[BBLISA] VMware backups

[John Stoffel]

Rob> Hi All. I'm starting to look at some software for backing up
Rob> Vmware VM's.  Currently we have backup agents installed in each
Rob> VM. but we are looking into whether software from VEEAM, or Quest
Rob> software's vranger is worthwhile.  Does anyone out there in
Rob> BBLISA land have any experience with either of these products?
Rob> (Or others for vm backup, as we have just started looking)

We use CommVault 9 to backup and bunch of VMs.  I don't like it much
at all.  I end up having horrible times doing restores where CommVault
says I'll need tape A, then doesn't tell me it will also need tape B
( or more....) until later.  It's *very* frustrating.  It's also
strictly a GUI only tool, even though they have a semblance of a CLI
buried underneath.  

Are you looking to do a snapshot of the VM, then mount the snapshot
and back it up while also indexing the content?  Or do you just wnat
to snapshot the VM and do an image backup?

Or better yet, turn the question on it's head, what are you trying to
*restore* from your backups?  Entire VMs as quickly as possible?
Single files from inside the VM?  Once you know that, you can answer
the backup question.

John