VM Backup: Why should you implement it in your company?

The modern IT infrastructure uses Virtual Machines quite a bit, creating virtualized environments capable of running different operating systems within the borders of the same hardware. VMs can offer flexibility, better scalability, and more convenient resource utilization in many industries. However, the fact that VMs often operate using one or several OSs means that protecting the information that each VM works with – or creates – is typically necessary. The task is more difficult because VM backup differs quite a bit from traditional backup processes, in that dedicated processes and sometimes even software are required to perform the same backup and recovery operations.

The definition of a VM backup

Virtual Machine Backup or VM Backup is a data protection solution for VMs that performs similar functions to traditional backup solutions that are used on physical servers. Virtual machine backup applications can perform a full backup of all files in a VM, an incremental backup, or a differential backup. The VM backup software needs to run frequently and periodically to protect VM files, configurations, and continuously changing data. Modern VM backup software will utilize enhancement capabilities available through the hypervisor that allow for quicker backups with less impact on the virtual machine.

Why is VM Backup important?

VMs are an integral part of today’s IT infrastructure, providing businesses with cost savings and improved efficiency. Yet, with the right backup solution in place, companies can avoid the potential risks of data and application loss, associated downtime, revenue losses, and reputational harm. Furthermore, as data volume and complexity continue to grow, so does the potential for data corruption; implementing a backup system is a must for all IT setups.

Benefits of Virtual Machine Backup

• Data Protection: One of the primary benefits of virtual machine backup is ensuring data protection. Regular backups safeguard critical data against accidental deletion, corruption, and other forms of data loss.
• Disaster Recovery: In the event of a catastrophic failure, such as a hardware malfunction or natural disaster, VM backups allow for rapid recovery of systems and data, minimizing downtime and business disruption.
• Business Continuity: By maintaining up-to-date backups, organizations can ensure business continuity. This is particularly important for businesses that rely heavily on their IT infrastructure for daily operations.
• Efficient Resource Management: Virtual machine backups often include features such as deduplication and compression, which reduce the storage space required for backups and optimize resource usage.
• Flexibility and Scalability: VM backups can be easily scaled to accommodate growing data volumes and additional virtual machines, making them suitable for organizations of all sizes.

Common use cases for VM backup

Organizations of all sizes need VM backup for these everyday use cases:

• Business continuity: With VM backup software, businesses can protect all of their data and configurations needed to bring business back to life following unpredictable disruptions
• Data protection: Without proper protection, your data remains susceptible to potential loss and corruption. Virtual machine backup preserves the integrity of your data and provides usable copies of lost data
• Disaster recovery: It is accepted that all businesses and IT environments will face unexpected events that could cause data loss, corruption, or disrupt IT operations. Using VM backup software reduces the risks associated with unplanned disruptions

How to perform Virtual Machine Backup

Performing a VM backup involves several steps and considerations to ensure the process is effective and reliable. Below is a general guide to performing VM backups:

• Choose a Backup Solution: Select a backup solution that supports virtual machine environments. There are various options available, including commercial software like Veeam, Acronis, and Commvault, as well as open-source solutions.
• Plan Your Backup Strategy: Determine the frequency and type of backups required based on your organization’s needs. Consider factors such as data criticality, recovery time objectives (RTO), and recovery point objectives (RPO).
• Configure Backup Settings: Set up the backup software according to your strategy. This includes specifying the VMs to be backed up, choosing the type of backup (full, incremental, differential, or snapshot), and configuring scheduling options.
• Perform Initial Full Backup: Start with a full backup to ensure a comprehensive copy of the VM is available. This serves as the baseline for subsequent incremental or differential backups.
• Regular Backup Execution: Schedule regular backups to keep the backup data current. Incremental or differential backups are typically performed more frequently than full backups to save time and storage space.
• Verify Backup Integrity: Regularly test and verify backups to ensure they are complete and can be restored successfully. This helps identify any issues before they impact your ability to recover data.
• Secure Backup Storage: Store backups in a secure location, preferably offsite or in the cloud, to protect against local disasters. Ensure that backup data is encrypted to prevent unauthorized access.
• Implement Retention Policies: Define retention policies to manage the lifecycle of backup data. This includes determining how long backups should be retained and when they should be deleted or archived.

VM backup concepts

The following are essential concepts to understand the concepts of the VM backup procedures:

• Differential backup – Backup of only the files that have changed since the last full backup.
• File-level backup – Backup that is defined at the level of files and folders.
• Full backup – A backup of all files.
• Full VM backup – A backup of all files that comprise an entire virtual machine, including disk images, configuration files, and others.
• Image-level backup – or volume level is the backup of the entire storage volume.
• Incremental backup – Backup of only the files that have changed since the last backup, either full or incremental.
• Quiescing – A process to bring the data of the virtual machine to a state suitable for backups including, flushing of buffers from the operating system’s memory cache to disk or other application-specific tasks.

The challenges of VM backups

While backups as a concept have many use cases and advantages, it would also be wise to remember that they are far from perfect and have their fair share of shortcomings.

• Backup recovery can be a substantial challenge since many VM-centric environments require rapid data restoration to remain operational. Setting up a proper VM restoration environment with high performance can be challenging for multiple reasons, from data complexity to the unusual nature of virtualization.
• The upfront cost of a proper VM backup system can be surprisingly high, even if its operational costs are relatively low compared with traditional backup solutions.
• It is common for companies to use dozens, hundreds, to even thousands of VMs simultaneously. Covering such complex environments with a proper backup and recovery infrastructure can be a substantial challenge, even for a more experienced user.

Conclusion

Implementing VM backup is essential for any company that relies on virtualization technology. Without VM backup, businesses risk losing critical data, facing security breaches, and experiencing significant downtime that can lead to financial losses. By understanding what a virtual machine is, how virtualization works, and the benefits it offers, you can make informed decisions for your company’s future.

Additionally, understanding the different types of VM backups available and how to implement them can help ensure the safety and integrity of your data. With this knowledge, you can implement best practices for VM backup. Rest assured that your company’s data is safe, secure, and accessible when needed. Finally, by investing in VM backup, you’re investing in the longevity and success of your business.