When does vDR perform Full Backups?

[void269]

I am setting up a test vDR setup as a proof of concept and while reading through the documentation it dawned on me...when does vDR do Full backups?  I know the first backup of a VM is a full and incremental after that.  But when is the next one performed?  I have done some Google'ing and looking through the documentations, but have not found an answer yet.

Currently I ave the backup job setup to keep 6 daily backups, 4 weekly and 1 monthly.  When the first Full backup is expired, is another taken?  Also, is it possible to force a full backup on a VM other than creating a new backup job?

[rickardnobel · Accepted solution]

void269 wrote:

...when does vDR do Full backups?  I know the first backup of a VM is a full and incremental after that.  But when is the next one performed?

My understanding is that VDR always to full backups and never traditional "incremental". However, since the backup datastore uses a deduplication technology each "Full" backup will only grow with the changed blocks since last backup.

[AndreTheGiant]

With deduplication the full/incremental does not make too much sense.

BUT on the source side, the first backup is always full (aka it need to read the entire vmdk).

From the second, it is always incremental (but only with virtual hardware 7 or greated) due to the CBT usage.

On the destination side is always deduplicated.

[rickardnobel]

The terms of full and incremental is a bit confusing when using the vStorage API for Data Proction like the VDR and the possibility to access the list of changed blocks from outside the VM.

In a restore situation there is always a full backup available and you do not have to find the latest full and then apply several incremental backups like in a traditional way. This makes all backups "full", even if you only take the actual changes, like in an incremental backup.

[void269]

OK, that makes more sense.  Thanks for explaining it guys!