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ricky73
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Hot Shot

ESXi 6 - backup snapshot

Is there way to backup snapshot of VM in ESXi 6.0 environment?

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Alex_Romeo
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Hi,

Why snapshots alone are not backups

Alessandro Romeo

Blog: https://www.aleadmin.it/
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ricky73
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A simple reason for backup snapshots:

Citrix Studio uses vCenter and It uses machine catalog mechanism where a master image will be template for all virtual machines in the catalog.

So when you select Master image It's possibile to select the specific snapshot, which will represent the base server for the multiple cloned vm.

Master image server is usually turned off and It used only for clone process but It's necessary to backup the several snapshot of master image.

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Alex_Romeo
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Hi,

but it's free citrix studio?

Blog: https://www.aleadmin.it/
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ricky73
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Citrix Xenapp is commercial software but I don't know about Citrix Studio component. Why are you asking about it?

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Alex_Romeo
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Leadership

you wrote "citrix studio users vcenter..."

Blog: https://www.aleadmin.it/
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Alex_Romeo
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Leadership

Hi,

Use Veeam:

Free Backup Solution - Veeam Backup & Replication Community Edition

To perform backup, Veeam Backup & Replication leverages VMware vSphere snapshot capabilities. When you need to perform backup, Veeam Backup & Replication instructs VMware vSphere to create a snapshot — a cohesive point-in-time copy of a VM that Veeam Backup & Replication can access to retrieve VM data. The VMware vSphere snapshot technology lets you back up VMs without suspending them: this is also knows as online hot backup.

Performing Backup - Evaluator's Guide for VMware vSphere

Alessandro Romeo

Blog: https://www.aleadmin.it/
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daphnissov
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Veeam does not backup snapshots, AlessandroRomeo68

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Alex_Romeo
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... not directly. But you can make full or incremental backups of the vm with VeamZip including the snapshot files and then manage the restore points you prefer ... it's a free alternative solution.

Blog: https://www.aleadmin.it/
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daphnissov
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Immortal

I'm pretty sure VeeamZip will not protect the snapshot delta disks because it uses snapshots itself to get access to the VM.

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Alex_Romeo
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Leadership

maybe I didn't explain myself well ... I didn't write that veeamzip handles snapshot backups. But you can create fast backups before any change on the vm and so you can manage it as if it were a vm snapshop. basically make backups for each restore point you want. You can use veeam to create as many restore points as you want by backing up before modifying the virtual machine.

Anyway thanks.

Blog: https://www.aleadmin.it/
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ricky73
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Citrix Studio USES vCenter, not users.

Citrix Studio is certificated for use with Vmware.

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ricky73
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I thought to freeware solution or built-in VMware to backup snapshots, a similar features are in VMware  DataProtection which I'm using already.

If I turn off VM and I save all files which are into VM folder of datastore , I think It's the only method... what do you think. I already explained machine which has snapshot is master image so It's necessary only as base server to create vm sons.

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