Virtual machine backup

File level snapshot using VCB

Backs up either of the following:

Individual folders and files, individual drives, or all local drives, with the MS-Windows policy type.
Individual drives or all local drives, with the FlashBackup-Windows policy type.

File level snapshot using VCB cannot be used to back up Windows system files or VMware virtual disk files.

File level snapshot using VCB requires VCB on the VMware backup host.

Full VM backup

Backs up the entire virtual machine. From the backup, you can restore the entire virtual machine but not individual files. You can also use this option to make incremental backups: in the policy schedule, select differential incremental backup or cumulative incremental backup.

Mapped full VM backup

Backs up the entire virtual machine. (This option is the default.)

Two kinds of restore are possible from a mapped full backup: restore of the entire virtual machine or of individual folders and files. You can also use this option to make incremental backups: in the policy schedule, select differential incremental backup or cumulative incremental backup.

This option is the default.

To perform a VMware backup to a deduplication storage unit, select the Mapped full VM backup option. This option provides the best deduplication rates. Use of the Full VM backup option results in a lower rate of deduplication.

Full backup with file level incremental

This option is intended for pre-7.x versions of NetBackup for VMware. This option backs up the entire virtual machine for full backups. It also backs up individual files, folders, or drives for incremental backups, by means of the file-level snapshot capability of VCB.

Choose this option in either of the following cases:

You have not upgraded your backup host to NetBackup 7.x.
Your VMware environment still requires VCB.

Note:

For 7.x systems with VMware ESX 3.5 or later or VirtualCenter 2.5 or later, use Mapped full VM backup or Full VM backup instead. Then set up an incremental schedule.