VMware vCenter Server backups (Windows or Linux)
You can back up and restore virtual machines using the native VMware vStorage API for Data Protection (VADP).
NOTE: The DS-Client automatically locks the target virtual machine during the VMware vCenter Server backup and restore process. This prevents any attempts to delete or migrate the target until the backup or restore process has completed.
Before working with VMware vCenter Server backups, ensure the following requirements are met.
• For application consistent backups, ensure VMware Tools is installed on the guest operating system of the virtual machine.
• Firewalls are configured correctly and allow the DS-Client to communicate with the VMware vCenter Server and each ESXi host of the cluster via port #902.
• If an ESXi host is added with the DNS name of the VMware vCenter Server, the DS-Client machine must have name resolution to the ESXi host to back up or restore the virtual machines.
• To restore to an alternate location, the DS-Client must have network access to the destination VMware vCenter Server and all involved ESXi hosts.
• To use the Local DS-VDR option, you must configure the Local DS-VDR Tool for the DS-Client and have a VMware vCenter Server account with administrator privileges. For more information, see
“Configuring the Local DS-VDR Tool”.
To perform a backup or restore of a VMware vCenter Server backup, you must create a user role with the following permissions:
• Datastore: Allocate space
• Datastore: Browse datastore
• Datastore: Low level file operation
• Folder: Create folder
• Global: Disable methods
• Global: Enable methods
• Global: Licenses
• Network: Assign network
• Resource: Assign virtual machine to resource pool
• Resource: Create resource pool
• Virtual machine: Change Configuration (with all sub-options)
• Virtual machine: Edit Inventory: Create new
• Virtual machine: Edit Inventory: Register
• Virtual machine: Edit Inventory: Unregister
• Virtual machine: Interaction: Power off
• Virtual machine: Interaction: Power on
• Virtual machine: Provisioning: Allow disk access
• Virtual machine: Provisioning: Allow read-only disk access
• Virtual machine: Provisioning: Allow virtual machine download
• Virtual machine: Provisioning: Allow virtual machine files upload
• Virtual machine: Snapshot management (with all sub-options)
Each user assigned to this role requires access to the following levels of the VMware vCenter Server:
• vCenter
• Datacenter
• Cluster
• Host
• Datastore
• Network interface
NOTE: To prevent users from having access to all underlying levels, clear the “Propagate to children” option for each level.
Select the folder containing the virtual machines to be backed up, and then add the user and assign the Administrator role to allow Web GUI full control access to the folder. To be able to back up subfolders, select the "Propagate to children" option.