platforms
- 3 Backup at a hypervisor level
- 3.1 Features and capabilities
- 3.2 Limitations
- 3.3 What does a virtual machine backup store?
- 3.4 Working in VMware vSphere
- 3.4.1 Getting started with Agent for VMware
- 3.4.2 Installation of Agent for VMware
- 3.4.3 Operations with agents
- 3.4.4 Flexible configuration of the agents
- 3.4.5 Using a locally attached storage
- 3.4.6 Configuring ESX(i)-related options
- 3.4.7 Support for VM migration
- 3.4.8 Support for datastore clusters and Storage DRS
- 3.4.9 Backing up fault tolerant machines
- 3.4.10 Backing up independent disks and RDMs
- 3.4.11 Backing up virtual machine templates
- 3.4.12 Privileges for VM backup and recovery
- 3.5 Working in Microsoft Hyper-V
- 3.6 Backing up Linux logical volumes and MD devices
- 3.7 File-level recovery
- 3.8 Virtual machines on a management server
- 3.9 VM-specific backup and recovery options
- 3.10 Limitations for backup and recovery options
- 4 Backup from inside a guest OS
- 4.1 Working with Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization
- 4.1.1 Overview of the RHEV platform
- 4.1.2 How Acronis Backup works with RHEV
- 4.1.3 Backup and recovery of RHEV virtual machines
- 4.1.4 Migrating a physical machine to a virtual machine
- 4.1 Working with Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization
12 Copyright © Acronis International GmbH, 2002-2016
Installation
There are three methods of installing Agent for VMware:
Importing to a ESX(i) host as an OVF template.
Use this method for troubleshooting purposes or if you cannot install Acronis Backup
Management Server for some reason.
Deployment (p. 13) from Acronis Backup Management Server to a specified host or cluster.
Connect the console to the management server. In the Navigation tree, right click Virtual
machines, then click Deploy Agent for VMware. Refer to the context help for further
instructions.
Automatic deployment from Acronis Backup Management Server.
This is the easiest method. It is recommended in most cases. Connect the console to the
management server. In the Navigation tree, right click Virtual machines, and then click Configure
VMware vCenter integration. Specify the vCenter Server, and then enable Automatic
deployment. Any time a virtual machine is selected for backup but the agent is not installed on
its host, the Virtual Appliance will be automatically deployed on the host when the backup starts.
Providing licenses
Agent for VMware requires either of the following licenses to work:
Acronis Backup Advanced for VMware
Acronis Backup Advanced Universal License
The installation of the agent does not require a license. However, you must specify a license server
when installing the management server, or when connecting the console to the agent (if the agent
was imported manually). Once the agent starts backing up a virtual machine, the agent checks
whether the virtual machine's host has a license. If it does not have one, the agent takes a free
license from the specified license server and assigns it to the host. If the host is included in a cluster,
licenses will be assigned to all of the clustered hosts. Therefore, you need one license for each
clustered ESX(i). This ensures the uninterrupted operation of your backup plans when virtual
machines are moved around the cluster.
3.4.3 Operations with agents
This section explains how to deploy, update or remove Agent for VMware (Virtual Appliance) using
Acronis Backup Management Server.
3.4.3.1 Prerequisites
To perform operations described in this section, Acronis Backup Management Server uses a number
of TCP ports:
Ports 443 and 902 are used to access the vCenter Server and ESX(i) hosts.
Port 9876 is used to access Agent for VMware (Virtual Appliance).
If the management server uses a custom firewall, ensure that this firewall allows outgoing
connections to these ports. Windows Firewall is configured automatically by Acronis Backup.
If the traffic from the management server to the vCenter Server, the ESX(i) hosts, or the agents goes
through a router or a similar network device, ensure that the device does not block this traffic.
No special configuration is required on the vCenter Server or the ESX(i) hosts.