Support for backup and restore of third-party OS virtual machines using native vSphere functions

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Is it possible to back up and restore a third-party OS virtual machine (e.g., a Linux-based appliance) using only native vSphere (ESXi/vCenter Server) functionality?

 

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi
VMware vCenter Server

Resolution

It is not possible to perform typical, scheduled backup and restore operations for a virtual machine using only native vSphere (ESXi/vCenter Server) functions.

vSphere does include a feature to export a virtual machine to an OVF or OVA template. However, this functionality is not designed or intended to be used as a regular backup solution.

• Intended Use: The OVF/OVA export feature is intended for migrating or deploying a copy of the virtual machine to another vSphere environment.

• Limitation: Exporting a VM to an OVF/OVA template requires the virtual machine to be powered off. This makes it unsuitable for regular backups in a production environment where high availability is required.

The standard and recommended method for backing up vSphere virtual machines is to use a dedicated third-party backup solution.

Additional Information

Deploying and Exporting OVF and OVA Templates (vSphere 8.0 Documentation)