Snapshot Memory Defaults can they be changed to be False?

[bluninja]

I am using VMware 5.5, but this question I guess applies to 4.1 as well. I have issues with both Backup Exec and Veeam taking snapshots that include memory. This results in snapshots taking a long time and delaying the backup runs. It also has impact on some time sensitive applications (e.g. JDE) which then stop after the snapshot.

I understand the default is for snapshots to be taken with memory; thus any 3rd party backup tool that just requests a snapshot via the API will take a snapshot with memory.

I also understand that if I manually take a snapshot and un tick the memory option then subsequent backups (of that system), and snapshots will run without memory.

What I want to be able to do is to change the default behaviour of snapshots at the vCenter or ESXi host level so that I can turn off memory on all VM snapshots without taking a snapshot.

Is this possible? If so, how would I do it.

[JarryG]

Do you understand that snapshot of running VM without memory means snapshot will be inconsistent? Files opened will not be closed, changes will not be saved, buffers/cache will not be emptied, etc. You might easily end with snapshot which you can not boot up at all...

[vfk]

Veeam you does not memory snapshot during backup, it only quiesces the file systems for consistency ready for backup,  I have not worked with BackupExec.

[bluninja]

Perhaps refer to this VMware KB: Understanding virtual machine snapshots in VMware ESXi and ESX

Creating a snapshot

When creating a snapshot, there are several options you can specify:

• Name: This is used to identify the snapshot. 
• Description: This is used to describe the snapshot. 
• Memory: If the <memory> flag is 1 or true, a dump of the internal state of the virtual machine is included in the snapshot. Memory snapshots take longer to create, but allow reversion to a running virtual machine state as it was when the snapshot was taken. This option is selected by default. If this option is not selected, and quiescing is not selected, the snapshot will create files which are crash-consistent, which you can use to reboot the virtual machine.

[bluninja]

Thanks for the reply. I couldn't find this information in Veeam's documentation, just inferences around the web. Based on your response I went into the Veeam logs (%allusersprofile\Veeam\Backup) and checked some of the jobs. Sure enough in the logs "VEEAM BACKUP TEMPORARY SNAPSHOT", description "Please do not delete this snapshot. It is being used by Veeam Backup.", memory "False", quiesce "False"

So for Veeam I'm ok, and as that is currently the major VM backup tool I'm playing with.

[P15]

These are hardcoded and cannot be changed, Unless it is changed in the future release.